DENSMORE] 



TETON SIOUX MUSIC 



245 



treated it successfully. He did this in accordance with his dream. A medicine-man 

 would not try to dream of all herbs and treat all diseases, for then he could not expect 

 to succeed in all nor to fulfill properly the dream of any one herb or animal. He 

 would depend on too many and fail in all. That is one reason why our medicine-men 

 lost their power when so many diseases came among us with the advent of the white 

 man. 



Three methods of treating the sick were used by the Sioux — by- 

 means of the sacred stones, "conjuring," and the giving of herbs. 

 The first kind of treatment might be given by a wakay'liay . This 

 term was applied to the highest type of medicine-men — those quali- 

 fied to command the sacred stones, to bring fan* weather, or to fill 



No. 59 



No. 71 



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No. OS 



No. 76 



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I 



m 



No. 74 



No. 70 



Fig. 25. I'loLs, Group 3. 



such important ceremonial positions as that of Intercessor in the 

 Sun dance. A man who "conjured" the sick was called wapi'ija, 

 "one who repairs," and a man who treated the sick by means of 

 herbs was called pezu'ta wica'ku, "one who places his confidence in 

 roots of herbs." It was not unusual for the same man to use more 

 than one of these methods, but he was best known by the one wliich 

 he employed the most. 



Treatment of the sick by means of the sacred stones and by con- 

 juring has been forbidden by tlie Govermnent in recent years, but 

 certain of the old men are allowed to continue treating the sick by 

 administering herbs. Four such men described the method they 

 4840°— Bull. 61—18 18 



