RADiN] THE MEDICINE DANCE 361 



4. To receive the leaders and assistants of the other four bands 

 before the sweat-lodge ritual, and to begin the same. 



5. To begin the ceremony proper. 



6. To take part in the main portion of the ceremony proper: 

 (a) To welcome the four bands. 



(h) To lead the candidate to the secret brush and instruct him in 

 certain precepts. 



(c) To act as preceptor of the candidate before he is shot with the 

 sacred shell. 



id) To turn the candidate over to the charge of the leaders of the 

 east and north bands. 



(e) To relate certain of the myths. 



(/) To deliver specific speeches and to perform the actions that con- 

 stitute the basic ritual of the ceremony proper. This will be discussed 

 later. 



The east is known as Those-who-sit-first, Where-the-day-comes- 

 from, Wliere-the-sun-rises. All these terms are used frequently. 

 The duties of the leader are : 



1. To assist the ancestor host in passing upon the eligibility of a 

 candidate. 



2. To take part in the following portions of the ceremony proper: 

 (a) Accompanied by his two assistants, to take part in the brush 



ritual. 



(h) To take charge of the candidate after he has been handed over 

 to him by the ancestor host. 



(c) To shoot the sacred shell into the candidate's body. 



(d) To relate certain of the myths. 



(f ) To perform the basic ritual. 



The north band is known as Wliere-the-cold-comes-from. The 

 leader has the same duties as those of the east leader. Tlie myths 

 recited are of course different. 



The west band is known as Where-the-sun-goes-down. The leader 

 has the duty of reciting certain myths and performing the basic 

 ritual. 



The south band is known as He-who-sits-at-the-end-of-the-road or 

 Where- the-sun-straightens. The duties of the leader are the same 

 as those of the leader of the west band, except that the myths he 

 recites are different. 



The distribution of the gifts to the different bands is as follows: 

 The leader of the east band receives one-half of the number of blan- 

 kets, the upper half of the new suit worn by the candidate, and one- 

 quarter of the food. 



The leader of the north band receives one-half of the blankets, 

 the lower half of the suit, the moccasins, and one-quarter of the food. 

 186823—22 24 



