M. R. HARRINGTON — SACRED BUNDLES OP THE SAC AND FOX INDIANS. 217

The Sac and Fox still maintain the practice, well known to their ancestors, of separating into families or small parties for the hunt, at certain times, usually in the fall. Each family or party wanders off alone, sometimes not to return for months to the regular settlements of their tribe. Should it happen that the hunters of such a party find themselves unable to kill any game, day after day, they begin to suspect that some witch is spoiling their luck, and proceed to make use of a medicine in this bundle to counteract the spell. Dipping the bundle four times through the smoke of burning cedar toward the east at sunrise, they opened the bundle and removing certain herbs, macerated them by chewing, and rubbed them upon their bodies, also placing a little of the mixture in their hunting pouches. Each hunter then took a little stick which he dipped in the green paint and applied four times to his cheeks, making two little green spots on each side. As he applied the first spot he might say, “I will even kill the most difficult animal, the white raccoon;” then as he touched the other cheek, “the red raccoon.” Or it might be that he would say, ‘‘the white deer” and “the red deer.” This done, the hunter would start eastward to look for game. If there were as many as four hunters in the party, one would go in each of the four directions. It was thought that one of the rare animals mentioned would surely be killed that day. If a deer of any kind or similar animal was killed its head was laid to the east as soon as possible, or in the case of animals like the raccoon, the carcass was hung up with face toward the east. When the deer had been skinned, they cut out and left behind the head, neck and breast, just as they lay, while the blood was thrown to the four directions. This not only “spoils the witch medicine” that has been acting against the party, but also causes animals wounded thereafter to bleed freely, facili- tating tracking. In the meantime the women back at the hunting camp had thrown away the old fire and built a new one with flint and steel, and fixed a place to hang the meat. When it is brought in they cut off all the lower part of the
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218 UNIVERSITY MUSEUM — ANTHROPOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS VOL. IV.
legs, and tying them together hung them up, being very care- ful not to break any bones or let the dogs get hold of them, or they would have the same bad luck again. Under no cir- cumstances was a menstruating woman allowed to touch any of this meat, for this would spoil the whole spell against the witch. The best parts were then cooked for a feast, and some pieces laid on the fire for the dead, including the founder of the bundle the benefits of which they were enjoying, to show their gratitude. The bundle is opened while the feast is in progress and a little grease placed on the teeth of the weasel, which thus eats with them. Other unlucky hunters could join the gathering at this time and receive the benefit of the ceremonies. The witch knew every time they were using the bundle against him, and would try four times to counteract the spell, but never could approach the camp in the absence of the hunters, for when they started they would always tell the weasel in the bundle to keep guard and not let the witch come near. It is said that if a witch tries to do anything four times and fails, he is likely to die, for his power is broken. It was not given to him by the Great Manito. The two hunting songs given herewith are said to belong to this bundle, and to be used with it when functioning as a hunting medicine :
Ne wa kwa w'i ne wa kwa (We will see, then we will see)
A tha pa na wa pa thi to (Raccoon white)
W 'i ne wa kwa (Then we will see)
Ne w r a kwa (We will see)
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