12 YEARBOOK, PUBLIC MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE [Vol. II. 



taining war talismans. However, the writer had an unusual advantage 

 in that he was able to understand a little of the Sauk language through 

 his acquaintance with the cognate Menomini tongue, and the very im- 

 portant fact that he is a member of the Medicine Lodge, the great secret 

 society common to most of the Central tribes. 



Accordingly, after a careful campaign, the confidence of several of 

 the leading members of the Medicine Lodge was gained, and no less 

 than sixteen of the highly prized otter and squirrel skin pouches of the 

 fraternity were collected. The gathering of any of the sacred war- 

 bundles was much more difficult, but in the end several keepers of the 

 gens bundle houses were won over, and fourteen of these remarkable 

 palladiums were brought to the Museum. 



In each war-bundle, such as those shown in figure 3, are contained 

 certain medicines, such as roots and herbs, to render the warriors in- 

 vulnerable and invisible, the skins of mammals and birds who have 

 promised to give their aid to those who carry them in time of battle, 

 and various other articles. Among these are prisoner ties, war belts, 

 ceremonial aprons, head ornaments, and the like, put in the bundles as 

 rewards to the first man to strike the foe, or in accordance with the 

 dreams of the bundle owners. These latter articles are often of con- 

 siderable antiquity and beauty, as well as of great ethnological value, 

 being adorned with the dyed quills of the porcupine or with deer hair 

 embroidery, buffalo hair and horns, and the like. In fact, as no man 

 can foresee what a dream may have dictated to the maker of any given 

 bundle, the ethnologist may well expect to find anything in such a 

 bundle, from an antique garment to a wampum belt. 



Obtaining the bundles was rather a gamble, for it was impossible to 

 look into one before buying it. However, some exceptionally fine speci- 

 mens were collected. Among them were a pouch, made from the leg 

 skin of an albino buffalo, two quill embroidered war aprons, numerous 

 headdresses and prisoner ties, quill ornamented eagle plumes and animal 

 skins, with human scalps attached. 



A war-bundle from the Bear-potato gens contained a little scaffold 

 ready to set up, and the skins of two otters, to which were attached 

 fragments of eighteen and eight scalps, respectively. The larger of 

 these is shown in figure 4(1), the second in figure 4(2). A little stick 

 also had three scalp locks tied on it. The latter represented old men 

 taken prisoner by the war party bearing this bundle. The former stood 

 for slain foemen. 



A very fine war-bundle from the Kickapoo, who now dwell near 



