MICHELSON. ] ORIGIN OF THE WHITE BUFFALO DANCE. 161 
“You must care for this very carefully; when this people is in any 
danger then you must boil this; you are to drink it yourselves. That 
is all, only indeed if they are in danger. Even if water should come 
a-rolling, if you drink this straightway, you will not die. Probably 
you will be on the surface of the water. And if your enemy are 
fighting you, even if you are but one, they will not be able to slay you. 
If they do not leave you alone, you will indeed kill them all. 
“No matter in which way you are in danger, it will pull you 
through. You will surely derive benefit from it, but this will be only 
you, yourselves. Even when it is not known how life will be saved, 
you alone will be surely saved, if you drink this. That is the way 
of this our medicine. 
“This medicine is ours in general, but ours only, no other gens. 
Only who is of this gens is whom this (medicine) will relieve. That 
is the way it is. But, women, if even your children are of another 
gens, you can not cure them. That is the way you will fail: us only 
(will it cure). But after anyone dies, if this is found on his person, 
if his mouth is opened, and he is given this to drink, he will surely 
come to life. He will certainly begin to rise to his feet; he will be 
saved. That is why I give you this because it is good, for this 
medicine is good. I do not instruct one person in this. I give a 
general instruction to you all. And also [ have made bundles of it 
for these our children,” he said to them. 
“You must take good care of it for them, and this your medicine, 
you must place away very carefully in good condition, but you must 
never take it inside a menstruation-lodge. 
“You must be very clean with it, so that you will please it; that 
is the way you must lay it away, for it has consciousness. But when 
we hold gens festivals you all must take it along. Tie it on your 
right arm on your muscle, that is the way you must tie this. Then 
you will make it proud, if you treat it like that. Then at that time, 
women, if you bring even one turkey, then you will worship this, if 
you do that. And these men must also bring turkeys, one apiece, 
and if any one is unable to get one, it is nothing at all; and if a woman 
is unable to persuade her little husband, it is nothing at all, for his 
(her) medicine will know how much he (she) loves it. 
“This is called the ‘Heart-Medicine.’ It is so named. This is 
the genuine heart of the White Buffalo. He did that purposely. 
He made it of weeds. This is not really a weed-root. What I have 
said to you is just how it is. So when you each get to where you 
live, you are to place it carefully; you are to place it in good con- 
dition.” 
