Identifier: northamerican11wiss (find matches)
Title: North American Indians of the Plains
Year: 1920 (1920s)
Authors: Wissler, Clark, 1870-1947
Subjects: Indians of North America
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: IMLS / LSTA / METRO

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esin which shamans performed remarkable tricks anddemonstrated their magical powers. Turning fromthese rather exceptional practices, we find certainhighly typical ceremonies. The Sun Dance. One of the most important tribalceremonies is the so-called sun dance. The name asused in literature is probably derived from the Dakotawho speak of one phase of the ceremony as sun-gaze-dancing: i. e., the worshipper gazes steadily at the sunwhile dancing. To a less extent, this is one of theobjective features of the ceremony wherever performedand is occasionally associated with a torture feature inwhich skewers are thrust through the skin of the breasland back and the devotee suspended or required todance until the skin gives away, all the time supplicatingthe sun for divine guidance. Another feature is that in the center of the cere-monial place is set up a tree, or sun pole, which is scoutedfor, counted coup upon, and felled, as if it were anenemy. Upon this, offerings of cloth are made1 to the
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Fig. 42. Digging Stick and Case for Blackfoot Sun Dance Bundle.

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