DENSMOREl TETON SIOUX MUSIC 179 



allowed on the windward side of the person giving the demonstration 

 and no one is allowed to come near him. 



Brave Buftalo stated that after this demonstration the elks gave 

 Jiim power to find medicinal herbs. At the present time if he is in 

 doubt wjiat herb to use in treating a sick person, he appeals to the 

 elks and they toll him what to use and where to find it. 



The emblem of the elk is a circle, exemplified by the hoop which an 

 elk dreamer carries in his hand when "acting out his dream." The 

 young men wear a hair ornament consisting of a small hoop wound 

 with porcupine ([uills and having a downy white eagle feather sus- 

 pended in the center. Such an ornament is shown in plate 27; the 

 eagle feather is suspended by a tiny loop of hide at the end of the 

 quill. This ornament is fastened by a narrow strip of hide to a lock 

 of hair on top and at the left side of a man's head. The fastening 

 is from the center of the hoop so that the ornament hangs lightly 

 above the ear. 



DREAMS CONCERNING THE WOLF 



Brave Buffalo stated that about two years after his dream of the 

 elk he had a dream of a wolf. This dream came to him as he was 

 hunting alone. He had been wandering for several days in search of 

 game when he met a pack of wolves. They formed a circle around 

 him, and as they stood looking at him he noticed that their nostrils 

 and paws wore painted red. They came toward him, whereupon he 

 grew dizzy. When they reached him, he was unconscious. They 

 stood around him until he regained his senses; then they moved on, 

 telling him to follow them. They led the way to a wolf den on top of 

 a high hill. While he was there, more wolves came out of the hole, 

 painted like the others. The wolves have always been wanderers, not 

 knowing where they would find food. They knew he had been hunt- 

 ing and had had much difficulty in finding game, and they wanted to 

 help him. They said there was a certain herb which, if dried, would 

 enable him to catch all kinds of snakes. He was told to dry this herb, 

 and put it on the ground where the snakes are wont to come. He did 

 so and caught a live rattlesnake. The wolves told him to carry this 

 live snake when giving the demonstration of his wolf dream. Instead 

 of the mask of elk hide which he wore in his former demonstration, he 

 used a similar mask of wolf skin, wearing practically the entire hide ^ 

 and carrying in his hand a bent stick somewhat resembling a bow, 

 which was painted red. A duplicate of this stick made by Brave 

 Buffalo for the writer i^ shown in plate 28. Brave Buffalo stated that 

 he cairied this and the snake in the same hand, the snake coiling 

 itself around the bow. He held the snake close to its head during the 

 demonstration and let it go after the demonstration was closed. The 



1 Cf. tho wearing of a wolf hide by warriors, p. 388. 



