STEVENSON] u'huhukwe 528 



can be eaten. When the decoration of the novnces is completed the}^ 

 take their seats in line on the north ledge, near the west end, the wife 

 of the fraternity father sitting on the left of the fraternity child or 

 children and the elder sister of the fraternity father sitting on the 

 right. The a'kwaniosi has his assigned seat on the north side of the 

 altar and the deputy director sits on the south side. The warrior, 

 protector of the altar and fetish medicine, sits in front of the altar, 

 just beyond a mound of food deposited to the gods. The flutist sits 

 back of the altar. 



There are two rolls of corn husks containing native tobacco, each 

 roll having a pra^^er plume on each side. One roll is in a niche in 

 the north wall near the altar, and one is in a niche in the south wall 

 inmiediately opposite the other. The ceremon}' begins with the hand- 

 ing of the rolled husks to the a'kwamosi, who opens them, and with 

 the native tobacco and corn husks makes cigarettes. The a'kwamosi, 

 the deputy, and the flutist all retain their seats while each smokes one 

 of the cigarettes, blowing the smoke over the altar and mi'wachi," the 

 a'kwamosi and deputy from the front and the flute player from the 

 back. The mound of food placed near the altar at the evening feast 

 is now divided b}' the warrior into two heaps, with a space of 8 or 10 

 inches between. A vase of water is brought by a woman and placed 

 before the a'kwamosi, who raises and lowers the empty medicine bowl 

 six times. As soon as he touches the bowl he begins a prayer song in 

 low, impressive tones, which continues until the completion of the med- 

 icine water. Dipping a gourd of water from the water vase, he holds 

 it over the medicine bowl while he repeats a prayer to the Cougar of 

 the North to be present in spirit, and then empties it into the bowl. 

 The second gourdful is held while he repeats a prayer to the Bear of 

 the West. With the third gourdful he oflers a prayer to the Badger 

 of the South, with the fourth a prayer to the White Wolf of the East, 

 and with the fifth he prays to A'chiyiila'topa (a being with wings and 

 tail of knives) of the Zenith. The sixth gourdful, as soon as it is 

 dipped from the vase, is emptied into the bowl with prayers to the 

 Shrew of the Nadir. Six fetishes are now taken from a leather pouch, 

 and each one is raised six times in the right hand, while the two eagle 

 plumes taken from the medicine bowl are held in the left hand. Each 

 fetish is deposited at its appropriate point of the compass, those of the 

 Zenith and Nadir being laid by the fetish of the East. After all the 

 fetishes are placed the a'kwamosi takes the one of thi^ North and holds 

 it over the bowl, and after raising and k)wering it six times he drops 

 it into the bowl. The remaining live fetishes are passed separately 

 through the same ceremony. Six pinches of meal are afterward 

 sprinkled into the bowl, each pinch being raised and lowered six times 



a Mi'wachi is plural for mi'li (see p. 416;. 



