Ceremonies of the Pawnee

324 Pages·2006·11.2 MB·English

Ceremonies of the Pawnee
PART II: THE SOUTH BANDS
JAMES R. MURIE
Edited by Douglas R. Park
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SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY • NUMBER 27
Ceremonies of the Pawnee
PART II: THE SOUTH BANDS
James R. Murie
Edited by Douglas R. Parks
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS
City of Washington
1981

Contents
PART II: THE SOUTH BANDS
Page
Bundles of the South Bands 183
The Chawi 183
Doctor Chief's Bundle 183
Eagle Flying Under The Heavens' Bundle 190
The Kitkahahki 195
The Pitahawirata 199
Doctors among the South Bands 201
The White Beaver Ceremony of the Chawi 201
The First Day 204
Making the Altar 204
The Tobacco Offering 204
Selection of Men To Perform the Rituals 206
Washing the Animals and the Drums 207
Blowing Breath into the Drums 208
Putting Life into the Animals 209
The Com Offering 213
The Meat Offering 214
Speech of the Leading Doctor 216
Texts of Offering Rituals 216
The Second Day 219
Proceedings of the Day 219
The Origin Myth 221
The Third Day 224
Daytime Ceremonies 224
The Sunrise Ceremony 224
Putting the Heads on the Drums 22.5
The Preliminary Feast 225
Painting and Dressing of the Doctors 226
The Animals' Smoke Offering 230
The All-Night Song and Dance Ceremony 230
The Interval 274
Second Round of the Doctors 290
Offerings 300
The Smoke Offering 300
The Corn Offering 301
Counting the Presents 302
Songs of the Young Men 303
Closing Rituals 312
The Meat Offering 312
Roaming Chief's Speech 314
Raruhwa • ku's Speech 315
S.MITHSOMAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY
IV
Page
Chants 317
The Bear Dance of the Pitahawirata 319
The Fifth Day 321
Offerings 331
T,he Smoke Offering 331
the Corn Offering 331
Tlie Night of Watching 333
The Sixth Day 336
Sheeting the Cedar Tree 336
Cutting the Tree 338
Bringing in the Tree 341
Preliminaries to the Public Ceremony 343
The Public Ceremony 346
Big Star's Narrative 367
The Seventh Day 373
Final Dance of the Bear Society 373
Returning the Cedar Tree to the Timber 383
Making the Bearclaw Necklace .... 385
The Buffalo Dance of the Pitahawirata 394
The First Day . . 397
Offerings to the Skull 399
Purifying the Skull 399
The Smoke Offering 401
The Incensing 402
Prayers and Addresses to the Skull 402
The Corn Offering 404
The Meat Offering 405
Concluding Speeches 406
Offertory Texts 408
Nighttime Instructions 409
The Second Day 415
The Third Day 417
The Public Feast 417
Rehearsal of the Buffalo Dance 417
The Night in the Lodge 426
The Fourth Day 426
Ceremonial Preparations 426
The Buffalo Dance 431
Notes to Part II 460
Appendix 1: Discussion by Clark Wissler 465
Appendix 2: Notes on the Songs and Their Composers 467
Bibliography 471
Name Index 475
Subject Index 479
Ceremonies of the Pawnee
PART II: THE SOUTH BANDS
Bundles o£ the South Bands
The organization of the South Band divisions The Chawi
was relatively simple. Thus, while the Skiri were at
one time composed of 13^ villages, the Pitahawirata Among the Chawi we have knowledge of at least
had but two villages and the Chawi and Kitkahahki eight bundles. First is the bundle of the present
had only one each. However, about 1882 after the chief. It seems to have been the leading bundle.
removal of the Pawnee to Oklahoma, the Chawi Near it was kept a large bundle in which were
separated and formed two villages.- There were, |)laced feathers from consecrated eagles. The latter
however, some intervillage groups, the nature of seems to have been lost, but the former is still in
which we do not fully understand. Thus, in one of existence [1920]. In some of the ceremonies of this
the Kitkahahki villages there were four of these bundle, a man received the qualifications to act as
family(?) groups: the Real Kitkahahki, the Little the holy man in the buffalo hunt. He sat down be
Kitkahahki, the Black Heads (who wore a crow fore the hunters started to make the surround and
feather headdress), and the Leaders {kariki-su).^ by certain waving motions of his hands symbolically
Some general differences appear among the cere swept in the buffalo (p. 99). If it was a joint hunt
monies of the South Band divisions. Thus, whereas with the Skiri, the Chawi holy man took precedence
among the Skiri all ceremonies are open to the on over the Skiri holy man. The Chawi also had a
looker, who may thus learn all that he can, among special Burnt Offering Ceremony in which the meat
the South Bands they are not divulged to anyone from the back of a buffalo was burned, somewhat
other than accepted initiates. Again, these divisions in the fashion of the North Star bundle ritual of the
seem to have maintained a system of individual Skiri, but there are no data for it.
bundles, since after a man had consecrated a rac Of the other bundles, there is one owned by
coon skin, a buffalo robe, a wildcat skin, and the Good Fox (Figure 28), one by John Louwalk, an
skin of an eagle, he could have a bundle made up other by Blue Hawk, a warrior bundle owned by
from these. In contrast to this, the Skiri consecrate Real Rider Woman, and possibly the bundle now
the meat of a buffalo. The ritual for the wildcat in care of Riding In.
skin (not recorded) is peculiar in that certain strings
are tied to the skin by a secret knot that is known
Doctor Chief's Bundle
only to certain priests. These same priests are essen
tial for tying feathers to the pipesticks in the Calu Two Chawi bundles are in the American Museum
met Ritual. of Natural History. The more interesting one (Fig
[In the following discussions of bundles and their ure 29) was secured from Doctor Chief {Kura - "* u
