Section 16

A canvas had been spread on the floor of the room and the center of it covered with a blanket. Over this blanket was laid an elk skin and on it a small colt skin, to the left of which a small deerskin was placed. Between these hides and the north wall of the room, and covering the place where Little Nest sat during the ceremony, were spread a small calfskin, a male pony skin and a dog skin.
The bundle itself was placed in the center of the colt skin. In front of it rested a pipe and in front of the pipe was a smudge of live embers with a braid of sweetgrass to the right of it. After Little Nest placed some of the sweetgrass on the embers he held the bundle over the rising incense and raised and lowered it four times. Then he replaced it on the colt skin.
Little Nest's wife, who was sitting at his right then purified her hands over the smudge and began to untie the strings of the outer oil cloth wrapper. Inside this cover was a painted buffalo hide parfieche which contained the medicine. Little Nest untied the thongs of the parfieche and placed the contents on the colt
I08 CROW INDIAN MEDICINE BUNDLES
skin. Then followed the careful unwrapping of the many cloth covers which were folded around the medicine. Between these wrappers small offerings of beads and tobacco had been placed.
At last the rock medicine was uncovered. But before touching the sacred rock or any on its decorations Little Nest filled the pipe (placed in front of the bundle) with kinnickinick, lit this, and while pointing it toward the sun, uttered a short prayer, "Take pity on us poor people and let us multiply." Little Nest them offered the stem of his pipe to the four faces on the rock, and then to the sun. Then he again prayed. "You are a person. Smoke with us and protect us. I have been ill and you have cured me. I thank you. You guard us through our trials. Now smoke with us."
After these prayers. Little Nest and Two Leggings painted their hands and faces with the sacred red paint. Mrs. Little Nest painted her hands only, and the paint was handed to Leforge and the writer so that we might paint our hands also. It was explained that no one could touch the sacred rock without first having at least his hands painted red.
Once more Little Nest smudged his hands, filled the pipe, lit it, presented it to the sun, the four faces of the rock medicine, and the four smaller stones inside the bundle. Then he handed the pipe to Two Leggings who repeated the same performance. This ceremony was repeated until the pipe was smoked out.
A short interval followed during which Little Nest told the story of the origin of this rock medicine. Then the ceremony of smoking and offering the pipe to the sun and the rock medicines was repeated by Little Nest and Two Leggings. Finally a fourth smoke was made. This time trade tobacco was mixed with the kinnickinick, and a fresh smudge was started.
Mrs. Little Nest then cut a beaver castor open, squeezed some of the contents on a piece of buffalo wool and handed it to her husband. He rubbed two faces of the rock with it. He then handed the wool to Two Leggings, and he rubbed the other two faces with it, at the same time uttering a prayer. "My Creator, it does me good that I have come to see you once more. Keep our hearts Hght. Give me what I want, health to my children and long life."
Little Nest then took the medicine in both hands, kissed it, and prayed: "Whoever you are and from wherever you come, help me in supplying my wants. When I am poor and in distress listen to me, you who always brought me good luck."
Two Leggings now offered a final prayer while holding the
ROCK MEDICINE BUNDLES lOQ
medicine in his hands and kissing it: "All my wants and desires have come true. Keep me traveling on the right trail."
Then the medicine was handed to the writer for closer in- spection. Permission to photograph the specimen also was gran- ted.*2
There was no closing ceremony, but before the medicine was finally wrapped up everyone except Little Nest donated some present to the bundle. Two Leggings took an eagle feather from his hat (sajdng that it belonged to his own war medicine) and gave it to the bundle. In return he received another eagle feather which had been attached to the rock medicine. Mrs. Little Nest donated a string of modern beads in exchange for a string of old Hudson Bay beads which had been in the bundle for many years. Leforge gave some small change to the bundle. And the writer gave seven old Hudson Bay beads which Little Nest attached to the bundle.
Sees-the-Living-BuU died on May 20, 1906, aged 89. As it is said that this rock medicine was found when he was still a young man, the date of its finding must have been about the year 1840. According to Little Nest the rock was found three miles south of the old Agency on Fishtail Creek, approximately 20 miles south of Columbus, Montana. At the above mentioned place two buttes rise sharply from the river bottom. The rock was found on the top of the left-hand one.
