Chapter 47
M. R. HARRINGTON — SACRED BUNDLES OP THE SAC AND FOX INDIANS. 221
Metal snuff-box (F) containing slender black roots wrapped in pink cotton cloth.
The snake rattle mentioned by Mecabe'kwa, may be inside the weasel skin, or, like some of the herbs, may have been lost.
Another general bundle of different character was obtained from Jim Mamesa, a Fox belonging to the Tama band in Iowa. It is as follows:
Bundle 2/8598.
The cover is an unusually handsome and perfect woven sack, 15" x 9§", largely of native materials, such as Indian hemp and buffalo wool yam. The design on one side repre- sents eight long-tailed monsters or “dream panthers”; on each end, 4| human figures. The remainder of the specimen was covered with geometric designs, especially fine in form and color.
Contents. — (A) Three packages containing love medicine. One of these, a cloth package, has a mixture of three varieties: Wi ko bi ja bi ki, or “sweet root;” A pe
nyi gee kik, or “Indian potato;” and Te pi kis ka kik, a weed that grows beside the lakes. The lover puts a little of this mixture into his mouth when he sees the girl he wishes to attract, and takes pains to go around behind her and approach her on the right side. In a red calico package is a piece of blue cloth, in one end of which is tied a sort of pow- der, Na tha tci gun, used internally to remove from one’s self the evil effects of the other medicines. In the other end is a bundle of herb mixture, containing sumach top, We cl hon, painted on the cheeks while courting. The third love medicine is contained in a piece of blue calico, and consists of a lot of scale-like seeds, Mi ca dji a gwi, in which are mixed a few round seeds, I kwa mi ni wa. It is supposed to have the power of attracting women when smoked.
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222 UNIVERSITY MUSEUM — ANTHROPOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS VOL. IV.
Then there is a gambling medicine, three little packages done up in a piece of gay calico. One, of paper, contains a mixture of two herbs, Cl ka wl and Mic kwa na la, chewed while gambling, and the cards and money rubbed with the spittle. Another package, in a plaid rag, contains the same mixture ground finer; while the third, in a black calico rag, contains a fine ground herb, Bee ki buk, used as a “curing medicine” to counteract the evil effects of the magic.
There are several medicines against witches in this bundle, one of which is a small red calico packet containing the powdered medicine, Be ki ki ak, a little of which is chewed every night to keep away “night travelers” or witches. Another protective medicine is a dark calico package of berry-like seeds, name not given, which look like fire to the witches when they come around at night, and frighten them away. A necklace of horsehair, braided into the form of a square sennit and decorated with strips of otter fur bore a cloth packet containing a wampum bead and two red “mes- cal” beans, Mes kwi na da wl non, and a buckskin packet, containing another similar bean, the whole forming a pro- tective amulet against witches. Similarly a bead necklace in the bundle was considered a good amulet for this purpose. It also bore some otter fur; and all the owner had to do when he suspected some one of trying to bewitch him was to bum a little of the fur. It was worn with this strip of fur at the back, under the coat or shirt. A little red packet held a few calamus roots, Mi ci ne bi son, which were chewed and rubbed all over the person to make a scent which will “mesmerize” (the interpreter’s word) the “night travelers.” The person using this medicine can call a witch any number of “hard names” and the sorcerer will not become angry or wish to retaliate. The charm is improved if the contents of a little skin packet wrapped in a piece of red fabric — said to be pounded Man wa hi (angelica root) is chewed and rubbed on with the calamus. It will be remembered that both these last two herbs were mentioned by Co'kwiwa in explaining
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