M. R. HARRINGTON — SACRED BUNDLES OF THE SAC AND FOX INDIANS. 251

SEPARATE AMULETS.
Besides the preceding, a few single amulets not con- nected with any bundle were secured, all of them from the Fox band living near Tama, Iowa.
2/7925. Only one of these was for war — a peculiar neck- lace bought from Pucitan'ikwe, the Fox chief, who said it had the power to make a man “not afraid to die.” It consists of a buckskin thong 4' 3" long, much blackened by age and smoke, and bearing one eagle feather and fourteen bunches of woodpecker (sp?) tail feathers, together with a little brass bell. The thong has been wrapped with long strips of bird quill, some of which are dyed green.
2/7848. A love amulet of an unusual sort was the magic arm band bought from the woman Kickoikwa w . The band for encircling the arm or wrist is made of fur, apparently otter, to which is fastened a bead-bordered strip of finer brown fur, Ilf* long by If* wide, bearing at its lower end a packet of love medicine paint, another of herb medicine of some kind and a small brass bell.
2/8021. This small amulet, for general good luck, con- sists of three red “mescal” beans in a tight buckskin packet, with a round hole cut over each bean so that it can “look out.” Such amulets, I was told, could be worn attached to the hair or clothing, but nowadays are usually carried in the pocket. The Fox name is Mes lew! na da' wi non, or Red medicine.
This concludes the list of “powerful” objects from the Sac and Fox. The next paper will be devoted to such matters among the Pottawattomi, and perhaps also the Kickapoo, Delaware and Shawnee.
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APPENDIX.
After the preceding paper was in proof Mr. Alanson Skinner of the American Museum of Natural History kindly sent me an account of the Sac and Fox sacred bundles, dating from the first half of the nineteenth century, which he found in the “Wisconsin Historical Collections.” He says: “These excerpts are taken from ‘ Documents relating to the Stockbridge Mission,’ 1825-48. Rev. Cutting Marsh is responsible for these reports, which were sent to Scotland.”
The first excerpt, dated 1834, gives part of a conversa- tion between the missionary and the chief “Pow-we-sheak” regarding the “Me-shaum” (mi cam 1 ) or sacred bundle. 1
Pow-we-sheak. — The Great Spirit has given us our Me- shaum. How do you know this? Ans. — It is made known to us by dreams when we fast. But cannot the bad spirit speak in this way as well as the good? Ans. — But we know when the good and when the bad spirit speaks. A great while ago, says he, all of the nations leagued against us and we were almost all cut off, only a few lodges remained (referring to the wars they had when in the region of Green Bay) and our Me-shaum was all that saved us.
The second excerpt 2 comprises quite a pretentious account of Sac and Fox religion, including their belief in sacred bundles. Mr. Skinner states that most of the data refer to the Sac (Sauk) at that time on the Mississippi. The account runs as follows:
Religious Rites and Ceremonies.
They are very scrupulous with regard to their religious rites and ceremonies. I have as yet seen no Indians as much so as they be. In the first place I shall commence with giving
‘Wisconsin Historical Collections, 1834. VoL XV, p. 120. 1 Ibid., pp. 128-138.
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254 UNIVERSITY MUSEUM — ANTHROPOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS VOL. IV.
an account of their Me-shaum, which is sometimes called Grand Medicine-bag.
The Me-shaum is a parcel or bundle in which are recorded by knots in strings, stones, etc., and also by hieroglyphical figures the names and wars of their gods in ancient times; and their religious belief also or revelation which they suppose was at first delivered to their ancestors by We-sah-kah their tutelary god . 1
We-sah-kah is regarded in their mythology as the creator of the new world after it had been destroyed by a flood. The Me-shaum is held in high veneration; none are permitted to open or inspect it, except the one having the particular charge of it. It is opened only in case of invocations to the Great Spirit, in which dogs are often slain and offered in sacrifice . 2
Ordinances of the Me-shaum.
To fast every morning in the winter season.
To fast ten days in order to obtain signal revenge upon an enemy.
To invoke and sacrifice every time a man has killed a bear or some choice game.
That a woman shall not come into the lodge at certain seasons (during her monthly courses) nor eat anything cooked at the same fire in the lodge . 3
To give away property to the poor for the good of departed relatives to the land of shades.
It teaches that the Great Spirit gave them the wild beasts for their sustenance; and required them to be forgiving towards those belonging to their own family or nation if they have received any injury, but that revenge must be taken upon an enemy. These are some of the most important things required
1 We-sah-kah is very probably Noah.
* The dog feast is one of the most sacred feasts — no Indian not belonging to the Me- shaum, or white person can witness it.
3 This superstitious custom has been observed by Indians from time immemorial and the only reason they give for it is “their ancestors did so."
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