79. The Medicine Ceremony (Second Description)

79. THE MEDICINE CEREMONY (Second Description).

When the medicine ceremony is to be held they first make a lodge. In the lodge they make the sand pictures. Two men go in and make every kind of animal. He pounds the herb. He rolls around like a grizzly and says "wa". The one who has supernatural power for this makes the patient well again.

They also make the tc'actcînî and the ts'anat'î. They dance four nights, the women and the men dancing together as they like. "You shall not discontinue it as long as the world stands," he said. "That is why you shall dance just four nights."

They make cherries and yuccas at the dance (by supernatural power?). They make rabbits too. They make bread. They put mush in a pot and it becomes full. They put it at one side and in one night it is finished. The tc'actcînî have peas for their food. They use dog manure for butter on their bread.

Then they are satisfied. They dance four nights and are happy. This is the way they do when they have the fiesta, the grizzly dance.