M. R. HARRINGTON — SACRED BUNDLES OF THE SAC AND FOX INDIANS. 235

corresponding part of the body. There is no escape for him — the owner of the Mi thi' ni ni can reach him anywhere, and can even specify the number of days he will be sick before death relieves him. Men are often killed this way by a venge- ful friend or relative of some woman they have wronged. Sometimes, it is said, if the owner becomes really angry at anyone, the Mi thi' ni ni is seen to move, showing that he is eager and willing to seek out his master’s enemy and kill him.
When anyone is sick the owner of the image opens the bundle and lays it on a new blanket somewhere within the sick person’s house, where it remains exposed four days. As he opens it, he says, “Grandfather, we beg of you to drive out this disease,” and sprinkles Indian tobacco upon its face. Later a feast is held in its honor which is also supposed to induce it to help the sick.
Persons owning these fetishes keep the bundle in a sack, hidden away where no one can see it; but they always take it along whenever they travel. In many cases the only time they give it offerings is when they want it to do something, but some images have a yearly feast when new clothing is put upon them.
The Mi thi' ni ni will not help an owner who does not give him proper treatment, but neglect in some cases at least will not result in serious harm. Because the whole matter partakes of the nature of witchcraft, owners of these fetishes are likely to be secretive and dislike to have their connection with such objects generally known. Secret feasts are held for some images in some quiet place in the woods where no one will know what is going on. At some of these feasts the owner or owners of the fetish eat from a wooden bowl kept for the purpose, it is said, instead of letting the guests eat all the food, as is the usual custom at gatherings of this kind.
No one but the owner can use a Mi thi' ni ni; all others desiring the aid of the fetish must give the owner a gift, such as a piece of cloth or something of the sort. No white man
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236 UNIVERSITY MUSEUM — ANTHROPOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS VOL. IV.
can use a Mi thi' ni ni, even if he owned one, because the customs of his people permit him to eat with a menstruating woman, or to partake of food prepared by a woman in this condition, which spoils any chance he might have of acquiring power. Indian women live apart while menstruating, and are never allowed to approach a Mi thi' ni ni until their period is passed. For the same reason a white man can use none of the Indian fetishes, amulets and charms.
Pern wa" ta claims that he has heard the following song used with an image:
Ne ni we ce ko tha’ ta wa w'
(Man, weasel I am using) (repeat four times)
Bundle 2/7161.
About the time the preceding information was recorded, Pern wa" ta offered us an image and outfit, which I finally bought, after some hesitation. The fetish seems to be fairly new, at least much newer than the “Rigid Man” obtained from Laura Carter. Some of the outfit seems quite old, how- ever. Both are kept in a calico bag, wrapped, in a piece of red calico.
The image is the figure of a man, a little less than 9 \" high, made of hard wood, apparently oak, and dressed in a red calico shirt, red breech clout and buckskin leggings and moccasins. Across the left shoulder was a broad bead work sash, and from the ears hung long white glass beads. Directly about the fetish was a piece of blue woolen cloth. In the bundle also were a small wooden feast bowl and spoon, an old tattered mink skin painted red on the flesh side, a small blue cloth wallet decorated with ribbon applique containing four red mescal beans, a lot of bits of roots and herbs, and two shoulder blades of some small animal; and an old beaded cloth pouch enclosing the tail of a small weasel and a yellow feather. Pern wa n ta did not explain these things, and I do not see what
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