The Arkansas advocate., 1833-03-13

are again liable to the temptations oI the devil, and answerable again at a
 future period, for their new trallsgres- sions.
 The Annual Ceremony tor okee.pe, as they call iD is by them considered q religious ceremony wherein, by infiict. Ing punishments of the most cruel and painful kind, upon their own bodies, 1 they expect to appease the Almighty, receive pardon for their sins past, and a promise of future success in hunting, and in battles with their enemies.
 1t is also observed, partly i'll com memoration of the event of the subsid- ing of the flood, (mee-ne-to a-ha-shaa,) Of which, their traditions and manner of conducting these ceremonies, afford abundant proof, that they have some knowledge, and the strict adherence to the celebration of which event they look upon IS m indispensable part Of their worship. The continual herds of buffalo which approach thcir village throughout the year, and supply them with abundance of meat, they suppose them 10 be brought in in consequence of thiseercmony (which theA consider abso- lateiy necessary for their approach.- In the centre of their village is a cireu- lar area of l50 feet in diameter, which IS kept vacant for all their shows and public ceremonies. One of the lodg. es fronting this circle is called the ''Medieine Lodge, (Te-he-pe-nee,) be- ing 75 feet in diameter, and never open ed, except for the performance of some ot their mysteries of medicine. Dur. ing all these occasions, the most rigid rules of secrecy are observed, 10 the ex elusion of strangers, and even of their own villagers, excepting such as arc, by their honors or renoWn, entitled to ad mission.
 The season of the year when this celebration takes place, is uniformly as soon as the trees are in full leaf, al which season the mourning dove makes his appearance among them; and they say the twig which he brought had full grown leaves upon it. Ihis bird they have q high yeneratioE for; and is being medicine with them, they never kill il. On the morning oi the day previous to the eommeheemento Of these ceremonies. there appears on the praires, at dis, tatee, man whom they all recognize as {Au taokhlnuek-anah) the first oron- ly man, who by slow degrees approach. es and enters the village with great deal ol form aud eefemoay,as IS fl lie had just arrived from 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. At his approach the Medicine Lodge Is thrown open. and prepared by covering the floor Of 1t with branches of green willow--per- fuming it with the most fragrant herbs which can be collected-and placing in several parts of il a curious display of Buffalo and human skulls. During this preparation he visits every lodge in the village, and demands from every one a knife or other edged tool, which is readily giseu, to be sacriticed-for he says, "with these things the great ca noe was built.n These articles are kept in the Medicine Lodge with the great est yeneration until the ceremonies are over, and they are then sacrificed by throwing them into the water.
 At sunrise on the following morning, (Nu lnokh-muek-a-nah,) or first man, opens and enters the Medicine Lodge. After him follow considerable num- Der of young men, who are to dopen- ance by intlicting tortures upon their own persons. They are almost entire ly naked, and their bodies painted with clay-some yellow, some white, and some red. Each one brings with him arms and medicine-the first consist of his bow aud quiyer, shield or arrow fender, lance, &c. and the latter, fpe- toh.neesh-kit-tiz)o the skins of animals or birds, dried, stuffed, and ornamented in variety of ways. These are sas- pended over the heads of their appro- priate owners, who lie at equal distan- ces around the sides of the lodge. Al ter these enters {Oh-kee-po- kah-seh-ko,) keeper or conductor of the ceremonies, his body painted yellow, a leathern apron, or glrdle, about his Joins, and his cap of white buffalo skin, he at this time receives the large pipe from the other who leaves the lodge, and imme- diately returns again to the west, and does not again make his approach until the next annual celebration. This man, after receiving the pipe, is considered the greatest medicine man in the vil- 1 lage, and is master of ceremonies dur fing the occasion. He takes charge of