HOFFMAN] 



ERECTION OF THE LODGE 



71 



courier to members of the society, one Leap to each member. The run- 

 ner, on his arrival, places the tobacco before the person for whom it is 

 intended; he, being aware of the purpose of the visitor, merely says, 

 "When and where?" The courier then informs flic mita" as to the day 

 and place of the ceremony, and after a short rest departs to fulfill his 

 mission. In the meantime the medicine men have adjourned, each to 

 attend to his own duties in so far as his individual services will be 

 demanded, and to consult with the second and third sets or groups of 

 medicine men designated to assist at the initiation. 



It is customary, when an Indian is to be initiated to till a vacancy 

 caused by death, for the medicine wiko'mik to be erected a. short dis- 

 tance east of the grave of the deceased member, so that the members 

 of the society may be enabled to march westward when visiting the 



Fig. 5— Ceremonial structure of 1800. 



grave, thus following the direction named in the ritual as followed 

 by Na'qpote when his shade went in the direction of the setting sun, 

 where the world is cut off. 



The medicine lodge (ceremonial structure) termed mita'wiko'mik, or 

 mita'wi'kiop, is erected by the medicine women detailed for the pur- 

 pose, and is constructed on the following plan : A piece of level ground 

 is sought at a convenient location east of the grave, when long poles, 

 from 2 to 3 inches thick at the base, are planted at irregular intervals 

 along the sides of an oblong. The length of the structure is usually 

 60 or 70 feet, and its width about 20 feet. The poles are then brought 

 together at the top so as to form an archway, and secured by strands of 

 basswood bark. Plate V represents the skeleton framework of the end 

 of the structure. Mats made of rushes are then placed along the 

 sides, the lower row touching the earth, and a second row placed above 



