NO. 2 



SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I918 



113 



knife between its point and the pipe design, terminating- ])ehind the 

 shoulders (fig. ii8). 



The woman, upon whom depends the continual existence of the 

 tribe, was no less honored than the warrior who risks his life for the 

 people. Upon her forehead, chest, back, arms, hands, and the lower 

 part of her legs are pictured, in conventional designs, the sun, stars, 

 the earth, the powers from whose united force proceed life in all its 

 manifold forms. The lines running down from her shoulder to her 



Fig. iig. — (Jsage Woman with Conventional Symbols Pictured on Her Body. 



wrist symbolize the " paths of animals," in reality, life descending 

 from the sun and the stars to the earth, represented in the conven- 

 tional design of a spider pictured on the hand (fig. 119). 



When the fourth stage of the tribal government was completed 

 this rite was transferred to the Po"'-ka Wa-shta-ge chief and also 

 added to the rite formulated for him. The translation of the story of 

 this combined rite, as given in full by W'a-xthi'-zhi, is in process of 

 completion. It contains 31 wi'-gi-es (recited jiarts), songs, dia- 

 grams, illustrations, charts, and text. 



