﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCHE] 
  THE 
  SACRED 
  POLE 
  243 
  

  

  Ceremony 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole 
  — 
  Conclusion 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  noted 
  that 
  the 
  ceremony 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole 
  is 
  divided 
  

   into 
  two 
  parts 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  significance 
  of 
  the 
  Pole 
  is 
  twofold. 
  In 
  

   the 
  first 
  part 
  the 
  Pole 
  stands 
  for 
  the 
  authority 
  that 
  governed 
  the 
  

   tribe, 
  an 
  authority 
  granted 
  and 
  guarded 
  by 
  the 
  supernatural 
  powers; 
  

   in 
  the 
  second 
  part 
  the 
  Pole 
  stands 
  for 
  the 
  men 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  the 
  

   defenders 
  and 
  the 
  providers 
  of 
  the 
  home. 
  The 
  same 
  songs 
  are 
  used 
  

   for 
  both 
  parts, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  part 
  the 
  ceremonial 
  acts 
  are 
  per- 
  

   formed 
  by 
  a 
  man; 
  in 
  the 
  second 
  part 
  the 
  ceremonial 
  acts 
  are 
  per- 
  

   formed 
  by 
  a 
  woman. 
  In 
  this 
  two-part 
  ceremony 
  and 
  its 
  performance 
  

   are 
  reflected 
  the 
  fundamental 
  ideas 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  tribal 
  organization 
  

   is 
  based, 
  the 
  union 
  of 
  the 
  masculine 
  and 
  the 
  feminine. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  buffalo 
  meat 
  laid 
  before 
  the 
  Pole 
  was 
  now 
  gathered 
  up 
  and 
  

   laid 
  away 
  and 
  four 
  images 
  made 
  of 
  grass 
  and 
  hair 
  were 
  set 
  up 
  before 
  

   the 
  Pole. 
  These 
  represented 
  enemies 
  of 
  the 
  tribe. 
  The 
  tribal 
  herald 
  

   then 
  went 
  forth 
  and 
  shouted: 
  "Pity 
  me 
  [an 
  expression 
  of 
  courtesy], 
  

   my 
  young 
  men, 
  and 
  let 
  me 
  [he 
  speaks 
  for 
  the 
  keepers 
  of 
  the 
  Pole] 
  

   complete 
  my 
  ceremonies!" 
  In 
  response 
  to 
  this 
  summons 
  all 
  those 
  

   men 
  who 
  had 
  won 
  honors 
  in 
  defensive 
  warfare 
  put 
  on 
  the 
  regalia 
  that 
  

   represented 
  those 
  honors 
  and 
  made 
  ready 
  to 
  act 
  their 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  

   drama 
  about 
  to 
  be 
  performed; 
  for 
  only 
  men 
  whose 
  honors 
  had 
  been 
  

   gained 
  in 
  defensive 
  warfare 
  could 
  have 
  a 
  share 
  in 
  this 
  drama. 
  Mean- 
  

   while 
  all 
  the 
  young 
  men 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  mounted 
  their 
  horses 
  and 
  rode 
  

   off 
  outside 
  the 
  camp. 
  Suddenly 
  some 
  one 
  of 
  them 
  turned, 
  and 
  dy- 
  

   ing, 
  "They 
  have 
  come! 
  they 
  have 
  come!" 
  the 
  whole 
  company 
  charged 
  

   on 
  the 
  camp. 
  (This 
  was 
  once 
  done 
  in 
  so 
  realistic 
  a 
  manner 
  as 
  to 
  

   deceive 
  the 
  people 
  into 
  the 
  belief 
  of 
  an 
  actual 
  onslaught 
  of 
  an 
  enemy, 
  

   to 
  the 
  temporary 
  confusion 
  of 
  the 
  whole 
  tribe.) 
  After 
  this 
  charge 
  

   the 
  young 
  men 
  dismounted, 
  turned 
  loose 
  their 
  horses, 
  and 
  mingled 
  

   with 
  the 
  spectators, 
  who 
  gathered 
  at 
  both 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  communal 
  

   tent 
  as 
  a 
  vantage 
  point 
  whence 
  to 
  view 
  the 
  spectacle. 
  The 
  warriors 
  

   acted 
  out 
  their 
  warlike 
  experiences 
  in 
  defending 
  the 
  tribe 
  and 
  

   charged 
  on 
  the 
  grass 
  images, 
  while 
  the 
  chiefs 
  and 
  leaders 
  remained 
  

   in 
  the 
  "holy" 
  tent, 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  which 
  stood 
  the 
  Pole. 
  In 
  later 
  days 
  

   guns 
  were 
  shot 
  off, 
  adding 
  to 
  the 
  noise 
  and 
  commotion. 
  Those 
  who 
  

   had 
  been 
  wounded 
  in 
  defensive 
  battles 
  rolled 
  about 
  as 
  if 
  struck; 
  

   those 
  who 
  had 
  speared 
  or 
  scalped 
  enemies 
  thrust 
  their 
  spears 
  into 
  

   an 
  image 
  or 
  scalped 
  it. 
  Four 
  of 
  these 
  charges 
  were 
  made 
  on 
  the 
  

   images, 
  which 
  were 
  finally 
  captured 
  and 
  treated 
  as 
  if 
  conquered, 
  

   and 
  this 
  ended 
  the 
  scene 
  called 
  "shooting 
  the 
  Pole," 
  an 
  act 
  intended 
  

   to 
  do 
  public 
  honor 
  to 
  the 
  defenders 
  of 
  the 
  home 
  and 
  the 
  tribe. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  day 
  following, 
  preparations 
  for 
  the 
  He'dewachi 
  ceremony 
  

   (sec 
  p. 
  251) 
  began, 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  ceremonial 
  camp 
  broke 
  

   up 
  and 
  each 
  family 
  followed 
  its 
  own 
  inclination, 
  either 
  to 
  return 
  to 
  

  

  