EL; 
THE WAY THESE (PEOPLE) DO WHEN THEY LOSE 
SIGHT OF THEIR FELLOW-MORTALS WHEN THE 
BLESSING (RELIGION) WAS BROUGHT HERE. 
The head man is given tobacco, Indian tobacco in leaf form, and he 
goes around (distributing) it. Then they (the invited) gather and 
sit ail night. They worship God.t| When they lose sight of their 
lives? they relate to him, ‘‘At the time you made us to move (i. e., 
gave us life), you already had determined my life so that each one of 
us should lose his life while we were yet in good health,” they say to 
God, ‘‘while we are living together as mortals soon we lose sight of 
our lives. » You are to see after (our souls). I worship you so that 
you will tell it so that (the dead) shall be able to come safely and 
reach wherever we go.’’ Soon after night has come a song is started: 
(Syllables.) 
That is how they sing when they sing. This is the interpretation 
of it: ‘Here, at half the height of a tree it will be told when we die, 
and as high as the trees extend, halfway up in the sky, and at the very 
sky, and above as far as we see, in the fourth tier of the hanging sky 
is where it will be discussed (and) it will be properly discussed how 
the future people get along. At half the height of a tree where it is 
discussed when (some one) dies, the dead will be kissed by an angel.’’’ 
And the belt-men dance around acting (like eagles) swooping to 
alight, gliding through the air. As soon as they have danced they 
relate: ‘‘There are manitous, (especially) one who is in the east,”’ is 
whattheysay there. And (this) is told, ‘‘ (This) is the life I am leading. 
God has determined that my life shall be altogether too short. Now 
I am telling you what happens to our lives. Our chief kindles a fire 
1 The Gentle Manitou. Translated ‘‘God’’ because members of the society identify him with the Chris- 
tian God. 
2 A rhetorical way of saying “‘ died.’’ 
3“ Pagle.’’ Translated ‘‘angel’’ as thisis the identification made by Saale of the cult. 
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