A MEDICINE-PIPE CEREMONY
It was twilight in the camp. Bright fires lighted up the inner circle
of Painted Tepees and revealed in soft colors their fanciful bird and
animal pictures. A fresh breeze blew from the mountains, whistling
through the ropes of the lodges, tinkling the small bells on top of the
ear-poles and rattling the bunches of deer hoofs over the doors.
While wandering among the tepees, I saw a group of young men on their
way to a dance, singing to an accompaniment of jingling bells, then two
night-singers making their rounds on a horse. Suddenly a crowd rushed
from a lodge and laid hold of the two riders; their horse bucked and
plunged, but the singers held fast and galloped away amid shouts of
laughter.
Then I came to a small lodge of a poor family, where the fire burned
low, and heard a medicine man doctoring a patient, snuffing and
grunting and stamping his feet.
In another lodge I heard a man shout angrily, so his neighbors could
hear: “What has become of the woman who went for water?”
Soon he shouted again, louder and more angrily: “What has become of the
woman who went for water? She has been gone a long time.”
And then I heard a strange method of public rebuke. Indians in near-by
lodges took up his cry; they mocked his impatient and angry tone,
shouting one after the other: “What has become of the woman who went
for water?” It spread quickly from one band to another; and ended in
laughter and a general disturbance throughout the camp.
While I stood in the shadow listening to the many interesting sounds of
camp life, I saw two figures muffled in blankets move stealthily from
lodge to lodge. Finally they stopped at the tepee of Big Spring, a
well-known chief. It glowed with light from an inside fire and they
peered cautiously through a crack in the door. They were medicine-pipe
scouts on the lookout for a victim. That night Lone Chief was giving up
his sacred Pipe. He told some of his friends secretly; he wanted to
catch Big Spring and make him his successor; he was prominent and could
afford to pay well for the Pipe.
The owner of a Medicine Pipe could force any one to purchase it,
regardless of the wishes of his victim, provided he could catch him. If
he found him asleep and touched him with the Pipe, he dared not resist;
death and ill luck were the penalties for refusing a Medicine Pipe.
But Big Spring had warning that Lone Chief was after him. He did not
want the care and expense of owning a Pipe. So he stayed away from his
tepee that night. The scouts could not find him and Lone Chief had to
make another choice.
Some medicine-pipe men were assembled in the lodge of Lone Chief. They
had opened his Pipe Bundle and were singing and drinking. They kept on
with the ceremony, waiting for their scouts to report favorably. Then
they would go forth together. In their actions they imitated the
grizzly bear, stealing quietly upon their victim, to take him by
surprise in the night, the way a bear does; because the power of the
Pipe came from the grizzly bear. They sang bear songs and imitated the
sound the grizzly makes when he charges, also owl songs to cast a spell
over their victim, so he could not escape; the owl is a bird of night
and its power also belongs to the Pipe. So Lone Chief and his friends
kept on with their ceremony throughout the night, awaiting their
scouts.
In the meantime, I returned to my lodge and lay down on my couch. That
night the noise and confusion of the camp kept every one in our tepee
awake. Even the baby, Tears-in-Her-Eyes, was restless in her little
hammock-bed. Strikes-on-Both-Sides sang to her, rocking the hammock,
singing over and over the old Indian cradle song: “Come, wolf, eat this
baby if she don’t sleep.”
It was clear moonlight. The dogs were restless, barking and fighting
and on foraging expeditions. Near midnight, a dog came silently into
our lodge and tried to steal a side of bacon, but Strikes-on-Both-Sides
followed him so closely he dropped his prize and fled yelping through
the door.
Then a party of young men came close to the lodge and gave a begging
dance, expecting me as the owner to make presents; it added to the
prestige of every lodge owner in the camp to have a reputation for
generosity. After we gave them food, they went to dance at another
tepee. In this way it was customary for a party to visit four places,
and then disband for the night.
Morning Plume’s lodge was so close I could hear every sound. His small
son was restless and bothered his aged grandmother. When the fire
burned low he was cold and began to cry. He wanted her to cover him
warmly. She was no sooner back in her own bed than he cried again for
water. This wakened his baby brother. So the mother sang a cradle song
and rocked him to sleep.
Near by was the lodge of a young man named Two Eagles. That night his
only child was ill. I heard a medicine man enter and begin his
monotonous drumming. The beating was soft and regular, unlike the
lively drumming for a ceremony or dance; this was slow and steady and
sounded muffled, like the steady throbbing of a human heart. After
midnight the beating suddenly ceased, and I knew the child had died.
For a moment there was silence; I heard the mother sobbing as she took
up the lifeless body; then realizing it was dead, she broke into a
mournful wail.
