CALUMET DAXCE THE PIPES. 



277 



tion before them. Sometimes he says, " I am poor. Do uot come." Iii 

 that case the messenger returns home, and the dance does not take 

 place. But if the awa u i aka approve, and his kindred give their con- 

 sent, he sends the messenger back with a favorable reply. In some 

 instances, when one man has asked another to dance the calumet dance 

 for him, the other one has replied, "Why should I dance it for you? 

 Why should I give such a privilege to a bad man ? " 



§ 120. At the appointed time, the dancing party, which consists of two 

 leaders and many companions, repairs to the 

 place of destination. Sometimes the leaders 

 take from twenty to thirty men with them. 

 They reach the lodge of the awa n i aka, and 

 there the two niniba weawa", or calumet 

 pipes, are placed on a forked support, which 

 is driven into the soil in the back part of the 

 lodge. 



« 121. Description of the pipes, etc. — The fol- 

 lowing is a description of the calumet pipes : 



In the place of a pipe-bowl each weawa" 

 has the head and neck of a"mi"'xadahi" pi,'' 

 or green-necked duck. Xext to this, on the 

 upper side ofthe stem, are (yellowish) feathers 

 of the great owl, extending about six inches. 

 Xext are long wing-feathei s of the war eagle, 

 split and stuck on longitudinally in three 

 places, as on an arrow shaft. At the end 

 of these is some horsehair, which has been 

 reddened. It is wrapped around the stem, 

 tied on with sinew, and then over that is 

 fastened some of the fur of the white rabbit, 

 with some ends dangling about six inches. 

 The horsehair extends tally six inches be- 

 low the fur of the rabbit. This horsehair is 

 attached in two other places, and tied in a 

 similar manner. The three tufts are equi- 

 distant, say, six inches apart. Near the last 

 tuft is the head of a wajin'ga-da, woodcock ( .'), 

 the nose of which is white, and the head 

 feathers are red. The bill is turned towards 

 the mouth-piece. 9 



The head of the duck is secured to the stem 

 by the •• ha-jide," which used to be made of 

 deer or antelope skin, but since t he coming < if 



1 Frank La fcTeche said that lm had seen three heads of wajiiigada on one pipe, and 

 that the number varied from one to six. There was no part of the neek of the bird, 

 and tie- lower mandible was removed. Iu this respect only the above figure does not 

 represent the Omaha pipe. 



Fig. 20 



Calumet 



