DAKOTA DANCES. 229 
the persons were restored to a new life. But this new life came only after 
the throes and the bitterness of death. Then he has a ‘‘sack” given him, 
and is thenceforth a member of the order of the sacred mysteries. 
A necessary adjunct of the Wakan-wadcipi is the ‘‘ Wakay-wohanpi,” 
or Sacred Feast. This is made very frequently when there is a plenty of 
food in the village. Of course, as a general thing, only those are invited 
who belong to the order. Forty years ago I was honored with an invitation 
to one of their feasts, in a wild Teton village at Fort Pierre on the Missouri. 
It is in part a worship. The pipe is femed and held up to the gods with 
a prayer for merey. Then they smoke around, after which the food is 
dished out. The guests bring their own wooden bowl and horn spoon. 
Each one must eat up all that is given him or pay a forfeit. This is a 
blanket or gun or such article as the person can give. I have known a 
community, in time of plenty, run wild over the idea of stuffing each other 
and getting all the forfeits possible. Their god is their belly. 
Quite likely there are other forms of the dance in other parts of the 
Dakota country, or dances which have other names than those spoken of 
here; but these are sufficient. There remains, however, to be mentioned 
the greatest exemplification of self-sacrifice and worship in the sun-dance. 
SUN-DANCE. 
The following graphic account of the sun-dance held in June, 1880, 
by the Teton under Red Cloud, is an abstract of what was published in the 
Daily Journal of Sioux City, lowa. It is avery trustworthy and more than 
usually vivid description of a ceremony which is becoming rarer under the 
influence of Christianity. 
This sun-dance began at 5 a. m., June 24, 1880. The lodges, 700 
in number, were arranged in a circle of about six miles in circumference 
on a level plain near White Clay Creek, Nebraska. The dance began 
with a grand charge within the circle. It is estimated that about 4,000 
men and women took part in the charge. Nearly all were on horse- 
back, and they charged back and forth over the ground, yelling for an 
hour, for the alleged purpose of frightening away the ghosts and bad 
spirits from the grounds. A hard rain set in at 6 o’clock, and nothing more 
was doue until 1 o’clock, when the sky cleared and the people went up on 
a branch of White Clay Creek to cut the sacred pole. Around the tree to 
be felled a ring was formed, and no living object was allowed to enter 
therein except the persons who took part in felling the tree. The master 
