384 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



As the pipe passed around, the holy men would say, "You are going to have 

 a long life and a good home," speaking to my brothers and sister. My brothers 

 and sister would give my mother a valuable article each time she finished one 

 of the sacred songs. There were many plates for the roast corn and a large pile 

 of corn balls in the center of the lodge. She would sing four songs and get a pile 

 of robes; again she sang four songs and got another pile of robes. There was a 

 sweat bath ready and they used only the finest robes to cover it. Many of the 

 robes were fancy ones worked in quills. 



Then she went into the sweat lodge, saying "Any of j'ou old men, who wish to, 

 may come into the sweat lodge.^ After you have been cleansed, they wUl dis- 

 tribute the corn balls and other articles. All j^ou old men walk towards the 

 sweat lodge and stand at the door. I will sprinkle you with water and give you 

 new life." 



She directed Spotted Bird to bring the sacred objects and place them on robes 

 in front of the sweat lodge. She also directed him to sit beside her at the entrance 

 to the sweat lodge saying, "I will sing the holy songs. You wanted to get these 

 gods so listen carefully. Do not forget them." 



Then she repeated all of the holy songs that came down to us from the beginning 

 of time. When she finished, she sprinkled all of the old men and called for the 

 women and children to come. They were sprinkled also. 



When she finished, she called Spotted Bird, Two Teeth, Brown Woman, and 

 myself to sit down near her. She sang the holy songs again in the order that 

 thej' were given to the people long ago and sprinkled water over us. Brown 

 Woman's husband did not take part even though he hunted for her, but he could 

 have bought in with his wife if he had given his mother-in-law a scalp. Then she 

 called my two brothers and their wives and Brown Woman to sit in front of her 

 at the entrance of the sweat lodge. There she repeated the same sacred songs. 

 Then they took all of the sacred objects from the top of the sweat lodge. 



They had a stone ready to put into the pit. My mother said, "Those of you 

 who wish may break up a chokecherry stick and throw it inside where the stones 

 are. It will signify that you wUl kill an enemy. My son, break the stick into 

 four pieces and throw them in one at a time. Each time mention the name of 

 an enemy you want to kiU." 



Spotted Bird mentioned a Sioux named Two Bears that he wanted to kill and 

 threw in a stick; with the second stick, Beads-Stick-Out-of-His-Side, a Sioux, was 

 mentioned; with the third stick he called Medicine Bear,^'' a Sioux; with the fourth 

 stick he called the name of Red Spear, a Sioux. He had heard of these enemies 

 by name only, for they were holy men of the Sioux tribe. When he finished, the 

 other stones were put into the pit and the sweat was ready. 



Before putting water on the stones, my mother said, "You men here in the 

 sweat lodge who wish to fast may do so, for you have many enemies. I am ready 

 to pour the water. If you fast, you may have good dreams to bring good luck." 



The men in the sweat were crying, for they wanted to be great chiefs. They 

 were people who alreadj' had sacred buffalo skulls. I heard them saying in there, 

 "I want to kill my enemy; our enemies we have thrown into the pit, and we 

 want to kill them. We are poor and we beg you to help us." " 



Then the sweat lodge rites were over. She said to the older people who owned 

 sacred buffalo skulls, "You bring me a stick so I can feed these gods first" and 



• She used the familiar term "old man" as used commonly for a husband. 



"> Medicine Bear's mother was a Mandan taken prisoner as a little girl when Nuptadi village north of 

 Bismarck was destroyed by the Sioux prior to 1800. 

 11 The man in the lodge at this time represented the most distinguished males of the tribe. 



