1921] BARRETT, THE BLACKFOOT SWEAT LODGE. 77 



called for a live coal from the fire. This coal, which was handed him by 

 means of the red-painted, ceremonial fire tongs, was placed in the center 

 of the small square which served as an altar. Figure 44 shows a ground 

 plan of the sweat lodge, giving the position of the central pit, the altar 

 and the stations of the participants. Also the positions of the first stones 

 placed in the center of the lodge. 



He then took a pinch of the incense material from the bag and, after 

 making a short prayer to the Sun to give the participants good luck, 

 and after passing his hand four times clockwise over the live coal, he 

 dropped the incense on it. He then held first the right and then the left 

 hand, palm down, in the smoke and, closing each as if to grasp a hand- 

 ful of smoke, he placed each to his nose and inhaled deeply. He then 

 repeated these motions, except that he passed the hands down over the 

 sides from head to foot. The left hand was passed down the right side 

 and the right hand down the left side. Jle then took the novice by the 

 hands and caused him to make the same motions throughout. 



He next announced that inasmuch as he was going to present the 

 novice with some of the medicine pipe ceremony, he must first properly 

 paint him. Taking some buffalo fat in his palms, they were rubbed to- 

 gether to grease them. Then some of the reddish yellow paint was 

 added and the palms were ru])l)ed together to mix the fat and the paint. 

 The priest then drew a line with his right index finger on the forehead 

 of the novice from temple to temple, just above the eyebrows. Another 

 similar line was drawn from the angle of the lower jaw to the chin on 

 either side. The remaining paint on the priest's palms was then wiped 

 on the front part of the novice's hair. 



The priest then called for the pipe which was handed into the lodge 

 by an attendant. He next made a prayer to the Sun for the good luck 

 of the novice, holding the pipe pointing obliquely upward with the 

 mouth end of the stem pointing toward the Sun. ( It was then about 

 10:30 A. M.) He then handed the pipe, still in the same position, to 

 the novice with instructions to pass it downward from head to foot, 

 first on the right side, then on the left. The pipe was then passed across 

 to the north side of the fireplace and then back to the priest. It was then 

 lighted by the priest and the first puff was blown upward toward the 

 Sun. The second was ])lown downward toward the earth. Several ordi- 

 nary puffs were then taken and the pipe was next handed to the one on 

 the north. It was handed to him bowl first and at an agle of about 45°, 

 because he is not a medicine pipe bundle man. (He has a beaver bun- 

 dle.) The pipe was smoked for several puffs and then passed back to 



