132 BDLLBTIN OF THE 



[Now according to the Iowa myth, the Eagle people came down 

 from the sky.] 



Worship of the Thunder-God. — When the first thunder is 

 heard in the spring of the year, Elk invites Bear to a feast. On his 

 arrival Bear opens the sacred prairie-wolf bag, takes out the pipe 

 and the elk bladder tobacco-pouch, which Elk dare not touch. 

 Bear then takes some tobacco or killickinnick from the pouch, and 

 fills the pipe. The lighted pipe is held up towards the sky, and the 

 Thunder-god is thus addressed : 



" Well ! venerable man ! by your striking you are frightening us, 

 your grand-sons who are here. Depart on high." 



Then all present smoke the pipe, and join in the feast. It is 

 alleged that at the conclusion of the feast the rain always ceases, 

 and the Bear people return to their homes. 



(/.) Style of wearing the hair. The boys of each gens are 

 obliged to wear their hair in a prescribed style. The Buffalo 

 people have four long locks, two on each side, in imitation of the 

 buffalo. 



The Bird people have four locks, representing the head, tail, and 

 wings of a bird. 



The Turtle people have six locks, in imitation of the head, tail, 

 and legs of a turtle. 



(g.) There are five classes of relationship, as follows: 1. In the 

 gens ; 2. By consanguinity (including the members of other 

 gentes ' ; 3. By marriage; 4. By the taboo of the gens or sub- 

 gens ; and 5. By the calumet dance. 



(h.) Each gens has a list from which a father is expected to select 

 the names for his children. 



These are called nikie or sacred names, and generally refer to 

 some act of the mythical ancestor, or to some part of his body. 



There are, in addition to these, seven names sacred above all 

 others, as referring to the mythical origin of the gens, and which 

 used to be conferred upon the sons born into each household ; and 

 there were as many similar birth-names for the daughters. 



These birth-names should not be confounded with the household 

 names of the,.ichildren. 



Peculiar customs of the gens. — I give two examples. The Kan- 



