hereafter that his aid is invoked to commit the greatest of crimes and sins. Therefore their idea of a Great Spirit is nothing more than a dread of unknown evil befalling them, which it is in their power to avoid by sacrifice, penance, to an unknown incomprehensible power, which they know from actual phenomena has an existence. Further than this they are at a loss. They have no idea of ascribing to it such attributes as mercy, forgiveness, benevolence, truth, etc. ; neither will they have, until such words have a signification and appreciation amongst themselves.
This view of the Great Spirit appears to close observers to be the correct and general one of all the prairie tribes, when divested of the superstitions and fabulous narration with which it is often clothed. War and peace could not be regarded as his acts, as they know that they themselves make both; but success or defeat would, as these are beyond their control; therefore a successful warrior is always called Wakan (medicine) meaning thereby that he has by some means secured the aid of the Great Spirit. Natural phenomena unattended with good or evil results would pass by unheeded, but destructive tornadoes, death by lightning, by sickness such as apoplexy, would be viewed as his special acts. Eclipses are warnings, severe thunder is a warning, and to these offerings are made with the hope of averting some pending calamity. From this dread of unaccountable evil arises their repugnance to converse on the subject, as to do so would lay open their secret sources of apprehension, and might, they think, by some levity, produce the evil they seek to avoid, or by a counterpoise of sacrifice on the part of some malicious individual, render theirs unavailing. Having explained concisely their idea of the Great Spirit, we will consider some of their minor objects of faith and worship.
Their belief in amulets or charms is general, and the material of these charms or medicines so various, their influence over individuals so diversified, that to enumerate the whole would take too much space and indeed is not requi-