RADiN] THE CLAN WAR-BUNDLE FEASTS 543 



"Feast-givers and relatives, as well as you guests who are present, 

 I greet you all. It is good that I have been honored by being placed 

 in the path of the drum. It is said that so great is the sacredness 

 attached to this affair that one must not refuse to accept the drum 

 as it passes around the lodge. I also feel honored at the offering of 

 tobacco. Indeed I feel saved, and I pray that whosoever comes in 

 contact with these things may be strengthened thereby. As soon 

 as I have offered the tobacco I will use the songs of our fathers. 

 We do not know them as well as we ought to, but we will try never- 

 theless. It is said that if you only know one song, you must try to 

 use it even to the point of tears: just as it is said, that if you cry 

 after a victory you must put aside all sense of shame. Thinking of 

 these things I will now try to sing. Tobacco I offer you." 



He throws it into the fire, saying at the same time, "Grandfathers, 

 Night Spirits, I offer you tobacco. I know that we will spoil your 

 songs, but it is said that you are merciful and that you will sing 

 them again to yourselves correctly. If we make any mistakes have 

 pity on us, grandfathers, and we ask you to walk faster so that 

 daylight may come soon. Here is the tobacco. We offer it to you." 



Then he sings slow songs, and then dancing songs. One of the 

 attendants now comes forward with tobacco in his hand, and takes 

 the drum and moves it to another of the invited guests. He also 

 gives this person some tobacco. This one then rises and thanks all 

 the other people in general and says approximately the same as the 

 man before him, praising them for all the things he could think of, 

 accepting the tobacco, and then offering it to the spirits and to the 

 fire. He particularly asks the Nights to walk faster so that morning 

 might come to them sooner. After he sings his songs, which like 

 the others are Night songs, the drum is taken and moved to another 

 of the invited guests. Thus it passes from one to another until it 

 has made the entire circuit of the lodge. Generally at about dawn 

 it reaches the place of the host, from where it had started on the 

 previous day. He sings certain songs which are called the old 

 night songs, because the old nights are not supposed to come 

 until approaching daylight and because their hair is white from age. 

 When they come they bring light. All those who may perhaps 

 have fallen asleep at this time either wake up or are awakened, for 

 the Nights who now come are old and carry canes which, when directed 

 toward a sleeping person, causes him to die. After the host has 

 finished the old night songs he sings the dancing songs. 



The buckskins are then taken down and carried around the lodge. 

 All those present now arise and dance in their special places, as the 

 buckskin passes them. The host and his invited guests now take 

 their buckskins in one hand, holding tobacco at the same time, and 

 pass around the lodge in single file. Thus they go around the lodge 