The stone itself is a carved slate, undoubtedly of Pacific Coast Indian manufacture, and probably is of Haida origin. How it came to the Crow country will probably always remain a mystery. It is no wonder, however, that such a remarkable specimen was considered a most powerful medicine among a tribe who neither before nor since have seen a similar piece of work- manship. The writer is of the opinion that this rock was originally used as a pipe. A stem hole is apparent at one of the lower ends. Where the bowl opening should be is now the skin covering of the medicine which, under the circumstances, could not be removed for closer examination. The figures carved on the stone are of the totem kind. It is easy to see that these Indians would attribute
^2 This photograph was not found during a diligent search of Wild- schut's field notes and other data on rock medicine bundles. However, a print from the field negative came to light among some manuscript material entirely unrelated to the subject of rock medicines just before this mono- graph went to press. Because of the unique importance of this specimen, a halftone reproduction of this print has been added to the illustrations as Figure 68.
no CROW INDIAN MEDICINE BUNDLES
the likeness of buffalo, horse and eagle to the three carvings, while the fourth figure undoubtedly represents a human face.
Besides the main rock, the bundle also contained four small stones, which the writer was told were the children of the larger one. Each of these little stones was wrapped in buckskin, leaving a very small part of their surfaces uncovered. The buckskin covers were beaded with representations of buffalo and horse tracks.
Little Nest would not consider parting with his bundle for any remuneration. Therefore, it still (1927) remains in his possession.^^
smells' rock medicine bundle figures 40 and 4i
A rock medicine bundle which the Crows considered to be the oldest and one of the most powerful ones, was obtained from Smells, who lived near Pryor, Montana, in 1922. (cat. no. 11/6454).
Plain Feather, another Pryor Indian, gave the following ac- count of this bundle's origin:
"Long ago a party of Crow warriors met with bad luck on the warpath. All but one of them were killed. This lone warrior, while returning to his camp, had a dream in which he saw a stone which changed into a human being and came toward him. This dream person instructed him in the uses of a rock medicine. On awaken- ing, the lone warrior went to the top of a nearby hill and there found the very stone about which he had dreamed the previous night. He carried it home.
"Since that time this rock medicine has been one of the most successful ones ever owned by the Crows. It is thought that the Great Spirit gave this stone to the Indians and that the face on the stone is a natural formation and a sjonbol of special power."
However, while this bundle was in the writer's possession it was shown to another Pryor Indian named Old Coyote, who told a different story of its origin :
"Long ago a band of Crow Indians out on the warpath traveled far into the night before making camp. The members of this party
^^ Lowie did not claim to have seen this rock medicine. In-the-Mouth, a Crow Indian, described it to him as "shaped on one side like a buffalo with a bird on top, on the other like a horse mounted by a little being in human form." (Lowie, 1922. p. 388). Leforge told Marquis about Little Nest's famous rock medicine and mentioned that the owner had refused all offers to sell it. He did not attempt to describe the appearance of this rock medicine. (Marquis. 1928. pp. 193-194).
ROCK MEDICINE BUNDLES III
were so tired that they slept until after sunrise. During that night one of them had a dream and a vision. In it he saw something shining and brilliant. Three times he saw this without being much impressed. But the fourth time it appeared far more brilliant, and it seemed as if someone was singing. Looking more closely he saw a stone which changed into the form of a man.
"Upon awakening he saw a sparkling object which, upon in- vestigation, he found to be the very stone he had dreamed of. He put the stone in his war bag and carried it home. It has always been very successful medicine, regarded by the Crows as one of their most powerful medicine rocks."
Old Coyote explained, "As you can see, this rock medicine has the perfect image of a man. Yet it was not made by Indians." He took the medicine carefully in both hands, pressed it to his heart, then kissed it, and uttered a prayer: "I am praying to you once more. Many years ago you were our protection. You are the same medicine, you whom I hold in my hands. You were then our guarding spirit and a leading protection to the Crows. I kiss you, therefore, you once great old-timer. My heart has the same affection for you. I pray you to give us the same protection as of yore. Protect us from evil and give us health. I pray to you today once more, perhaps for the last time, grant me a few more happy days. May all the world some day know the great protection you were to the Crows many years ago, how you helped us through many difficulties and made the Crows feared and respected among the tribes of the plains. In the name of the Great Spirit, so be it."
Old Coyote then pointed to the nine scalp locks attached to this medicine and explained that they represented nine chiefs killed in battle, and that only chiefs' scalps were permitted to be fastened to this medicine.
Old Coyote also explained that the owner of this bundle, a leader of war parties, always took the bundle with him on the warpath. Before going into battle he invariably consulted this medicine. Whenever possible it was consulted the night before the party expected to meet the enemy. The bundle then would teU the owner the strength of the enemy party, whether there was a chief among them, and if so, whether he would be killed. What- ever its prophesy, it always came true. Whenever an enemy chief was killed one of his scalp locks was attached to this medicine.
This medicine is held in a cylindrical rawhide case 21 |" long, decorated in red, blue, and green painted, geometric designs.
