16 TRUE STORIES OF THE HEAVENLY BEINGS. 
breast. You also have a fireplace where your food is cooked. When 
you eat the things that are cooked, it is like sucking a mother’s breast, 
because you eat and grow strong. I make you to live in the lodge, and 
you shall increase, but you are not to live forever. You are to die, and 
will be placed under the ground again. You and your children must 
always remember that I gave you life, but you are to return to the earth 
again. You, woman, take this speckled corn that I give you and put 
it in a clay pot with water and place it upon the fire to boil. After the 
water has boiled away and gone up into the air, eat of the dry mush that 
is left and feed it to your husband and you shall have increase.” They 
ate of the mush and had increase. Then Tirawa spoke to them again 
and gave them many wonderful ceremonies. . Two of the ceremonies have 
been handed down through all generations. One of the ceremonies is 
known as the Woman-dance, and it is to remind the people that it was 
Tirawa who gave them light. This was the first dance that Tirawa ever 
gave to the people. The other ceremony that has been handed down 
is known as the Starisu, Woman’s dance, and it is formed as follows: 
In the winter time, when the Pawnee are hunting buffalo, the chiefs 
will let the people know that they want meat for this particular cere- 
mony. The young men of high birth will try to kill the fattest buffalo 
in the bunch, so that they can take this meatto the chief’s lodge. Several 
buffalo will be killed for this purpose, and these buffalo will be taken to 
the chief’s lodge, where the meat is jerked and dried. Early in the spring 
the people have planted their corn and it is now time for them to go 
buffalo hunting again. Then the four priests with one chief enter the 
lodge of a chief and they make known to him that they wish now to have 
the ceremony. The chief gives his consent. The women at once clear 
from the lodge their beds and other things, then the lodge is swept out 
with eagle-wing fans. The four priests take their seats at the west, the 
chief walks up, and the four priests make an opening in the center for 
him. The errand man is sent out by the chief to invite the young men 
and girls of high birth. These young people come in; the girls take their 
seats on the north side of the lodge, and the young men take theirs on 
the south side. The chief speaks and says: ‘‘My friends, this is a day 
that we have selected to have a dance, that Tirawa gave us. We were 
told in olden times that Tirawa promised to send buffalo to us if we should 
give this dance. We will now give the dance.”” He tells them to paint, 
dress,and prepare forthe dance. The chief puts on his leggings, then takes 
the holy ointment from the bundle, arises and stands in front of them, 
and tells them that they must put upon themselves the grease of the 
buffalo, for they are about toimitate them. He tears the fat in two pieces 
