In this capacity the wakan-man is an indispensable necessity. Every
Dakota man sixteen years old and upward, is a soldier, and is formally
and _wakanly_ enlisted into his service.
From him he receives the implements of war, as the spear and tomahawk,
carefully constructed after a model furnished from the armory of the
gods, painted after the divine prescription and charged with the missive
virtue—the tonwan—of the divinities. From him also he receives those
paints which serve as an armature for the body.
To obtain these necessary articles from the MDE TAHUNKA—the War
Prophet—the proud applicant is required, for a time, to abuse himself
and serve him, while he goes through a series of painful and exhausting
performances, which are necessary on his part to enlist the favorable
notice of the gods. These performances consist chiefly of “vapor-baths,”
fastings, chants, prayers, and nightly watching.
The spear and tomahawk being prepared and duly consecrated and rendered
wakan, the person who is to receive them, with a most piteous wail and
suppliant aspect, approaches the god-man and reverently presents to him
the pipe of prayer. He then lays his trembling hand on the head of his
master, and sobs out his desires in substance as follows:
“Pity thou me, poor and helpless—a woman—and confer on me the ability to
perform manly deeds.”
The prophet then, with the majestic mien of a god, places in his hand
the desired weapons, as he says, “Go thou and test the swing of this
tomahawk, and the thrust of this spear; but when in triumph thou shalt
return—a man—forget not thy vows to the gods.”
In this manner every man, it is said, is enlisted into the service of the
war prophet, and enlisted for life.
The weapons thus received, are preserved by the Dakota warrior, as
sacredly as was the “ark of the covenant” by the pious Hebrew of ancient
times. They are carefully wrapped in cloth, together with sacred
pigments, and in fair weather are every day laid outside of the lodge,
and may never be touched by an adult female.
Every warrior feels that his success, both on the battle-field and in the
chase, depends entirely upon the strictness, promptness and constancy
with which he adheres to the rules which are imposed upon him by the
wakan war leader.
The influence of the medicine-man in this capacity, permeates the whole
community, and it is hardly possible to over-estimate it. Those who are
led by him will be murderers, it is their trade. They are commissioned
for this. Those who are bound to these war-prophets, by such rites, _will
be led by him unless they renounce their religion_.
The Indian, if he can, will kill a foe, whoever he be, as long as he is a
pagan. He is as apt to do it as a duck is to swim. The favor of the gods,
and even his very manhood, depends upon it. He is not a man till he has
killed a foe. Till their hands have been dipped in blood they are liable
to be abused and insulted in the most outrageous manner. Young men, in
sight of St. Paul, have been obliged to assume the petticoat and exhibit
themselves as women in the public dance, because they had not killed a
foe. The _pagan_ Indian, in a sense, is obliged to be a murderer.