Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1833-03-16

; which he brough, had full growth leaves
upon it, This bird they have high ven
'eration for, and it being medicine will
them, they never kill it, On the NOR
4 hing Of the day previous to the com
!, nencement Of these ceremonies, there ap
pears on the prairies, at distance, mar
whom the, all recognize as (Nu-mohk
mack -a-nah) the first and only man, who
. by slow degrees approaches and enters
the village with great deal of form ant
/ ceremony as if he had just arrived from
r the west. His body is painted red, his
robe OF four white wolf skins, his head
, dress of two raven skins, and in his hand
he holds pipe Of huge dimensions. Al
his approach the Medicine Lodge Is
thrown open, and prepared by covering
the floor Of it with the branches of green
willow-perfuming it with the most fra
igranf herbs that can be collected-and
placing in several parts Of it curious dis
play Of Buffalo and h, man skulls. Du-
ring this preparation he visits every lodge
in the village, and demands from every
one knife or other edged tool, which is
readily given to be sacrificed, for he saws
''wIth these things the great canoe was
built" These articles are kept in the
Medicine Lodge with the greatest vener-
alton until the ceremonies are over, and
they are then sacrificed by throwing them
into the water.
At sunrise the following morning NJ
mokiianah, or first man, opens and enters
the Medicine Lodge. After him con-
siderable number Of young men, who are
ito do penance by inficting fortunes upon
their own persons. They are almost en-
tireiy naked and their bodies painted with
lclay-some yellow, some white, and some
red. Each one brings with him his arms
and medicine-.he first consisting Of his
bow and culver, shield, or arrow fender,
lance, g.. and the latter, [Peh-toh-neesh-
kIt-tizl Of the skins Of animals or birds
dried stuffed, and ornamented in varie-
ty Of ways. These are suspended over
the heads Of their appropriate owners,
who lie at equal distances around the
sides Of the lodge. After these enters
Oh-kee-pa -kah-seh-ka, keeper, or con-
ductor Of the ceremonies his body paint
ed yellow, "A leather apron, or girdle, a.
bout his loins, and his cap Of white buffalo
skin; he at this tune receives the large
pipe from the other who leaves the lodge
and immediately returns again to the
west, and does not again make his APP
preach until the next annual celebration.
This man, after receiving the pipe, is con
sidercd the greatest Medicine man in the
village, and is master Of ceremonies du
ring the occasion. He takes charge Of
The ledge, remaining in it four days and
nights without eating or drinking, during
the whole of which time he is crying and
wailing at a most hideous rate, and strict
lv guarding the penltents who are under
his charge, and not allowed to leave the
lodge or to par.ake Of food or drink. Du-
ring the first three days there are great
variety Of dances and curious songs and
ceremonies, performed in front Of the med
icine lodge by persons Enthusiastically dres-
sed and painted for the purpose. These
dances and ceremonies are performed a
round a curb Of six feet IN diameter, and
ten feet in height,-which stands in front
Of the medicine lodge containing some of
their most sacred medicines. and preserv-
ed with great veneration as the symbol oil
the Ark, or s'great canoe" as their tradi-
lions call it. On the first day they dance
four times on the second day eight times;
On the third day twelve, aud on the fourth
day, sixteen times. The principal actors
IN all these scenes are eight men, naked
.bodies painted black, with a buffalo
horns on, thrown over them:
their bodies in a horizontal position, and a
wreath Of willows in each baud perform
ing the Buffalo dancc-two men naked-
heir bodies painted black with the skin
IF grizzly Bear thrown over them, in
Tended to represent that animai-two'..
bows, naked, their bodies and faces black,
md spotted with white-representine the
ky or firmament-two bows naked. bod
es and faces red, with stripes of white, !,
bald eagles-a great num-
yer Of DO, $, bodies yellow, called cubri,
IT antelope-four very aged men with
acks Of water on which they beat with
tick in time with the other music. The .
acks (Ee,-teh-ka) are made Of the skin Of :
he Bull Buffalo's neck, in the form of a !
arge tortoise, which they admirably rep
esent, each containing severa! gallons Of =
,ater, which has been kept tightly in
hem from time immemorial, and which
rom their veneration they cannot venture
, change. Two men with 4 rattle in :
ach hand, tEhnade. or she-shee qua. rat
es in form of a gourde SHE'LL which are :,
ioiently shaken as an accompaniment y
} their voices, which, together, consti- a .,