532 THE WrSTS^EBAGO TEIBE [eth. axs. 37 



When the songs of the Night Spirit are sung the stem of the pipe is 

 pointed eastward. 



Four songs are sung before the cooking is finished, in honor of the 

 Thujiderbird. The feast is then spread, and all those in the lodge 

 smoke and dance. The attendants take the kettles down and take 

 the food out. While the kettles are still on. however, branches of 

 cedar are carried around the lodge to purify it. Before distributing 

 the food, while the singing is still going on, the attendants coxint the 

 nximber of people in the lodge and cut the meat into a corresponding 

 number of pieces. As each kettle is supposed to suffice for any one 

 band, a nimiber of small sticks about the size of a toothpick, corre- 

 sponding to the number of people present in each band, is placed in 

 each kettle. After the last foiir songs are used the host arises and 

 calls for the kettle that is to be given to the person opposite him. 

 The attendant brings it and tells him how many pieces of meat there 

 are in the kettle. The host then speaks about his intentions in 

 offering the kettle to the spirits; that he is seeking life and victory 

 in war, and that he begs aU those present to intercede for him. He 

 then calls for the other kettles. There are generally one or two 

 kettles for the women and children. When the feast is spread out 

 and they aU have their food, the host tells them that they may now 

 eat whenever they think proper. He himself does not eat anything 

 but merely sings, shaking the gourds that he holds in his hand. 



Tlie Disease-giver is considered the most sacred of all the spirits, 

 and for that reason aU the bones and the plates that have been used 

 in connection with his particular kettle are purified with cedar 

 branches. The host carries these bones out of the lodge himself and 

 buries them under the foot of some tree. He also takes tobacco and 

 red feathers along with him on this occasion. As the other spirits 

 are not considered to be as sacred as the Disease-giver, the bones from 

 the kettles offered to them can be buried anywhere, provided the 

 ground has been purified. 



Aft«r the first invited guest has finished his meal he rises and 

 thanks the host. He then tells the story of how he, or his ancestor, 

 obtained the war bundle, and assures the host that he feels confident 

 that so great a feast as this in which he is taking part wiU most 

 certainly be recognized by the spirits. He also adds that inasmuch 

 as he and the other invited guests have partaken of this feast they 

 also hope to receive life and strength in proportion to the blessings 

 bestowed upon the host. The other invited guests, in turn, speak 

 in the same way. 



While this is going on the attendants are preparing the kettles for 

 another lot of meat. The whole tent is swept again and pm-ified and 

 the kettles are once more placed upon the fireplaces. The host now 

 rises and, holding tobacco in his hand, informs each spirit of the par- 