Just before dawn a rider galloped through the camp, calling for every
one to get up and go to work. But it was only a joke; no one took it
seriously; every one knew it was a man who was humorously inclined.
Then came the morning breeze from the mountains, making a humming sound
against the ropes; and the ears of our lodge began to flap. I heard the
beating of a horse’s hoofs on the soft turf, going towards the meadow
where the tribal herds were feeding; and knew it was the day man going
to relieve the night herder.
Suddenly the sound of drums, with shouts and singing, came from the
band of Fat Melters. At last Lone Chief had caught some one with his
Pipe.
Then Elk Horn, the herald, rode forth beating a drum. He shouted as he
galloped through the camp:
“You Fat Melters! Get up and cook breakfast. Wolf Plume has been caught
with the Pipe. Let every one help. He must pay many horses, robes and
blankets. Do not delay; the sun will soon rise. The dance will take
place in the lodge of Wolf Plume. Let every one come.”
Quickly I dressed and made ready my cameras. When I went out from the
lodge, a bright morning star was rising over the prairie. In the dim
light, I saw a crowd gathered about one of the tepees. Then the drums
began again—the signal for Lone Chief and his friends to come forth
with the sacred Pipe. I saw them march through the camp and made
picture records of these interesting events, though the sun had not
risen.
Lone Chief and Wolf Plume were at the head of the procession with the
Medicine Pipe. Then came their wives carrying the sacred bundles. The
drummers were behind; also prominent men with their wives, who were to
help Lone Chief in the ceremony.
When they came to Wolf Plume’s tepee, they halted; but the singing and
drumming continued. In the doorway of the lodge stood the aged mother
of Wolf Plume. She had snow-white hair and leaned heavily on a staff.
When she saw Wolf Plume with the Pipe, and heard the singing and
drumming, she was so overcome with emotion that she joined in the song.
She waved her stick in the air and shouted: “Good boy! Wolf Plume! Good
boy! My son! You are now a great chief.”
Then the drumming ceased and the procession entered the lodge. The
women laid their sacred bundles at the back, and all took seats. Lone
Chief, as the officiating pipe man, sat in the center. Wolf Plume, the
new pipe man, was on his right; and the seven men who would help in the
singing and drumming, on his left.
Next to Wolf Plume sat his wife and the wife of Lone Chief. Beyond them
were the head wives of the seven drummers, also the aged and people of
prominence. Indians came from all parts of camp and crowded into the
tepee.
Members of Wolf Plume’s band (blood relatives) and his friends brought
presents to help him in the payment. Lone Chief was paid forty horses
for the Pipe, and besides a large pile of clothing, blankets, and
provisions. Tearing Lodge, father-in-law of Wolf Plume, received them,
calling in a loud voice the names of each giver. My present, a blanket
of bright colors, was announced with the rest.
Then Lone Chief dressed Wolf Plume in the ceremonial clothes—a headband
of white goatskin with an eagle feather, beaded buckskin shirt trimmed
with ermine tails, and leggings and moccasins to match. He also gave
him a horse, which could only be ridden by the pipe owner, and a
saddle, bridle, whip and lariat, to go with the horse.
The ceremony of transfer began while the sun was still low over the
prairie. Its first golden rays streamed into the open front of the
lodge and fell upon the seven singers with their painted medicine
drums. Sweet pine burned as incense. Lone Chief and his wife placed
their hands in the rising smoke and sang the first song of a series of
seven. During these songs the women removed the outer coverings from
the bundle. Then they all sang the Buffalo Song, making the buffalo
sign with forefingers curved, while Wolf Plume and his wife untied the
outer thongs of buffalo-skin. During the Antelope Song the singers
imitated with their hands the graceful motions of antelope. While
loosing the wrapper of elkskin they sang the Elk Song, making the elk
sign by holding their hands to their heads with fingers extended to
represent antlers; and the women shook their heads at the bundle, as if
they were elk about to charge and tear loose the wrapper with their
horns. Thus the sacred bundle of the Medicine Pipe was opened, exposing
many skins of birds and animals and other relics.
Now came the time for dancing with the Pipe. Only pipe owners could
dance with a Medicine Pipe; but, if a man had made a vow, he could
fulfill that vow by dancing with one of the sacred skins, which was
taken from the bundle. Whenever a prominent man arose to dance, he was
applauded and received with special attention by the spectators.
Because Wolf Plume was receiving the Pipe, he did not rise to dance; he
sat beside the bundle and received the skins and relics from those who
took part in the ceremony.
For the grizzly bear dance, the drummers sang the words:
“In the spring I grow restless.”
