112 l\Dl INS 01 l III. PLAINS. 



ceremonies is the so-called sun dance. The name as 

 used in literature is probably derived from the Dakota 

 who speak of one phase of the ceremony as sun-gaze- 

 dancing: i. e., the worshiper gazes steadily at the sun 

 while dancing. To a greater or less extent, this is 

 one of the objective features of the ceremony wherever 

 performed and is associated with a torture feature in 

 which skewers are thrust through the skin of the breast 

 and back and the devotee suspended or required to 

 dance until the skin gives way, all the time supplicating 

 the sun for divine guidance. 



Another feature is that in the center of the ceremonial 

 place is set up a tree, or sun pole, which is scouted for, 

 counted coup upon, and felled, as if it were an enemy. 

 Upon this, offerings of cloth are made to the sun. In 

 the fork at the top is usually a bunch of twigs, in some 

 cases called the nest of the thunder bird. 



The time of the sun dance is in midsummer. It is 

 usually initiated by the vow of a man or woman to make 

 it as a sacrifice in return for some heeded prayer in 

 time of great danger. The soldier societies, the 

 women's society, and other organizations, generally 

 take turns dancing at the sun pole after the above 

 named rites have been concluded. The ceremony is 

 decidedly a Plains characteristic. As a rule all who 

 perform important functions in the sun dance are 

 required to spend several days in fasting and other 

 purification ceremonies. 



The sun dance has been reported for all the tribes 

 of this area except the Comanche, Omaha, Iowa, Kan- 



