EADIN] RELIGION 305 



So he spoke to him. " Thus will your life be. Look at yourself." 

 So he looked at himself and his hair was very white. As one who 

 had attained a full life he saw himself. "All that are within this 

 lodge bless you," the spirit continued. "You have come to the 

 Buffalo village." This he was told, so he looked at the lodge full 

 of people. And those whom he had seen up to that time as human 

 beings now were buffaloes. 



"Human, they bless you is why they went after you. Human, 

 if anyone is weighted with life and a reasonal^le amount of tobacco 

 is given, such a one would be able to do the following": 



A dead man was placed in the middle of the lodge, and all of 

 those in the lodge tried their power, but none succeeded in restoring 

 him to life. At last the spirits let the man try it. So he tried. 

 When he arose, all those in the lodge began to make sounds and 

 when he began to exert his powere he sang buffalo songs. When 

 he was through with these songs, he walked toward the dead man, 

 in the middle of the lodge. He blew on him once, then again and 

 again. Now the man began to open his eyes. Then he blew on 

 him for the fourth time and he caused him to rise. 



"Human, you have overcome aU of us," said the buffalo chief. 

 "Human, thus shall you ever do to people. If anyone is sick and 

 the proper offerings are made to you, send some tobacco to our 

 council lodge and I will remember you. You must send all the 

 tobacco that is offered to you. I will remember it. This council 

 lodge is given to you and to your posterity as long as it lasts. As 

 long as the earth lasts that long your posterity will have occasions 

 on which to pour tobacco. Whatever blessing they ask, we will 

 bestow upon them while we smoke their tobacco. As many as are 

 the kettles that they offer to us, we will never accept one without 

 giving them a blessing. We are in control of wars ; the Earthmaker 

 has given us control of them, and if you ask for it we will give it to 

 you. And if you ask for life we will bestow that blessing upon you 

 and accept your offerings." 



They also blessed him with plants for medicine. This is the way 

 they did it. Each of the spu'its caused him to see a plant and to 

 know the purposes to which it could be put. They told Mm to make 

 offerings to the plants whenever he gave a feast, so that the plants 

 would become more powerful. They also blessed him with a drum. 

 "Tills you must beat when you give a feast and it will tell us your 

 wants. We will underetand the dnrni. We will make your drum 

 holy for you, and you must treat it as such," they told him. "You 

 must keep it holy. Whenever you are on the warpath you must 

 take it with you and it will help you. Human, your enemies you wUl 

 overcome; your weapons only will be sharp if your posterity wiU 

 never give up this ceremony." So they spoke to him. "Whenever 



