LAFLESCHE] RITE OF VIGIL FREE TRANSLATION. 93 



4. A case made of woven buffalo hair (PI. 5, B) forms the outer cov- 

 ering of the shrine. The office of furnishing the material for the weav- 

 ing of the case belongs to the Tho'-xe (Buffalo Bull) gens of the Tsi'-zhu 

 great division. In the manner of procuring this requisite material 

 the people are again reminded of the importance of a unity of pur- 

 pose and of action by the people of the two great divisions in all 

 tribal matters, for when performing the <luty of gathering the mate- 

 rial the hair must be plucked from the right shoulder of the buffalo 

 when the shrine is to be made for a gens of the Ho^'-ga great division 

 and from the left shoulder when the shrine is to be made for a gens 

 of the Tsi'-zhu great division. This prescribed rule for gathering the 

 material for the case also teaches that when hunting the buffalo, a 

 food animal, the people must arrive at their decisions as with one 

 mind and act as with a single body in order that each member of 

 the tribe may have a chance of securing his share in the conamon herd. 



5. A bag made of deer skin (PI. 5, C). The office of furnishing the 

 material for this bag belongs to the Ta' I-ni-ka-shi-ga, Deer People, 

 gens of the Wa-zha'-zhe subdivision of the Hoi°'-ga great division. 



6. A buffalo skin rope is wound aroimd the woven rush case within 

 which lies the sacred hawk (PI. 5, D). Ropes and straps consecrated 

 for ceremonial use are said to be types of those the warriors carry with 

 them when going on the warpath to be used in tying captives. The 

 office of furnishing the material for this article belongs to the Tse- 

 do'-ga I^-dse (Buffalo Face) gens of the Tsi'-zhu great division. 



7. The inner shi-ine, within which lies the sacred hawk, is made of 

 woven rush (PI. 5, D); Qn zlii^-ga, little rush {Eleocharis interstinda) , 

 for the woof, and the Ha'-do-ga, nettle weed ( Urtica gracilis) , for the 

 warp. These two plants are regarded as sacred and are gathered cere- 

 monially when requiretl for use in making the inner shrine. The 

 office of furnishing these materials and of reciting the wi'-gi-es 

 relating to them belongs to two gentes of the Wa-zha'-zhe sub- 

 division of the Ho^'-ga great division, namely, the Ke'-k'i°, Turtle 

 Carrier, and the Wa-ke'-the-stse-dse, Cat-tail gentes. 



As the A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka sings the first stanza of the third song the 

 Xo'-ka places the tips of his fingers upon the knot which holds 

 together the ends of the wide strap that forms a loop by which the 

 shrine is hung in its prescribed place in the house of the owner. 

 While the seconil stanza is being sung he hurriedly removes from the 

 shrine the hanging strap, the buffalo hair case, the deerskin case, and 

 the long buffalo-skin rope wound around the woven rush case and 

 lays them aside. At the tliinl stanza he unfolds the flap of the 

 woven rush case. As the fourth stanza is sung he opens %vide the 

 mouth of the case, and at the fifth stanza he removes from the rush 

 case the hawk, still in its deerskin pouch. 



