THE HAKO 

 THE PREPAKATIOX 



Exphirintiiiii hi/ tliir Kii' nihus 



'J^lie ceremony of the Hako is a prayer for children, in order that 

 the tribe may increase and he stroni>;; and also that the people may 

 have long life, enjoy plenty, and he happy and at peace. 



The articles that are used in the ceremony can be prepared only 

 under the direction and supervision of a man who has been taught 

 the sacred songs in their setpienee and instructed as to their meaning. 

 Such a man is called Ku'rahus, which means a man of years, vene- 

 rated for his knowledge and experience. 



When a man intends to inaugurate a party for the performance of 

 this ceremony, he selects a Ku'rahus to have complete charge of it, 

 and fixes a day when the preliminary rites are to be j)erforraed. On 

 that day the Ku'rahus goes into the sweat lodge and there purifies 

 himself. When he has come out of the sweat bath and has cooled off 

 a little, he places sweet grass on a small x^ile of coals. Then he sits 

 down (on his heels) and draws a robe about himself and the coals, so 

 that the smoke of the sweet grass may reach every part of his body. 

 He then takes a bit of fat which has been preserved from a deer or 

 buffalo consecrated to Tira'wa, and mixes it with red paint and anoints 

 himself. Then he puts on his leggings and moccasins, and a buffalo 

 robe, with the hair outside, tying it about the waist with a rope made 

 of buffalo hair. He fastens a white, downy eagle feather in his scalp 

 lock and goes to the lodge of the man who has inaugurated the party. 

 He takes with him a man as assistant; he is also accompanied by 

 another man, who is learning the songs and the details of the cere- 

 mony, preparatory to Itecoming himself able to conduct this rite, but 

 whose present duty is to minister to the wants of the Ku'rahus. 



At the lodge the chiefs and leading men of the village have been 

 assemble<l, with those who have agreed to be of the party and have 

 contrilnit('(l the requisite gifts. This lodge has been swept clean and 

 put in order for the occasion. The Ku'rahus takes his seat at the 

 west end of the lodge, facing the east, and before him, spread out on 

 a mat, are the materials for the preparation of the ceremonial articles. 



After the Kti'i-ahus has begu7i to sing the songs belonging to the act 

 of preparing these articles thei-e must be no coming in or going out 

 of the lodge, and no one can move froni his place until this (the first 

 ritual) has been comijleted An exception is made in the case of two 

 men who are sent out by the Ku'rahus to cut and bring in two sticks 

 of ash. They go out during the singing of a certain stanza of the first 

 song and must return while another particular stanza of the same 

 song is being sung. 

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