﻿FLETCHEH-LA 
  FLESCHE 
  ] 
  SOCIETIES 
  461 
  

  

  furnish 
  the 
  requisite 
  food 
  for 
  the 
  "feast" 
  and 
  the 
  tobacco 
  for 
  the 
  

   pipes, 
  though 
  he 
  could 
  not 
  fill 
  these 
  or 
  prepare 
  them 
  for 
  smoking, 
  

   as 
  that 
  could 
  be 
  done 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  hereditary 
  Ivo"'ce 
  keeper. 
  The 
  host 
  

   had 
  also 
  to 
  prepare 
  the 
  black 
  paint, 
  made 
  of 
  charred 
  box-elder 
  wood 
  

   mixed 
  with 
  water, 
  and 
  put 
  it 
  ready 
  for 
  use 
  into 
  a 
  wooden 
  bowl, 
  the 
  

   property 
  of 
  the 
  society, 
  kept 
  for 
  this 
  purpose. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  meetings 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  each 
  member 
  had 
  his 
  appointed 
  

   place 
  in 
  the 
  circle 
  within 
  the 
  lodge. 
  The 
  leader, 
  who 
  must 
  always 
  

   belong 
  to 
  the 
  highest 
  grade 
  of 
  warriors, 
  sat 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  at 
  the 
  back 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  lodge, 
  opposite 
  the 
  door. 
  The 
  men 
  who 
  were 
  his 
  equals 
  in 
  

   their 
  grade, 
  of 
  war 
  honors 
  sat 
  next 
  to 
  him 
  on 
  his 
  right 
  and 
  left; 
  then 
  

   came 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  next 
  lower 
  grade 
  and 
  so 
  on, 
  by 
  grades, 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  

   door. 
  The 
  honors 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  places 
  of 
  the 
  members 
  were 
  graded 
  

   were 
  those 
  that 
  had 
  been 
  publicly 
  given 
  the 
  warriors 
  at 
  the 
  Wate'gict 
  n 
  

   (see 
  p. 
  434). 
  On 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  entrance 
  sat 
  the 
  servants 
  appointed 
  

   by 
  the 
  leader. 
  Near 
  the 
  door 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  as 
  one 
  entered 
  was 
  the 
  

   place 
  set 
  apart 
  for 
  the 
  host 
  or 
  feast-giver 
  of 
  the 
  meeting. 
  Regard- 
  

   less 
  of 
  rank, 
  the 
  leader 
  or 
  anyone 
  else 
  had 
  to 
  leave 
  his 
  appointed 
  

   seat 
  and 
  occupy 
  this 
  place 
  on 
  the 
  evening 
  when 
  he 
  acted 
  as 
  host. 
  

  

  The 
  drum 
  was 
  placed 
  at 
  the 
  left 
  of 
  the 
  leader's 
  seat. 
  The 
  men 
  

   singers, 
  t 
  wo 
  to 
  four 
  of 
  whom 
  used 
  drumsticks, 
  were 
  grouped 
  around 
  it. 
  

   Immediately 
  behind 
  the 
  men 
  sat 
  a 
  few 
  women 
  who 
  possessed 
  fine 
  

   voices. 
  This 
  choir 
  led 
  in 
  the 
  singing 
  of 
  the 
  songs, 
  in 
  which 
  all 
  the 
  

   members, 
  when 
  not 
  dancing, 
  generally 
  joined. 
  

  

  No 
  clothing 
  except 
  the 
  breechcloth 
  was 
  worn 
  by 
  the 
  members 
  

   and 
  a 
  long 
  bunch 
  of 
  grass 
  representing 
  scalps 
  the 
  wearer 
  had 
  taken 
  

   was 
  fastened 
  to 
  the 
  belt 
  at 
  the 
  back. 
  Later, 
  but 
  how 
  long 
  ago 
  

   it. 
  is 
  now 
  impossible 
  to 
  ascertain, 
  the 
  members 
  entitled 
  to 
  wear 
  

   the. 
  scalps 
  substituted 
  therefor 
  the 
  bunch 
  of 
  long 
  grass. 
  In 
  time 
  

   this 
  decoration 
  became 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Hethu'shka 
  dress 
  or 
  regalia 
  

   and 
  as 
  such 
  was 
  worn 
  by 
  all 
  the 
  members 
  without 
  regard 
  to 
  per- 
  

   sonal 
  achievements. 
  When 
  the 
  "dance" 
  became 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  

   Dakota 
  tribes 
  and 
  the 
  Winnebago, 
  the 
  significance 
  of 
  the 
  bunch 
  

   of 
  long 
  grass 
  having 
  been 
  forgotten, 
  they 
  gave 
  the 
  name 
  "Grass 
  

   dance," 
  or 
  the 
  "Omaha 
  dance," 
  the 
  latter 
  name 
  in 
  recognition 
  

   of 
  the 
  tribe 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  "dance" 
  had 
  been 
  obtained. 
  Each 
  

   man 
  painted 
  himself 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  the 
  directions 
  given 
  him 
  at 
  

   the 
  Wate'gictu 
  and 
  wore 
  the 
  decorations 
  conferred 
  on 
  him 
  at 
  that 
  

   public 
  ceremony 
  when 
  he 
  received 
  his 
  grade 
  of 
  war 
  honors. 
  The 
  

   leader 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  sufficient 
  rank 
  to 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  wear 
  "the 
  Crow 
  " 
  

   (see 
  p. 
  441), 
  a 
  decoration 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  order. 
  Sometimes 
  bells 
  were 
  

   tied 
  about 
  the 
  legs 
  and 
  ankles, 
  adding 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  clicking, 
  castanet 
  

   accompaniment 
  to 
  the 
  song 
  and 
  dance. 
  

  

  