268 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE [eth. ann. 37 



poses. If, for instance, I wish a person to become blind or if I dis- 

 like him or were jealous of him because he was better off than myself, 

 I would do the following: I would get a small part of a black root 

 and pulverize it. Then I would mix it with ghost snuff and put it 

 into my medicine bag. When I am ready to shoot the person I 

 shake my bag and make the medicine fly out, and it would enter his 

 eyes and make them sore. Soon he would become blind. I also 

 use this medicine when I go on the warpath. I wrap it in a piece 

 of buckskin and wear it around my neck. As long as I wear it in 

 this manner I will never be shot. 



This medicine is also used as a poultice. If a man has a pain 

 anywhere, he makes four incisions in his body at that place, with the 

 point of a knife, and applies the medicine. 



Here is another medicine. It is kept in a large bundle. It is 

 used in the following way: At a medicine dance a person may put 

 an eagle feather on the nose of an otter-skin bag and then open the 

 bundle containing his medicine and bring the medicine in contact 

 with the nose of the otter-skin bag. The individual then enters the 

 medicine-dance lodge. He makes note of the place where the person 

 whom he dislikes is sitting. After a while he gets up and makes a 

 circuit of the lodge four times and shoots at this person. He sees to 

 it that one of the feathers attached to the otter-skin bag lodges just 

 where he wishes it. Either he wishes to kiU the man outright or to 

 make him suffer for a long time. Should the victim die, the man 

 who does the shooting must be very careful for he might easily 

 injure himself. He must know, for instance, exactly when his 

 victim is going to die and then as soon as he is dead he must open 

 his medicine bundle and let the feather return, which it does as soon 

 as the person at whom it was shot is dead. A black hawk is then 

 heard in the distance. As soon as it approaches the man utters 

 curious sounds and the feather alights right in the medicine bundle. 

 When the feather returns, however, it is always black, though when 

 it started it was red. One might imagine that there had been two 

 distinct feathers. 



If the man who shot the feather does not know when his victim 

 dies and consequently does not make the necessary preparations for 

 opening his medicine bundle, such as imitating the cry of a black 

 hawk, or if, worse still, he is asleep, the feather will land upon him 

 and he would likewise die. 



This same medicine is also used for the following purpose: If a 

 person offends you and you wish to take revenge by killing him, 

 take your medicine bundle and whenever you come across the foot- 

 prints of your prospective victim then open your medicme bundle 

 and take out a striped feather from it and sing a song. When you 

 are finished, make certain sounds and stab the footprints. You can 



