KADiN] THE CLAN WAR-BUNDLE FEASTS 545 



O warriors, the food will be lacking in every respect, but try, never- 

 theless, to have it pass around. 



"We also have a kettle on the fireplace for the Nights, wluch the 

 attendants will put on in honor of the father of my wife and my own 

 father. We offer, likewise, tobacco and deerskin along with this 

 kettle, to the Night Spirits, so that we may obtain victory and life. 

 That is what we wish. As I said before, I will not have any too 

 much food for you. But they say the spirits are merciful. 



"To the Morning Star we will also offer a kettle. We will have 

 it put on for Ku'nu, as he understands these affairs better than we 

 do and knows better than we how to ask the spirits for blessings. 

 We offer, in addition to the kettle, tobacco and buckskin, asking 

 victory and life from the spirits in return. As I said before, warriors, 

 our grandfather never failed when he had this bundle. That is 

 why we have kettles put on the fire in honor of it. 



"To our fourth brother we will offer another kettle, in honor of 

 the cliief of the Eagles, praying for life and victory. Warriors who 

 are seated here, I greet you all. Whenever you get ready to eat you 

 may do so, and we will, during that time, sing some of our songs." 



Then they sing Earthmaker songs. These songs were songs that 

 a certain person called Wegi'ceka obtained in his blessings from all 

 the spirits, but they were taught to him by Earthmaker. 



After Wegi'ceka had been blessed by all the spirits there was just 

 one lacking, and that was Earthmaker. So he fasted more and 

 more, almost to the point of death, crying and longing for a blessing 

 from Earthmaker. Finally he was told that he was to be blessed 

 by him. At the appointed place and time a being wearing dark 

 clothes and carrying a cane that looked fear-inspiring stood before 

 him, like the blue of the sky. "Wegi'ceka," he said, "I bless you. 

 You have inflicted suffering upon yourself and have hungered and 

 thirsted on my account. With everything that I possess do I bless 

 you; with victory and with the power to heal the sick, with riches 

 and with good fortune as a hunter, and even with the power of hav- 

 ing women become enamored of you — with all these things I bless 

 you." Then he turned and walked away and Wegi'ceka saw that it 

 was a bluejay. He felt very much humbled and so he fasted again. 

 Fom" times was he treated thus. Finally he even sacrificed one of 

 his own children, and then he was told that at a certain time and 

 place, about the hour of noon, he would meet Earthmaker. When 

 he came there some one said, "Wegi'ceka, I bless you. You have 

 humbled yourself and cried unto me. I bless you. Heretofore I 

 have blessed nobody. You are the first one." Thus he spoke, and 

 he gave him the cane and four songs. Those are the songs which 

 we use at the end of our feast. 



