30 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 
in the north. Then he went west of the fireplace and gave one whiff 
towards the sky to Tirawa, then one whiff to Mother-Earth. Hethen went 
to the altar, gave one whiff to the bird, and several whiffs to the contents 
of the bundle. He then took his seat among the priests and gave his pipe 
to one of them. The pipe was passed from one priest to another, and 
after they had smoked, the ashes were dumped out in front of the altar and 
the pipe was returned to the high priest. After the offering of smoke, all 
the men who did not care to remain left the lodge. The dried meat was 
cutupandboiled. The first pile of meat taken from the kettle was placed 
upon a dried buffalo hide. Fat was taken from this piece of meat and 
offered to each god in the north, to Tirawa, to Mother-Earth, to the King- 
fisher, to the Bundle, and to Mother-Corn. The fat was then thrown into 
the fire so that the smoke would go to the heavens. The priest asked for 
the sticks or gods in the north and they were brought to him. He took 
the shells and the crow feathers off from them, and laid the sticks by the 
bundle. The priest called the errand man and asked himif he had the grass 
ready. The errand man said that he had. He brought the grass and 
laid it before the priest. The priest took up the sticks and gave them to 
the priests sitting nearest him, and he told them to prepare them. These 
sticks were plum sticks, and they represented the four gods who assisted 
Tirawa to create people. The priests took the plum sticks and covered 
them with grass. When they had finished, the priest selected four other 
priests to take sticks to the creek. The priests arose, received the sticks, 
and went to the creek and threw them into the water. The plum 
sticks were covered with grass, so that the gods would not see the sticks 
that represented them, and would not become angry. When the priests 
returned to the lodge there was a universal exclamation of satisfaction 
given throughout the lodge. The things used in the ceremony were 
waved through smoke of sweet grass, then placed in the bundle, and 
the bundle was tied up again and hung up at the west inside of the 
lodge. All of the meat was cooked and divided among the priests, 
and the high priest said: ““The gods have received our offering. They 
will send good gifts to our people, so that they will not be poor. Now we 
rise and go to our homes.” 