112 CROW INDIAN MEDICINE BUNDLES
The rock medicine proper is wrapped in 21 pieces of various colored calicos. It is of dark colored quartz, its original color being difficult to ascertain because of the red paint with which it is covered. The rock, about 2^" long, bears the distinct image of a face. (Fig. 41). As all the features are rounded it appears to have been shaped by rubbing rather than cutting. However, the mouth line and the eyes appear to have been incised. It is partly encased in buckskin and attached to a red painted buffalo skin background. The buckskin is decorated with old red beads and dentalia. There are numerous decorative appendages to the buffalo skin back- ground, including strips of winter (white) weasel skin (some of which are colored with red paint), many varieties of large, colored trade beads, pieces of drilled abalone shell, shell disc beads, brass bells, brass thimbles, and the nine scalplocks. (Fig. 40).
A small cloth bag in the bundle contained a red-painted, fossilized ammonite wrapped in buffalo hair. This is the female stone, the main rock being considered a male one. Also in this bundle is a small bag containing sweetgrass used in making the smudge in which the bundle and the hands of the owner are puri- fied during the bundle ceremony. Another cloth bag contains some powdered material, probably ground beaver scent mixed with herbs. This scent is used in aU Crow rock medicines.
BIG sky's rock medicine BUNDLE FIGURES 42 AND 43
Old Coyote was shown another rock medicine bundle which was obtained from an old woman named Corn Woman, who died in the summer of 1921. He recognized it as a bundle which formerly belonged to Big Sky. (cat. no. 11/5870).
Old Coyote held the bundle to his heart, then kissed it, and prayed: "I adore you for the last time, old departed medicine. I wish to have a handfull of success in all my undertakings. I wish for health during the remainder of my life. I bid you goodbye for the last time."
Old Coyote explained that this bundle had a special taboo. The owner was forbidden to throw away ashes. Old Coyote once accompanied Big Sky on a war party on which the latter took this medicine. At one of their camping places Big Sky thoughtlessly threw away the camp ashes. Shortly afterward he went blind. This, according to Old Coyote, should be a lesson to all Crows to obey reli- giously any taboos connected with any bundles they might possess.
ROCK MEDICINE BUNDLES II3
The container for this medicine is a small (5I" X 5") sack of buffalo hide with a carrying strap of the same material. The rock itself is encased, save for the top end, in red-painted buckskin, one side of which is covered with strings of red, yellow and blue seed beads. The other side (Fig. 42) bears a crude painting of a hand in black. Otherwise the surface of the rock is smooth and bears no resemblance to a human or animal form. Decorations include numerous strips of winter weasel skins (some colored red), and long skin pendants strung with more than 20 different types of large trade beads. This medicine has a suspension cord of braided rawhide, painted red.
This is the only rock medicine known to the writer to bear a painted design. Old Coyote explained that this painted hand was a symbol of success — a whole handfull of it. Big Sky, before he became blind, had been a leader of war parties. He wore this medicine suspended from his neck when going into battle. He gained his "handfull of success" on so many occasions that this bundle was highly respected by the Crows.
PRETTY coyote's ROCK MEDICINE BUNDLE FIGURES 44 AND 45
[A rock medicine bundle which Wildschut obtained from Pretty Coyote was forwarded to the museum on November 9, 1921. Although no record is available of the history or the use of this bundle, it is of particular interest because of the variety of rock medicines it contains, (cat. no. 10/9771)
There are three different types of rocks in this bundle. In Fig. 44 is shown a simple, rounded pebble 2^" long, all but the tip of which is encased in a buckskin cover. The cover is decorated with horizontal bands of white, dark blue, light blue, and green seed beads, and with numerous pendant buckskin cords strung with many varieties of large trade beads.
In addition to this rock, the bundle contains the two fossils shown in Fig. 45. At the bottom is an ammonite, 3" in its greatest diameter. At the top is a bacuUte, bearing a vague resemblance to a four-footed animal, and painted red. It is J" long^* — JCE].
** Lowie illustrated two rock medicines which he obtained from the Crows, along with the bead offerings accompanying them. One of the rocks is quite remarkable for the fact that it possesses projections resembling a pair of short horns. (Lowie, 1922. pp. 386-387. Figs, i and 2),
MEDICINE PIPE BUNDLES
THERE were two principal types of medicine pipe bundles among the Crows: (i), the ceremonial pipes of the Medicine Pipe Society, and (2), the pipe-holders' (i.e. war leaders') pipes, which were carried on the warpath as powerful war medicines.
Although the Crows tell a story of its origin, the Medicine Pipe Society is undoubtedly of foreign introduction. The pipes used in their ceremony conform in general design to the elaborately decorated pipestems found among many of the eastern tribes. I am indebted to Foolish Man, leader of the Medicine Pipe Society among the Crows, for the story of the origin of the medicine pipe and a description of the ceremony.
ORIGIN OF THE MEDICINE PIPE SOCIETY