eadin] 



CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 



321 



08 



07 



you are indeed a chief. And tlien even the people of other tribes 

 will say that such and such people have a good chief." 



Inforniant, meniber of the Bear clan: The Indians always cele- 

 brated in summer. It was a season of rejoicing because the chief 

 fed the tribe. It somewhat symbolized a mother bird feeding her 



young ones. The Thunderbird 

 clan is in charge of the tribe, 

 and when the chief feeds the 

 tribe all rejoice and the standard 

 is raised. 



THE BEAR CLAN FEAST (HHST VERSION) 



Two versions of the Bear clan 

 feast Cfig. 36) were obtained, f or- 

 timately both from a man and a 

 woman. The feast was generally 

 given during the- month called 

 Hundjwi'i'a (i. e., bear month), 

 corresponding roughly to our 

 January. 



Informant, member of the clan 

 (female) : The host tells his sis- 

 ter's son, or, if he should not hap- 

 pen to have any, a member of 

 the Wolf clan, to build a long 

 lodge. This attendant then fills 

 kettles either with blueberries or 

 raspberries or any other fruit that 

 the bears are fond of, and places 

 them on the fireplace. , Some- 

 times dried corn is also brought. 



The participants enter the 

 lodge at dusk. The host pre- 

 cedes the invited guests. In en- 

 tering they proceed in a direction 

 contrary to the hands of the 

 clock. The host always sits at 

 the southeast end of the lodge and the guests occupy seats next to 

 him, proceeding from the southeast to the northwest. 



When all are seated the host rises and addresses his guests as 

 follows: 



"Members of my clan who are seated here, I greet you all. To 

 those from whom I have sprung I make these offerings of tobacco 

 and this headdress (i. e., red feathers). I was told by my ancestors 

 that if I did this I would obtain for myself, for my relatives, and for 



Fig. 36. — Plan of Bear clan war-bundle feast as given 

 by John Rave, a, Host. 6, Relatives of host, c, 

 Warriorclan. d, Wolf clan, e, Thunderbird clan. 

 /, Eagle clan, g, Buffalo clan. 1, Buckskin for 

 earthmaker. 2, Buckskin for turtle. 3, Buckskin 

 for thunderbird. 4, Bucksldn for sun. 5. Buck- 

 skin for moon. 6, Buckskin for morning star. 7, 

 Buckskin for earth. S, Buckskin for fire. 9, Buck- 

 skin for heroka. 10, Buckskin for night spirits. 



