80 YEARBOOK, PUBLIC MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE, [Vol. I. 



to make a "heavy steam" and take a "real sweat," which would be too 

 strong for him to endure. He readily complied with this request. Then 

 followed two songs. Up to this time the priest had only sprinkled the 

 water, but now he poured it on in great cupfuls and the steam was doubt- 

 less several'times as intense as while the novice was present. After a 

 short prayer, the priest ordered the front and rear of the cover raised. 

 Both the participants were streaming with perspiration to an almost in- 

 credible degree. The two cooled off in the lodge for a few minutes, as 

 is shown in figure 45, and dried their bodies by running their hands 

 over them, after which they reinvested themselves. 



Such a sweat bath is employed for its curative properties in cases of 

 illness, and there is little doubt that it does possess such curative proper- 

 ties if properly used. However, a far greater ceremonial use is found 

 for it among most tribes. For instance, among the Blackfoot Indians, 

 informants state that a man is not considered fit to participate in certain 

 of the major ceremonies, until he has undergone this ceremonial sweat, 

 which is presumed to purify him spiritually, as well as cleanse him 

 bodily. The entire ceremony is performed with a devout religious feel- 

 ing on the part of the Indians and to it is attached a profound ceremonial 

 and religious significance. 



THE BLACKFOOT INISKIM OR BUFFALO 

 BUNDLE, ITS ORIGIN AND USE 



By S. a Barkett'' 



While collecting on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation in Montana 

 during the summer of 1921, a considerable nunil)er of ceremonial ob- 

 jects were secured, particularly variovis specimens of the iniskim. This 

 term applied particularly to the "buffalo stone," though the same name 

 is also applied to the bundle of which one or more of these fossil shells 

 or segments forms a part. The Ijundle is more commonly referred to as 

 the Medicine Lodge, Painted Lodge or Buffalo bundle. Figure 46 shows 

 several specimens of these l)uffalo stones, ranging from the one (A) 

 carved in a rough semblance of a buffalo, to the one (F) covered with 

 thin buffalo calf skin, and the large, almost complete fossil shell (F) 

 resting on the matted buffalo hair. Such a buffalo stone is alwa}-s a 

 fossil shell of one kind or another and may range from a whole shell, 

 weighing several pounds down to a segment of a very small shell (D), 



^''Director, Milwaukee Public Museum. 