owners, the reader is reminded that the description Rare-sa-ru), a Kitkahahki whose English name was
applies to the period between 1910-1920. It has not George Beaver. Under the outside cord wrapping
been possible to up-date most of the information is one raccoon skin; one wooden war club and one
on the status of the bundles.—DRP] pipe with separate wrapping; four arrows without
183
184 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY
FIGURE 28.—Good Fox, a Chawi doctor. (DeLancey Gill photograph, 1902, BAE neg. 1211-A;
Smithsonian Institution, National Anthropological Archives, Bureau of American Ethnology
Collection .1
NUMBER 27
185
mm- ^fmB^^KK-
HHIk'-»
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^.- r>>-.,';'' i''^^,, ^' J -"ittK^^^^mm
FIGURE 29.—Chawi bundle (AMNH 50.2-193): a, front view; b, back
SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY
points; one stick with broken bone point (use un never before seen were moving about. As the sun
known); and one paddle. The bundle proper is came up over the horizon, he seemed to see on its
wrapped with a thong at each end and is enclosed face a man painted with red dust and carrying a
in a buffalo skin bag. On top is a hoe with separate bundle under his left arm. As the sun rose higher
wrapping (probably new). The remaining contents and higher in the heavens, the man apparently
of the bundle are wrapped in three pieces of cloth. floated away through the air and disappeared. The
boy's father could not explain these mysterious hap
The contents of the bundle proper are as fol
penings and attempted to leave his place on the hill,
lows: one small bundle containing two scalps (imi
but something seemed to hold him. He was very
tation, probably of horsehair); one bundle contain
much frightened and, as he sat there, he dug a hole
ing five ears of corn; one bundle containing a hawk;
with his bow and arrows so that he could hide.
one bundle, tied at each end with thong, containing
Then he fainted and had a vision in which he
four large shells used for mixing paint; one bundle
saw birds of many kinds fly from the sky and alight
of counting sticks; one separate bundle containing
in a circle around him. Four large red owls with
a shell; one large arrow straightener wrapped in
eagles on each side of them sat in the west; swans
cloth; one small cloth package containing three
(thunderbirds) sat on the north; hawks sat near the
fossil shells; one pebble, unwi'apped; one long braid
eagles. Crows and other birds were also in the circle.
of sweetgrass; one short braid of sweetgrass wrapped
Then one of the owls said: "Kurahus and others in
in buffalo fur; and six stems of some kind of weed.
this circle, we are here to teach our brother sitting
Doctor Chief related the following narrative re
in the center to worship Tirawahat. Four of us,
garding the origin and other data referring to this
sitting in the west, represent knowledge obtained
bundle:
from Mother Moon; the eagles, Tirawahat; the
Long ago there was but one Kitkahahki family swans, lightning and thunder; and the rest repre
whose oldest son was so mischievous he seemed be sent clouds. We must give this man something that
yond the control of his parents. From time to time he may be reminded that Tirawahat made all
he even set their grass lodge on fire, necessitating things. Which of you will present the proper things
the building of another. The boy continually teased to him?" At first there was silence; then they heard
and tormented his sister, who was younger than he. a buffalo bellow; finally a buffalo bull and a calf
When the boy grew up, he was a good hunter. His entered the circle and said, "We will furnish the
father made him a bow and arrows. The arrows covering and strings to tie the things you will give
were of dogwood decorated with buzzard feathers this man." Then they sat near the opening on the
tied on with deer sinew. The bowstring was of east side.
sinew from the back of a buffalo. Each time tlie
A woman entered the circle and said, "I will fur
boy set out on the hunt he was successful, but one
nish the thing which is to be kept by this man. He
night he found an animal which he could not kill.
shall call it mother, for it is myself I will give him.
He went home, where he found everyone asleep, so
I came from Tirawahat and this will be their seed
he crawled under his sister's covers. When the boy
and food. I will sit in front of four kurahus." She
awoke, his father scolded him and sent him away.
seated herself in front of the four owls. Many others
He remained near the lodge, and during the night
came and promised to give things to make up the
his sister provided him with dried meat and arrows.
bundle. Thunderbirds and hawks came. The hawks
He was at a loss which way to go, but started west.
promised warclub and scalp, for through their
Meanwhile the boy's father dreamed that the power would the enemy be overcome and scalps be
brother and sister would have to marry, so he left taken and offered to the gods in the heavens. The
his lodge to follow the boy. He climbed a high hill hawk rose in human form, carrying a warclub. He
to rest. He stood looking toward the west when sud also had a scalp tied to his wrist. The two thunder
denly a wind came up, swung him round, and birds promised that the bundle would have thunder
finally threw him to the ground. He lay down and and lightning in it.
slept, but before daylight someone spoke to him. In the meantime everyone looked at the woman.
He sat up. He could see the Morning Star in the About her throat she wore some glittering object
sky; birds were singing and strange animals he had which looked like a star. Her head was in darkness,