﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCHE] 
  

  

  THE 
  SACRED 
  POLE 
  

  

  229 
  

  

  The 
  ancient 
  Cedar 
  Pole 
  (fig. 
  57 
  ; 
  Peabody 
  Museum 
  no. 
  

   37561) 
  preserved 
  in 
  the 
  Tent 
  of 
  War 
  was 
  the 
  prototype 
  

   of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole. 
  The 
  two 
  had 
  features 
  in 
  common: 
  

   both 
  simulated 
  something 
  nunc 
  than 
  a 
  pole, 
  and 
  did 
  not 
  

   typify 
  a 
  tree, 
  as 
  did 
  the 
  pole 
  in 
  the 
  He'dewachi 
  ceremony, 
  

   but, 
  represented 
  a 
  being; 
  both 
  had 
  the 
  zhi'be, 
  or 
  leg; 
  on 
  

   the 
  body 
  of 
  one 
  was 
  bound 
  a 
  stick 
  like 
  a 
  club, 
  on 
  the 
  

   other 
  a 
  device 
  called 
  a 
  bow 
  shield. 
  Both 
  poles 
  were 
  

   associated 
  with 
  Thunder, 
  and 
  any 
  profanation 
  of 
  either 
  

   was 
  supernaturally 
  punished 
  by 
  death. 
  The 
  cedar 
  tree 
  

   was 
  a 
  favorite 
  place 
  for 
  the 
  Thunder 
  birds 
  to 
  alight 
  

   ami 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  Legend 
  attention 
  was 
  called 
  to 
  

   the 
  tree 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole 
  was 
  shaped 
  by 
  

   the 
  Thunder 
  birds 
  coming 
  to 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  four 
  direc- 
  

   tions 
  and 
  the 
  mysterious 
  burning 
  which 
  followed, 
  all 
  

   of 
  which 
  caused 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole 
  to 
  stand 
  in 
  the 
  

   minds 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  as 
  endowed 
  with 
  supernatural 
  

   power 
  by 
  the 
  ancient 
  Thunder 
  gods. 
  "As 
  a 
  result," 
  

   the 
  Legend 
  says, 
  "the 
  people 
  began 
  to 
  pray 
  to 
  the 
  Pole 
  

   for 
  courage 
  and 
  for 
  trophies 
  in 
  war 
  and 
  their 
  prayers 
  were 
  

   answered." 
  

  

  Associated 
  with 
  the 
  Pole 
  was 
  the 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide. 
  

   Its 
  tent 
  stood 
  beside 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Pole. 
  The 
  ritual 
  and 
  

   ceremonies 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  Hide 
  (given 
  on 
  p. 
  286) 
  show 
  

   that 
  it 
  was 
  directly 
  connected 
  with 
  hunting 
  the 
  buffalo. 
  

   The 
  Pole, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  was 
  a 
  political 
  symbol 
  rep- 
  

   resentative 
  of 
  the 
  authority 
  of 
  the 
  chiefs, 
  and 
  mysteriously 
  

   associated 
  with 
  Thunder, 
  as 
  cited 
  above; 
  it 
  was 
  related 
  to 
  

   defensive 
  warfare 
  as 
  a 
  means 
  of 
  protecting 
  the 
  tribe 
  and 
  

   was 
  also 
  connected 
  witli 
  the 
  hunt, 
  the 
  means 
  by 
  which 
  

   food, 
  clothing, 
  and 
  shelter 
  were 
  secured 
  by 
  the 
  people. 
  

  

  The 
  Pole 
  had 
  its 
  keeper, 
  who 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  subgens 
  

   having 
  its 
  rites 
  in 
  charge. 
  When 
  the 
  tribe 
  moved 
  out 
  on 
  

   the 
  annual 
  hunt 
  the 
  Pole 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  

   keeper 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  strap 
  passed 
  over 
  his 
  shoulders, 
  the 
  

   ends 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  fastened 
  near 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  

   Pole. 
  As 
  he 
  walked 
  carrying 
  the 
  Pole 
  the 
  keeper 
  had 
  to 
  

   wear 
  his 
  robe 
  ceremonially, 
  the 
  hair 
  outside. 
  The 
  food, 
  

   tent, 
  and 
  personal 
  belongings 
  of 
  the 
  keeper 
  could 
  be 
  trans- 
  

   ported 
  on 
  a 
  horse; 
  the 
  Pole 
  had 
  always 
  to 
  be 
  carried 
  on 
  

   the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  man. 
  The 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  Pole 
  was 
  

   regarded 
  at 
  all 
  times 
  as 
  of 
  vital 
  importance. 
  "It 
  held 
  

   the 
  tribe 
  together; 
  without 
  it 
  the 
  people 
  might 
  scat- 
  

   ter," 
  was 
  the 
  common 
  expression 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  purpose 
  and 
  

   needed 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  Pole. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  57. 
  An- 
  

   cient 
  Cedar 
  

   Pole. 
  

  

  