WHITE] CEREMONIES AND CEREMONIALISM 119 



During this time there is much singing by the doctors who sit 

 behind the altar. Prayers, too, are said, chiefly by the headman. 

 These prayers are ofl'ered to almost all of the supematui-als, such as 

 the sun, the earth, etc., but chiefly to the animal medicine men: the 

 bear, mountain lion, badger, eagle, and snake." They ask these 

 spirits to help them. 



When the medicines have been prepared the headman rises and 

 addresses the gathering. He teUs the people to be brave and to do 

 their best, that they must suffer for the good of the whole world, etc. 

 He assures them that the medicine men are doing their best. The 

 doctors resimie their singing. Naicoia (the headman) goes to the 

 medicine bowls. He stirs each one with, a large flint (the largest one 

 in the collection; it is also called naicoia, or father). Then he dips 

 his eagle plimies into the medicine and sprinkles one doctor on each 

 end of the line seated behind the altar. Then the headman goes back 

 of the altar and sits down. 



The two doctors who have been sprinkled begin to gesticulate and 

 grunt "Ah' Ah'." Then they come out in front. They hop about 

 in front of the altar "squatting like an eagle."'* A medicine woman 

 brings some ashes from the fireplace (which is called k'ohaiya, or 

 bear) and places them on the floor before the altar. Then the two 

 doctors in front begin to sing. They dip their eagle plumes m the 

 ashes and go about the chamber "whipping the disease away."'* 

 Sometimes a doctor extracts some foreign object from a person's 

 body with his plumes. 



The two doctors now lay their eagle plumes by the altar. They 

 daub themselves all over with ashes. They peer into one of the 

 medicine bowls, placing a hand just beneath the eyes (the palm is at 

 right angles to the face). WTien they look into the medicine bowl 

 they "can see witches." Then they look about the room. They are 

 looking for some one to cure. ^Mien a doctor has selected some one, 

 he goes to him and begins to massage some part of his body. He 

 removes some object — a stick, thorn, stone, or some rags. He may 

 remove it with liis hands, or he may suck it out. WTien an object is 

 removed with the hands or with the eagle plumes it is usually caused 

 to vanish. This is accomphshed by holding one hand up, well above 

 the head, and the other down below the waist. Then the positions 



'" One informant stated in this connection that the medicine men called upon the "four preat rivers that 

 flow to the south." I could not leam the significance of this reference from him, and other informants had 

 not heard of it. 



1* During curing ceremonies the doctors frequently imitate the cries or movements of the animal medicine 

 men, particularly the bear, eagle, and moimtain lion. 



" .\shes are used as a prophylactic against witches. The "whipping" motions with the plimies are 

 sharp, cutting movements, the arms moving like the blades of a huge sc'ssors. Motions away from patients 

 are also made. 



