166 DAKOTA GRAMMAR, TEXTS, AND ETHNOGRATIY. 
arguments in a Dakota tent for or against Widéata-wi or Istawiéayazan- wi. 
But the main reason for their frequent difference of opinion in regard to 
this matter, viz., that twelve lunations do not bring them to the point from 
which they commenced counting, never appears to have suggested itself. 
In order to make their moons correspond with the seasons, they are obliged 
to pass over one every few years. 
SACRED LANGUAGE. 
The Dakota conjurer, the war prophet, and the dreamer, experience 
the same need that is felt by more elaborate performers among other 
nations of a language which is unintelligible to the common people, tor the 
purpose of impressing upon them the idea of their superiority. Their 
dreams, according to their own account, are revelations made from the 
spirit-world, and their prophetic visions are what they saw and knew in a 
former state of existence. It is, then, only natural that their dreams and 
visions should be clothed in words, many of which the multitude do not un- 
derstand. This sacred language is not very extensive, since the use of a 
few unintelligible words suffices to make a whole speech incomprehensible. 
It may be said to consist, first, in employing words as the names of thing 
which seem to have been introduced from other Indian languages; as, nide, 
water; paza, wood, ete. In the second place, it consists in employing de- 
scriptive expressions, instead of the ordinary names of things; as in calling 
aman @ biped, and the wolf a quadruped. And thirdly, words which are 
common in the language are used far out of their ordinary signification; 
as, hepan, the second child, if a boy, is used to designate the otter. When the 
Dakota braves ask a white man for an ox or cow, they generally call it a 
dog; and when a sachem begs a horse from a white chief, he does it under 
the designation of moccasins. This is the source of many of the figures of 
speech in Indian oratory; but they are sometimes too obscure to be beauti- 
ful. 
ARE THE INDIANS DIMINISHING? 
One view of the question, and that hitherto the most common one, 
considers that North America had a dense population before the coming of 
the white race, and that since the Indians have been brought in contact 
with the advance guard of civilization they have been diminishing, many 
tribes having disappeared. But another view is gaining ground among 
students of the Indian. It is now maintained that, in spite of wars, dis- 
eases, exposures, and migrations, there are nearly as many Indians to-day 
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