392 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE [eth. ann. 37 



she said, "for now I am well." From that day on to the present 

 time she has been well. Now she is very happy. 



Black Water-spirit at about that time was having a hemorrhage 

 and I wanted him to eat the peyote. "Well, I am not going to 

 live anyhow," he said. "Well, eat this medicine soon then and 

 you will get cured." Consumptives never were cured before this 

 and now for the first time one was cured. Black Water-spirit is 

 living to-day and is very well. 



There was a man named Walking-Priest and he was very fond of 

 whisky; he chewed and he smoked and he gambled. He was very 

 fond of women. He did everything that was bad. Then I gave 

 him some of the peyote and he ate it and he gave up all the bad 

 things he was doing. He had had a very dangerous disease and 

 had even had murder in his heart. But to-day he is living a good 

 life. That is his desire. 



Wlioever has any bad thoughts, if he will eat this peyote he will 

 abandon all his bad habits. It is a cure for everything bad. 



To-day the Indians say that only God is holy. One of the Winne- 

 bagoes has told me, "Really, the life that I led was a very bad one. 

 Never again will I do it. This medicine is good and I will always 

 use it." Jolin Harrison and Squeaking- Wings were prominent 

 members of the medicine dance; they thought much of themselves 

 as did all the members of the medicine dance. They knew every- 

 tliing connected with this medicine dance. Both of tliem were 

 gamblers and were rich because they had won very much in gambling. 

 Tlieir parents had acquired great possessions by giving medicines 

 to the people. They were rich and they believed that they had a 

 right to be selfish with theu- possessions. Then they ate peyote 

 and ever since that time they have been followers of this medicine. 

 They were really very ill and now they have been cured of it. Now 

 if there are any men that might be taken as examples, of the peyote, 

 it is these three. Even if a man were blind and only heard about 

 them he would realize that if any medicine were good, it is this 

 medicine. It is a cure for all evil. Before, I had thought that I 

 knew something but I really knew nothing. It is only now that I 

 have real knowledge. In my former life I was like one blind and 

 deaf. My heart ached when I thought of what I had been doing. 

 Never again will I do it. This medicine alone is holy and has made 

 me good and has rid me of all evil. Tlie one whom they call God 

 has given me this. That I know positively. Let them all come 

 here; men and women; let them bring with them all that they 

 desire; let them bring with them their diseases. If they come here 

 they will get well. This is all true; it is all true. Bring whatever 

 desires you possess along with you and then come and eat or drink 

 this medicine. This is life, the only life. Then you will learn 



