﻿fletcher-la 
  flesche] 
  TRIBAL. 
  GOVERNMENT 
  209 
  

  

  on 
  the 
  keeper 
  of 
  the 
  ritual 
  to 
  prepare 
  the 
  Pipes 
  for 
  use. 
  As 
  he 
  

   filled 
  them 
  with 
  native 
  tobacco 
  he 
  intoned 
  in 
  a 
  low 
  voice 
  the 
  ritual 
  

   which 
  belonged 
  to 
  that 
  act. 
  He 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  careful 
  not 
  to 
  let 
  either 
  of 
  

   the 
  Pipes 
  fall. 
  Should 
  this 
  happen, 
  that 
  meeting 
  of 
  the 
  council 
  would 
  

   be 
  at 
  an 
  end, 
  and 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  keeper 
  would 
  be 
  in 
  danger 
  from 
  the 
  

   supernatural 
  powers. 
  After 
  the 
  Pipes 
  were 
  filled 
  they 
  were 
  again 
  

   laid 
  before 
  the 
  two 
  principal 
  chiefs. 
  When 
  the 
  time 
  came 
  to 
  smoke 
  

   the 
  Pipes 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  give 
  authority 
  to 
  a 
  decision, 
  the 
  Pke'cabe 
  

   keeper 
  arose, 
  took 
  up 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  Pipes, 
  and 
  held 
  it 
  for 
  the 
  principal 
  

   chief 
  sitting 
  toward 
  the 
  north, 
  to 
  smoke. 
  The 
  assistant 
  from 
  the 
  

   Te'pa 
  subgens 
  of 
  the 
  Tha'tada 
  gens 
  (see 
  p. 
  159) 
  followed, 
  taking 
  up 
  

   the 
  other 
  Pipe 
  and 
  holding 
  it 
  for 
  the 
  principal 
  chief 
  sitting 
  toward 
  

   the 
  south, 
  to 
  smoke. 
  The 
  Pipes 
  were 
  then 
  passed 
  around 
  the 
  council, 
  

   the 
  Pke'cabe 
  keeper 
  leading 
  and 
  carefully 
  holding 
  the 
  Pipe 
  for 
  each 
  

   member 
  to 
  smoke, 
  the 
  assistant 
  following 
  and 
  serving 
  the 
  other 
  Pipe 
  

   in 
  the 
  same 
  manner. 
  The 
  principal 
  chief 
  sitting 
  toward 
  the 
  south 
  

   was 
  the 
  last 
  to 
  smoke 
  from 
  the 
  Pipe 
  borne 
  by 
  the 
  pke'cabe 
  keeper, 
  

   who 
  then 
  laid 
  the 
  Pipe 
  in 
  the 
  place 
  from 
  which 
  he 
  had 
  taken 
  it. 
  

   When 
  the 
  Te'pa 
  assistant 
  reached 
  the 
  chief 
  to 
  whom 
  he 
  had 
  first 
  

   offered 
  the 
  Pipe 
  he 
  laid 
  it 
  down 
  beside 
  the 
  other. 
  The 
  keeper 
  of 
  

   the 
  ritual 
  from 
  the 
  Pshta'cu 
  n 
  da 
  gens 
  then 
  arose 
  and 
  cleaned 
  the 
  

   Pipes, 
  after 
  which 
  he 
  laid 
  them 
  back 
  before 
  the 
  two 
  chiefs, 
  who 
  then 
  

   called 
  the 
  keeper 
  from 
  the 
  Pke'cabe 
  gens 
  to 
  take 
  them 
  in 
  charge." 
  

  

  "The 
  seven 
  must 
  have 
  but 
  one 
  heart 
  and 
  speak 
  as 
  with 
  one 
  mouth," 
  

   said 
  the 
  old 
  men 
  who 
  explained 
  these 
  things 
  to 
  the 
  writers, 
  adding: 
  

   "It 
  is 
  because 
  these 
  decisions 
  come 
  from 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  that 
  a 
  chief 
  is 
  

   slow 
  to 
  speak. 
  No 
  word 
  can 
  be 
  without 
  meaning 
  and 
  every 
  one 
  

   must 
  be 
  uttered 
  in 
  soberness. 
  That 
  is 
  why 
  when 
  a 
  chief 
  speaks 
  the 
  

   others 
  listen, 
  for 
  the 
  words 
  of 
  a 
  chief 
  must 
  be 
  few." 
  When 
  a 
  con- 
  

   clusion 
  was 
  reached 
  by 
  the 
  council 
  the 
  herald 
  was 
  summoned, 
  and 
  

   he 
  went 
  about 
  the 
  camp 
  circle 
  and 
  proclaimed 
  the 
  decision. 
  No 
  one 
  

   dared 
  to 
  dispute, 
  for 
  it 
  was 
  said: 
  "This 
  is 
  the 
  voice 
  of 
  the 
  chiefs." 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  duties 
  of 
  the 
  Council 
  of 
  Seven 
  besides 
  that 
  of 
  main- 
  

   taining 
  peace 
  and 
  order 
  within 
  the 
  tribe 
  were 
  making 
  peace 
  with 
  other 
  

   tribes, 
  securing 
  allies, 
  determining 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  annual 
  buffalo 
  

   hunt, 
  and 
  confirming 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  was 
  to 
  act 
  as 
  leader, 
  on 
  whom 
  

   rested 
  the 
  responsibility 
  of 
  that 
  important 
  movement. 
  While 
  on 
  the 
  

   hunt 
  the 
  Seven 
  Chiefs 
  were 
  in 
  a 
  sense 
  subordinate 
  to 
  the 
  leader, 
  

   their 
  duties 
  being 
  advisory 
  rather 
  than 
  governing 
  in 
  character; 
  they 
  

   were 
  always 
  regarded, 
  however, 
  as 
  directly 
  responsible 
  to 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  

   for 
  the 
  welfare 
  of 
  the 
  tribe. 
  The 
  council 
  appointed 
  officers 
  called 
  

  

  a 
  All 
  the 
  other 
  sacred 
  articles 
  used 
  in 
  tribal 
  ceremonies 
  have 
  been 
  turned 
  over 
  to 
  the 
  writers 
  for 
  safe- 
  

   keeping, 
  but 
  no 
  arguments 
  could 
  induce 
  the 
  leading 
  men 
  to 
  part 
  with 
  the 
  two 
  Sacred 
  Pipes. 
  The 
  answer 
  

   was 
  always, 
  " 
  They 
  must 
  remain." 
  And 
  they 
  are 
  still 
  with 
  the 
  people. 
  

  

  83993°— 
  27 
  eth— 
  11 
  14 
  

  

  