MICHELSON. ] AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FOX WOMAN. 319 
“You are to hold on to this when you begin to feel intense pain,” I 
was told. I then felt more intense pain. After a while I was told, 
“Lie down. When you begin to suffer acute pain you are to try to 
sit up. You are to sit on your knees and you are to sit erect.”’ I did 
so. I would hold on to the strap. (The child) could not be born. 
After midnight I was nearly unable to get up. The women who 
were attending me became frightened. Then they said among them- 
selves, ‘‘We shall pray (for help).”’ My mother-in-law took Indian. 
tobacco and went to a woman skilled in obstetrics for help. And 
when that woman came, she at once boiled some medicine. After 
she had boiled it, she said: “Let her in any case sit up for a while. 
You must hold her so that she will not fall over.” After I was made 
to sit up, she spat upon my head; and she gave me (the medicine) 
to drink. After she had given me (the medicine) to drink, she began 
singing. She started to go out singing and went around the little 
wickiup singing. When she danced by where I was, she knocked on 
the side. ‘‘Come out if you are a boy,” she would say. And she 
would again begin singing. When she danced by she again knocked 
the side. ‘‘Come out if you are a girl,”’ she would say again. After 
she sang four times in a circle, she entered (the wickiup). And she 
gave me (medicine) to drink. ‘Now it will be born. She may lie 
down. Only lay her down carefully. You must hold her knees 
straight up,” she said. Lo, sure enough, a little boy was born. 
Then I knew how painful childbirth was. After I had borne (the 
child) I was not in pain in any spot. I was well. They cut off the 
baby’s navel with one inch of the cord on it. A brand-new pair of 
scissors was used. They tied up the place where he was cut. His 
belly was washed. The next day he was placed in a cradle. And 
they tied a little piece of meat on his navel with a cloth going around 
(his body), tyimg it on his abdomen. ‘‘ You must moisten him once 
in a while so that his umbilical cord will drop off soon,’”’ I was told. 
I did so to him. I did not wash him myself. My mother attended 
to him for me. In three days his umbilical cord dropped off. He 
could not draw the milk out for two days when [ nursed him. 
Then, ““You must always keep him in a cradle: (otherwise) he 
might have a long head, (or) he might be humpbacked, (or) he might 
be bow-legged. That is why they are placed carefully, so they will 
(not) be that way. When they are tied that way they will be 
straight. They are kept in cradles for nearly one year. Again, they 
are not to be held all the time. They are placed in a swing after 
they suckle so that they will not be a nuisance. They become 
trained to be left alone when one goes some place, if they are not 
ery-babies. And when they are constantly held some cry when they 
are laid down. (People) are bothered by them when they get them 
used to being constantly held,” I was told. 
