BADiN] CEEEMONIAL ORGANIZATION 325 



to give it had their menses and were fasting. When the feast was 

 about to be held there was no food and their mother gave the girls 

 some of the sacied food and the unclean girls boiled it and ate it. 



The following spring when the girls were out helping their mother 

 tan some hide a bear approached them and tried to kill the girls. The 

 old woman fought the bear off as best she could, but he paid no 

 attention to her and tried to get at the girls. Finally he killed the 

 girls. Then the old woman attacked the bear and finally threw 

 him down and killed him, using her tanning stick as a weapon. 



Now this bear was not an ordinary bear such as live on this earth, 

 but his body was covered with blue clay. He had come out of a 

 spring of water shortly before he came to this place. Tlie girls had 

 eaten sacred food when they were unclean, and that is why this bear 

 came and killed them. 



Since then that particular band^as stopped giving this bear feast. 



THE SNAKE CLAN FEAST 



When a person wishes to give a snake feast, four chickens must be 

 obtained. The nephew of the feast giver is then told to prepare these 

 chickens and make the general preparations. 



The feast is given in the fall, just as the snakes are supposed to 

 go into their winter quarters and close their doors. The winter is 

 then- night, and then they go to sleep. 



Shortly before the feast begins the host takes out a bundle con- 

 taining four snake skins — a yellow-snake skin, a rattlesnake skin, a 

 blow-snake skin, and a bull-snake skin. In honor of these he gives 

 his feast and makes his offerings. 



As the fall of the year is to the snakes the same as our evening, the 

 Winnebago give this feast in their honor then, in much the same way 

 as we have oux supper before retiring for the night. The snake skins 

 are representatives of the first four snakes Earthmaker made and 

 which he pierced thj-ough the earth in the direction of the east. Tlie 

 snake skins are kept to represent the four original snake-beings and 

 to keep evil away from homes. That is why offerings are made to 

 them. Four men only are invited to this feast (as main participants), 

 and they must each eat a chicken. 



The host himself opens the door for the snakes. In front of him, 

 next to the fireplace, he makes four holes in the ground, thus opening 

 the door for them. There he likewise places tobacco for them. 

 First he pours tobacco in the fire, for the fire is the mediator be- 

 tween the people and the spirit. Tlie fij-e tells the spuit the wishes 

 of the people and is, in general, in charge of the members of the tribe. 

 For that reason they always pour tobacco upon it. 



Now the host rises and speaks. "Grandfather (fire), you who 

 stand in the center of the lodge, I offer you tobacco, for you are the 

 interpreter (between the spirits and human beings) , and I know that 



