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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the medicine man departs with his fee, a pinch of sacred tobacco. 

 The following description of the house ceremony from the lips of 

 a Seneca will not be out of place. The story is related exact ly 

 as it came from the tongue of the interpreter. 



Jesse Hill speaking: " Mother scraped off basswood bark, 

 soaked it in water and wrapped it around my leg. Next day we sent 

 for the medicine man. He came at sunset and sent to the creek 

 for fresh water to be dipped where the current was swift, with a 

 pail not against the current. Poured some in a teacup and pulled 

 out the medicine bag. Opened it with a charmed shovel not 

 much larger than a pin. Dipped three times. Cup of water. 

 Floated. Go up or down. Understand it was good medicine. 

 Took some in his mouth and sprayed it on my leg. 1 Told mother 

 to put a curtain around my bed so no one could see me. If any 

 one saw any part of my body, medicine would do no good. Soon 

 came dark. All the animals were put out. Took tin pail and 

 made fire. Put in center of room and all sat around in silence. 

 Medicine man made prayer. Scattered tobacco mother had pre- 

 pared over fire. Took rattle made of gourd and chanted medicine 

 song loud and louder. Half hour pain had gone. Boiled dif- 

 ferent fruits together till soft. Put kettle where all could help 

 out with little dipper. Left two doses of medicine. Eat nothing 

 but white things. White of egg of chicken had white feathers 

 and eat chicken if white. Five or six days spoke things. All 

 certain took pain away." 



The medicine lodge ritual 



The Ho-noh-tci-noh-gah "sits," that is, holds lodge meetings, 

 four times each year; in midwinter, when the deer sheds its hair, 

 when the strawberries are ripe and when corn is ripe for eating. 

 At these ceremonies each member brings his or her medicine to be 

 sung for and if unable to be present sends it. 



Only members know the exact place and time of meeting. At 

 the entrance of the medicine lodge, now a private house of a mem- 

 ber chosen for the ceremony, a guard is stationed who scrutinizes 

 each person who attempts to pass within. Across the door within 

 is placed a heavy bench " manned " by several stalwart youths who, 

 should a person not entitled to see the interior of the lodge appear, 

 would throw their weight against the bench and force the door 



l Thc Jesuits described a similar ceremony among the Hurons in 1640. In the Relation 

 of 1670 is an account of the medicine water as used by the Onondagas. 



