﻿FLETCHEB-LA 
  FLESCIIE] 
  THE 
  SACKED 
  POLE 
  231 
  

  

  decision 
  to 
  the 
  tribe. 
  Runners 
  were 
  sent 
  out 
  to 
  search 
  for 
  a 
  herd 
  of 
  

   buffalo, 
  and 
  if 
  one 
  was 
  found 
  within 
  four 
  days 
  it 
  was 
  accounted 
  a 
  

   sacred 
  herd, 
  and 
  the 
  chase 
  that 
  took 
  place 
  provided 
  fresh 
  meat 
  for 
  

   the 
  coming 
  ceremony. 
  If 
  within 
  four 
  days 
  the 
  runners 
  failed 
  to 
  

   discover 
  a 
  herd, 
  dried 
  meat 
  was 
  used. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  preliminary 
  council 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  men 
  to 
  be 
  called 
  on 
  to 
  

   secure 
  poles 
  for 
  the 
  communal 
  tent 
  was 
  determined; 
  then 
  each 
  chief 
  

   took 
  a 
  reed 
  from 
  a 
  bundle 
  kept 
  in 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent, 
  which 
  constituted 
  

   the 
  tally 
  of 
  the 
  men 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  and 
  mentioned 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  a 
  man 
  of 
  

   valorous 
  exploits. 
  "When 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  men 
  agreed 
  

   on 
  had 
  been 
  mentioned, 
  the 
  leader 
  of 
  the 
  subgens 
  gave 
  the 
  repre- 
  

   sentative 
  reeds 
  to 
  the 
  tribal 
  herald 
  to 
  distribute 
  to 
  these 
  designated 
  

   men. 
  On 
  receiving 
  the 
  reed 
  each 
  man 
  proceeded 
  to 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent, 
  

   and 
  by 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  returning 
  his 
  reed 
  to 
  the 
  leader 
  of 
  the 
  subgens 
  

   accepted 
  the 
  distinction 
  that 
  had 
  been 
  conferred 
  on 
  him. 
  It 
  was 
  

   now 
  the 
  duty 
  of 
  these 
  men 
  to 
  visit 
  the 
  lodges 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  and 
  select 
  

   from 
  each 
  tent 
  a 
  pole 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  a 
  lodge 
  for 
  

   the 
  coming 
  ceremonies. 
  This 
  they 
  did 
  by 
  entering 
  the 
  tent 
  and 
  

   striking 
  a 
  chosen 
  pole, 
  while 
  the}' 
  recounted 
  the 
  valiant 
  deeds 
  of 
  their 
  

   past 
  life. 
  These 
  men 
  were 
  followed 
  by 
  other 
  men 
  from 
  the 
  Waxthe'- 
  

   xeto 
  n 
  subgens, 
  who, 
  with 
  their 
  wives, 
  withdrew 
  the 
  selected 
  poles 
  and 
  

   carried 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent, 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  set 
  

   up 
  and 
  covered 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  semicircular 
  lodge 
  (fig. 
  58)." 
  This 
  

   lodge 
  was 
  erected 
  on 
  the 
  site 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tents, 
  which 
  were 
  incor- 
  

   porated 
  in 
  it. 
  The 
  lodge 
  opened 
  toward 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  tribal 
  circle 
  ; 
  

   as 
  the 
  poles 
  used 
  in 
  its 
  construction 
  were 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  tents 
  of 
  the 
  

   tribe 
  the 
  lodge 
  represented 
  all 
  the 
  people 
  and 
  was 
  called 
  waxu'he, 
  

   "holy" 
  or 
  "sacred," 
  because 
  it 
  was 
  erected 
  for 
  a 
  religious 
  ceremony. 
  

  

  Up 
  to 
  this 
  time 
  the 
  tribe 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  moving 
  and 
  camping 
  every 
  

   day, 
  but 
  now 
  a 
  halt 
  was 
  called 
  until 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  ceremony. 
  From 
  

   this 
  time 
  to 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  rites 
  all 
  the 
  horses 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  kept 
  outside 
  

   the 
  hu'thuga, 
  and 
  the 
  people 
  were 
  not 
  allowed 
  to 
  loiter 
  about 
  or 
  pass 
  to 
  

   and 
  fro 
  across 
  the 
  entrance. 
  To 
  enforce 
  this 
  regulation 
  two 
  men 
  were 
  

   stationed 
  as 
  guards 
  at 
  the 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  tribal 
  circle. 
  

  

  All 
  being 
  in 
  readiness, 
  the 
  leader 
  of 
  the 
  subgens 
  of 
  the 
  IIo"'ga 
  

   having 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  Pole 
  summoned 
  the 
  Seven 
  Chiefs 
  and 
  the 
  head- 
  

   men 
  of 
  the 
  gentes, 
  who, 
  wearing 
  buffalo 
  robes 
  in 
  the 
  ceremonial 
  

   manner, 
  sedately 
  walked 
  to 
  the 
  communal 
  tent 
  and 
  took 
  their 
  scats. 
  

  

  The 
  Xu'ka, 
  a 
  group 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  Tha'tada 
  gens, 
  which 
  in 
  the 
  

   hu'thuga 
  camped 
  next 
  to 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'ga 
  on 
  the 
  left, 
  and 
  whose 
  duty 
  it 
  was 
  

   to 
  act 
  as 
  prompters 
  in 
  the 
  ceremonies 
  performed 
  by 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'ga, 
  took 
  

   their 
  places 
  toward 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  communal 
  tent 
  on 
  the 
  left. 
  

   The 
  Xu'ka 
  followed 
  closely 
  the 
  singing 
  of 
  the 
  ritual 
  songs. 
  To 
  aid 
  

   them 
  in 
  their 
  duty 
  as 
  prompters 
  they 
  used 
  counters 
  — 
  little 
  sticks 
  

  

  a 
  The 
  four 
  figures 
  in 
  front 
  were 
  made 
  of 
  grass 
  : 
  later 
  in 
  the 
  ceremony 
  these 
  represented 
  enemies. 
  

  

  