314 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



Spring Boy and Lodge Boy by Buffalo when he was freed by Two 

 Men in which he said, "If any human being promises me anything and 

 does not do it, I wUl destroy that person," Such was the penalty for 

 failing to fulfill a pledge involving those sacred bundles that included 

 a buffalo skull. Another group of relatives was expected to lend 

 assistance in accumulating the goods for the payment of the officers. 

 One's clan was expected to contribute generously since a successful 

 ceremony brought credit to the entire group. All those whose fathers 

 were of the same clan were also expected to assist. Since the wife 

 secured benefits from the performance of the ceremony, all her brothers 

 and sisters and clan members were likewise called on for assistance. 

 The man's age-grade society was expected to meet and to put up 

 goods for the occasion. A similar responsibility prevailed with 

 respect to the age-grade society to which the wife belonged. In the 

 interim, the pledger was expected to hunt often in order to get an 

 abundance of hides for tanning. Whereas on other occasions he 

 customarily shared the raw hides and meat with other households due 

 to numerous obligations to his relatives, it was understood that once 

 he had pledged a ceremony he should not be asked to part with 

 these things. 



The pledger selected a member of his father's clan as supervisor 

 and instructor shortly after making the vow. It was the supervisor's 

 duty to secure information on all details of the ceremony from the 

 one best qualified to supply that information. When the father was 

 living, this information was provided by him and the Long Arm 

 bundle impersonator, otherwise it was usually provided by the Long 

 Arm impersonator to the instructor who in turn passed this informa- 

 tion on to the pledger of the ceremony. The instructor was one out- 

 side the NaxpikE ceremonial fraternity and therefore initially 

 uninformed in the rites and the significance of various elements of the 

 ceremony. Once the ceremony was given, his knowledge of the rites 

 was as great or even greater than his pupil, still he acquired no perma- 

 nent rights whatsoever in the ceremony, his sole reward being the 

 property which he received for his services and the distinction of 

 being selected as "ceremonial father." It was also the instructor's 

 duty to see that the goods were kept dry and in good condition, and 

 to burn incense of pine spills on four separate occasions during the 

 preparatory period. 



Regardless of the amount of goods already accumulated or pledged, 

 when the time approached for the performance of the ceremony, the 

 instructor carried the red tubular pipe the pledger was to receive 

 during the rites and stopped at each lodge where young men of the 

 pledger's clan lived to cry, "This is a great thing your brother is doing 

 for his people. You should help him now. He has worked hard to 



