FLETCHER] PERSONNEL OF THE CEREMONY 19 



duties throughout the ceremouy. Each had a special place iii tlie 

 lodge, and was the reciiiient of peculiar benetits supposed to be derived 

 from the ceremouy. 



The Father was usually a chief, or a man prominent in the tribe, 

 who not only had accumulated property, but had a large following of 

 relatives who could contribute to the store of articles required for 

 these rites. The tribal standing of the Son was always equal to that 

 of the Father. 



The Father selected a man from among those who had been taught 

 the rites and ritual songs to take charge of the ceremony from begin- 

 ning to end. Such a man was called Ku'rahus, and to him the entire 

 party was ivquired to jield obedience in every particular. The 

 Ku'rahus chose an assistant, and also took with him a third person, 

 a soi't of acolj'te, to whom he was teaching the rites. 



If the Father was a chief, then he had to invite one other chief 

 to be of his party, to act as substitute whenever he was obliged to be 

 absent from his post of duty. If, however, the Father was uot him- 

 self a chief, then it became necessary for him to secure the attend- 

 ance of two chiefs, one to act as substitute for the other, as the 

 constant i^resence of a chief was recpiired throughout the ceremony. 



The priest who had charge of the shrine sacred to rain was also of 

 the Father's party. It was his duty to furnish the pipe and conduct 

 the ceremony of offering smoke to Tira'wa. The Father's party also 

 included two doctors, meu who had received a knowledge of healing 

 plants, either directly through visions or by initiation into certain 

 rites by which this knowledge was communicated. Each was I'equired 

 to bring an eagle's wing, one the right wing and the other the left. 

 The wing of the eagle is the oflicial mark of a doctor. The Father 

 must also secure a number of singers, whose duty it was to carry the 

 drum and act as a choir to accompany the Ku'i'ahus, who alwaj's led 

 the singing. The rest of the party of the P'ather was made up of his 

 kindred, with such of his friends as might desire to contribute to the 

 required food and gifts and thus to become entitled to share in the 

 return gifts made to the Fathers Ijy the Children. 



The preliminary ceremonies (the first three rituals) took place at 

 the lodge of the Father, and from it the party of the Fathers sta7'ted 

 on its journey. 



Requisites of the Ceremony and their Symbolism 



The objects peculiar to this ceremony were two feathered stems 

 about a meter in length, made of ash wood. They were rounded and 

 smoothed, and the pith was burned out to leave an oisening for the 

 breath to pass, as through a pipestem. One of these stems was 

 named Raha'katittu, from ra, the, this one; ha=hak, a part of the 

 word hakkow, breathing mouth of wood, the k being dropped for 

 euphony (see translatio7i of hawkowpirus, drum, page 17) ; katit, dark. 