In this dance, Lone Chief imitated the actions of a bear coming from
its winter den; and sang while he danced:
“I wander in the summer.”
Then he took the Pipe, and holding it in both hands, sang:
“Sacred Chief, every one shall see you.”
He slowly raised the Pipe, that all might see it, and sang:
“The Chief is powerful.”
After that, they beat on the drums and sang bear songs, while Lone
Chief arose and danced like a bear, holding his hands as a bear does
its paws; and imitated a bear by putting his feet together, moving
backwards and forwards with short jumps and breathing hard; he also
imitated the awkward motions of a bear running, digging in the ground
and turning over stones for insects.
For the Thunder Dance, Lone Chief blew shrilly on his whistle, made
from the wing bone of an eagle, to represent the sound the Thunder Bird
makes with its wings when it first comes in the spring; also the time
the bear leaves its winter den. Then he danced, holding the Pipe in his
right hand and spreading out the fingers of his left, to represent the
wings of the Thunder Bird.
During the singing of the Swan Song, Bear Child danced alone. He
represented the chief swan, the leader of the flock. He made the swan
sign, by holding both hands extended with fingers spread out in
imitation of a swan flying.
In the Antelope Dance, Red Fox made motions with his hands to imitate
an antelope running; and moved his head like an antelope on the alert
for danger.
When the drummers sang the Crane Song, several dancers arose. They all
gave the crane call and imitated the motions of flying cranes. Several
songs were sung for different water birds and for ducks and geese. And,
after a short rest, while both men and women smoked, seven owl songs
were sung; and buffalo songs for the white-skin band worn about the
head of the pipe owner. The ceremony came to an end with the singing of
the Good Luck Song for Wolf Plume, the new pipe owner; thereafter, he
must always sing it if he wanted anything very badly.
At sunset, Lone Chief and his wife led the new pipe owners outside the
lodge. They faced the four directions in turn and sang:
(Towards the west)
“Over there, towards the sunset, are the mountains.
May you see them as long as you live.
From them you will get your sweet pine as incense.
(North)
“Over there, is the star-that-never-moves (Pole Star).
May you live to see that star for many years.
(East)
“Over there, you will get old age.
From the east comes the light of the Sun.
(South)
“Over there, are warriors coming with scalps.
May the warm wind of the south bring plenty of food.”
It took Lone Chief four days to confer upon Wolf Plume the rights of
the Pipe—to instruct him in its care and impart the secrets of the
ceremony. As owner of a Medicine Pipe, there were taboos that Wolf
Plume and his wife must avoid; it would inconvenience them both and
interfere with their daily life.
They must never point at a person with fingers, only with the thumb.
They must never move anything burning with a knife, lest it cause their
teeth to ache. They must not pick up a lost article without first
singing a certain song. They must never allow a dog to leap upon them;
it would cause the body to ache. If Wolf Plume let any one ride or use
his medicine horse, some of his herd would sicken and die. The word
“bear” must never be used near the Pipe; it would cause bad dreams and
bring sickness. But the evil power might be averted by burning sweet
pine for incense. Sweet pine must be burned every morning before
lighting the fire, also before taking out the Pipe and before carrying
it back in the evening.
It was customary for a pipe owner to take a seat at the back of a
lodge, never by the door. No one should walk in front of him, lest it
cause blindness or sore eyes. He must not light his pipe with a willow
stick, but must use either cottonwood or service berry. The firewood
inside his tepee must always lie in the same direction with the Pipe;
and none of the firewood could be taken from the lodge. Near the place
where the Pipe Bundle was kept, no one should talk loud, aim a gun, or
throw anything. The owner must never touch a dead person, or say
anything against the character of any one.
A Medicine Pipe was not allowed to hang outside in bad weather. It must
be taken out after sunrise on a clear day and hung from a tripod behind
the lodge. It was carried out by the south side and returned by the
north, using the same direction the sun moves through the sky.
As soon as the first thunder was heard in the spring, the pipe owner
gave a ceremony. He invited the people to come, both old and young. And
they came gladly, in order to be prayed for and given tobacco from the
Pipe Bundle; it brought one under the good will of the Thunder. During
the pipe ceremony in the spring an owner took his pipe out of doors and
held it towards the sky, praying for every one present, that none of
them might be killed during that year by the Thunder.
A Medicine Pipe was a great burden to both husband and wife, but
especially to the woman. On the other hand, its possession gave them
both a prominent position in the tribe; they gained social and
religious recognition. It was said of Lone Chief, that he profited by
his Pipe. His property increased. He followed carefully its rules and
had good luck throughout his ownership.