The candidates think that all their devotions are pleasing to the sun. As they dance, they pray mentally, “Please pity me! Bring to pass all the things which I desire!”
INTRUSIVE DANCES.
§ 194. During the sun dance, other dances—intrusive dances, as Lynd terms them—are going on in the camp. Among these are the following: The Mandan dance, performed by the Ćaŋte ṭiŋza okolakićiye, or the Society of the Stout-hearted Ones; the Wakaŋ waćipi or mystery dance, the Peźi mignaka waćipi or the dance of those wearing grass in their belts, the ghost dance, the buffalo dance, and the Omaha kiyotag a-i, popularly called the grass dance.
§ 195. When a man joins the Mandan dance as a leader, he wears a feather headdress of owl feathers, a scarf, called “Waŋźi-ićaśke,” is worn around his neck and hangs down his back, and he carries a pipe, a bow, and arrows. In the Peźi mignaka waćipi, both young men and young women take part. All these dances are held outside the lodge of the sun dance, within which lodge only the one dance can be performed. The grass dance is named after the Omaha tribe. As many men as are able to participate in that dance march abreast until they reach the camp of some gens, where they sit down facing the people whom they visit, hence the name, meaning, “the Omaha reach there and sit down.” Then the visitors sing while a noise is made by hitting the ground with sticks, etc. The singers and dancers sit looking at the tents of the gens that they have visited, and remain so until property and food are brought out and given to them. Then they arise and probably dance. They think that if they ask Wakantanka for anything after the conclusion of the sun dance they will receive it. So they call on him in different songs, thus: “O Wakantanka, please pity me! Let me have many horses!” Or, “O Wakantanka, please pity me! Let there be plenty of fruits and vegetables!” Or, “O Wakantanka, please pity me! Let me live a long time!”
§ 196. During the sun dance they sing about some old woman, calling her by name. They can sing about any old woman on such an occasion.
One of these songs has been given by Mr. Bushotter, but the writer must content himself in giving the words without the music.
“Winŭŋ´ḣća ḳuŋ tókiya lá huŋwo´? He´-ye-ye+!
Yatíla ḳuŋ´ śuŋ´ka wíkinićápe. Hé-ye-ye+!
E´-ya-ya-ha´ ya´-ha ya´-ha yo´-ho he´-ye-ye+!
E´-ya-ya-ha´ ya´-ha ya´-ha yo´-ho he´-ye-yâ!”
That is: “Old woman, you who have been mentioned, whither are you going? When they scrambled for the stick representing a horse, of course you were on hand! How brave you are!”
They sing this in a high key, and when they cease suddenly, they call out, “Ho´wo! Ho´wo! E´-ya-ha-he+! E´-ya-ha-he+!” “Come on! Come on! How brave you are! How brave you are!” When they have said this repeatedly an old woman enters the circle, making them laugh by her singing and dancing.
Thus ends the Bushotter account of the sun dance, which was read at a meeting of the Anthropological Society of Washington, May 6, 1890.