M. R. HARRINGTON — SACRED BUNDLES OF THE SAC AND FOX INDIANS. 173

Black stone scraped and administered in water to wounded men as medicine.
Four packages of magic roots and herbs.
One package of magic paint.
Bundle 2/5311.
Size closed, 20" x 4§". This is the second of the first two bundles bought from Mecabe'kwa, and seems to be one of the oldest in the collection. Buckskin cover nearly destroyed by age, ties of braided blanket ravelings and buckskin thongs. Gourd rattle (PI. XXIX, D) attached to tie.
Contents. — An unusually interesting and very old neck- lace (PI. XXXIII, B), consisting of a woven band about 30" long and §" wide, with a six-inch fringe at both ends. The mate- rial seems to be a sort of yam of buffalo wool twisted fairly hard, the color, a deep reddish brown, apparently the result of age and dark red dye on fairly light colored wool. A zig- zag line of large old white beads is woven in, down the center, and one side has an edging of similar beads. The band is folded longitudinally for the greater part of its length over a fringe of deer hair dyed red and yellow, and nine medicine packets are tied upon it at irregular intervals. Such an amu- let is intended to give the wearer the powers of all the different herbs in the packets tied upon it.
A buffalo tail amulet for the belt, bent over to form a loop and bearing four little medicine packets and a bit of root knotted on a sinew string.
Amulet for the scalp lock made by tying together a bit of the downy skin of a young swan, a little buffalo hair, a braid of sweet grass for incense, a piece of red braid, and a small buckskin, medicine packet.
Piece of colored braid with triangle designs, doubtful origin.
Remains of two fawn skin covers for amulets.
A little old metallic box, made by the whites, with a
Digitized by
Google
174 UNIVERSITY MUSEUM — ANTHROPOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS VOL. IV.
Punchinello-like head painted upon the cover. As it was fall- ing apart at the joints it had been wrapped in a strip of red cloth. It contained five packages of roots.
A package of magic red war paint.
A package of cedar leaves.
A skin package containing a piece of greenish stone imbedded in cedar leaves.
Three packages of roots.
A large cocoon, provided with a buckskin string for suspension.
Mecabe'kwa’s remarks on these particular bundles may prove of interest here. “ They are a little different now because some of the parts have been worn out, but once there were four of these bundles, all alike. On the warpath when the warriors get in front of the enemy they take off their clothes, open the bundles and put on the things inside, and open all the little sacks of medicine and take what they need to chew up and rub all over themselves, their horses and their ammuni- tion. Then the bundle is closed and tied on the back of one of the warriors. This medicine prevents them from being hit, as the enemy are mesmerized 1 and cannot shoot straight. The warriors must not even turn toward the enemy until all is ready, but when all were done they whooped four times and turned on the enemy, who might have been shooting and coming all this time while they were fixing. The four songs were sung and a rattle shaken at this time While dressing they painted themselves, too, with red earth paint from the bundle, zigzag crossing lines on cheeks, arms and chest. A half-moon was painted on the forehead so that the enemy could not hit them, for they cannot hit the real moon in the sky, and they would have to hit the moon before they could hit the man.”
At a later date another bundle was purchased from Mecabe'kwa, which, from its contents, appears to be the third
1 The word used by Walker the interpreter.
Digitized by tjOOQle