lUDiN] WARFARE AND THE COUNCIL LODGE 159 



eating. Then the war leader asked for food, and it waa brought to him. Now the 

 female relatives of the men came to the camp, bringing with them moccasins for the 

 journey. After that the chief asked some man to tell stories and some to take care 

 of the fireplace, while two brave warriors were put in charge of the camp. Toward 

 morning a number of warriors who had not been asked to join this particular war 

 party might stray in (holcu'r/git^e). 



Before the war leader enters the higiyara he places hia war bundle crosswise in 

 front of the entrance of the higijara and sings some songs. When he is finished, his 

 attendants place the war bundle on his back, and only then does he really enter the 

 Mgiyara, followed by all the other members of the war party.' 



When they approached the place where they expected to find the enemy, two dis- 

 tinguished warriors were appointed to reconnoiter, and they proceeded ahead of the 

 war party until they saw the enemy. Then they returned to the camp and reported 

 to the war leader. From that time on they would practice their various individual 

 powers {waruXA'p nar/hgigire'ji)} 



When the two warriors sent out to reconnoiter return, the attendant offers them 

 the pipe that he had prepared for the war leader. They smoke it and say, "Those 

 whom we are after are entirely unaware of our presence." Then the members of the 

 war party would thank them for their information. All would now start out against 

 the enemy. When near the enemy, they practice their powers again and paint 

 themselves with their war paints. To those spirits who have bestowed blessings 

 upon the various members of the war party offerings are now made. Especially to 

 the spirits who are in control of war powers are offerings made. To them they also 

 pray for life and for war honors in the coming encounter. They even offer tobacco 

 to those spirits from whom they have not received blessings, asking them for aid 

 because of their careful observance of all the customs and precepts they were taught. 

 Some offered tobacco to a medicine they possessed and asked the m edicine to remem- 

 ber them in the coming encounter. Others boiled water (for a spirit) and asked him 

 to as.sist them in obtaining a war honor, while others again offered tobacco to their 

 war bundles and prayed that the powers contained therein might be strong and that 

 they might kill some of the enemy and obtain war honors. All prayed that the 

 enemy might not kill them and that they might finally return home safe. Those 

 who had no supernatural powers to fall back upon would get frightened at such a time 

 and they would say, "Alas! how will I fare! I should have fasted. I should have 

 given feasts. I should have offered good medicines to the spirits and fasted until 1 

 was blessed, so that I, too, might now have some powerful medicine to use. Had I 

 fasted and obtained a blessing from the spirits who are in control of war powers, had I 

 given feasts, this all would have been a source of strength to me now and I would 

 know positively whether or not I am going to be killed in the coming encounter." 



When everytliing is in readiness the war leader rises and appoints four warriors to 

 give the war whoop. Then, as soon as the war whoop has been given, they would 

 rush upon the enemy, imitating as they ran the sounds of the spirits who had blessed 

 them. The first four to kill and count coup obtained the corresponding four war 

 honors. Those who captured a man also obtained war honors. Beside these principal 

 ones there were minor war honors. Those who obtained no honors at all would return 

 home crying. After they had killed all those in the \'illage of the enemy they would 

 bum it to the ground and then start for their homes in the best of spirits. 



When they were near their home they sent a messenger ahead to inform their rela- 

 tives to put on mourning, for all those who had started out on the warpath had been 

 killed; that he who had in reality obtained the first war honor had been kiUed first, 



1 Higiyara is the special arrangement of the camp used on individual warpaths. 



' When a war party has located the enemy, they prepare (or the attack and nm about, practicing their 

 individual magical powers. "The war-club nuuiing" {waTuza'p naifkgigire'jS) referred to is the practice 

 of running about in preparation for the attack upon the enemy so that they may not get tired out too 

 easily. 



