STEVEN80M 



ORIGIN OF THE FRATERNITIES 417 



wirona. The healing of the body also must come l)y the will of the 

 Supreme Power. All the medicine of the Beast Gods would be of no 

 value unless ble-ssed l)y the mysterious life-g-iving power of A'wona- 

 wil'ona. Therefore each person initiated into the order of Mystery 

 medicine, or the mystery of healino- through the Beast (iods, possesses 

 a mi'li, wdiich is constructed by the fraternity father in the ceremonial 

 chamber while singing five songs in the presence of members of the 

 order. The songs are addressed to A'wonawil'ona. the Sun Father, the 

 Moon Mother, the Beast (iods of the six regions, and A'chiyala'toi)a 

 (being with wings and a tail of knives). When completed, the mi'li i^ 

 placed by the altar, where it remains until given to the novice. 



There are several fraternities to which the preceding rules do not 

 apply. The 'Hle'wekwe has a Sword order, but it has no order 

 of Mystery medicine. It has one mi'li, composed of an ear of corn, 

 eight turkey-tail plumes, with a few^ smaller l)ird feathers, and a 

 po'nepoyanne,'^' and it possesses an et'tone. The manner of joining 

 this fraternity is given in the ceremonial of the *Hle'wekwe. 



*San'iakiakwe has no order of Mystery medicine, but each member 

 has a mi'li, composed of an ear of corn surrounded by eight turkey tail 

 plumes. Though this fraternity was organized specially for the chase, 

 it was initiated into the mystery of playing with tire. 



Shu'maakwe has no order of Mystery medicine, but such members 

 as have the septum of the nose pierced possess a mi'li, though this is 

 (juite ditierent from that of Mystery medicine. It is built up over an 

 ear of corn, which is also completely covei-ed with plumes: but these 

 plumes, which are elaborate, are tirst attached to four slender sticks, 

 each one constituting a te'likinane (prayer plume), this having a 

 la'showanne (one or more plumes attached to cotton cord) hanging 

 from its tip. A stick with zigzag markitig, sym))olic of lightning, 

 some 4 inches higher than the prayer plume, its upper portion colored 

 blue and tipped with a white flutiy eagle plume attached with a cotton 

 cord, stands in the centei-. These mi'wachi (plural for mi'li) are not 

 so high as those associated with Mystery medicine. All mi'wachi are 

 associated with A'wonawil'ona. The base of the Shu'maakwe mi'li is 

 heavily wrapped for -t inches or more with white cotton cord. '1 he 

 one which the writer examined had two spiral shells over 1 inch long, 

 with a piece of abalone shell the size of a silver quarter between them, 

 strung on the cord at the upper portion of the wrapping. Tluv^e 

 adornments are referred to as the necklaces of the mi'wachi. 



"«The po'nepoyanm^ (from po'ne, to place; poyannO, bundle) is composed of an ^ar o^ c-orn sur- 

 rounded bv a number of reeds the length of the middle finger. Each reed contains pel et. of the e - 

 dermi'.se..ured by persistent rubbing of .he body. The reeds are clos.l a. the -;^-;- ^ -; ^ ^"j;' ' 

 Thevare securely wrapped together with cotton c.,rd and are surrounded with eagles .ng feathers. 

 The e p umes nu'.st be dr.>pped bv wild eagles and found by members of the fraternity. They a e 

 ghin to t^e director of the fraternity, who attache, the pb.nies to the fetish, which grad.ially 

 becomes larger by the addition of the phnues as they are found from time to time. 

 23 ETH— -04 27 



