Viewing page 44 of 104

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

2

loom and the rituals are in my hands. The old lady is a peyote woman and she said she had great fear of her children burying her with the loom and so she thought she would feel easier if she disposed of them. She was content to have the loom while she lived as her dead husband had it ceremonially made for her. He taught her the two rituals she has given. She says only two official weavers are living and she is one of them. Both are peyote women so that means the Rush Mat degree is forever at an end. These looms, she said, are for weaving the buffalo hair bag and the rush mat case.

The Non'-hon'-zhin-ga rite is tottering and will soon fall. These old people who still cling to it attribute the cause to the peyote. They refuse to see that they are largely to blame for not properly teaching the younger men who try hard to learn the rites. They make them pay great fees and then recite the rituals only once for them. The work of gathering the remnants is very slow. I shall get all I can. We have enough to show what the rite was built upon.

I will get some heavy material, and sew up the loom in it and send it by express to myself at home. I will do this tomorrow.

I am very glad to get your letter, and the clippings.  Love to the Parsons.

Affly,
[[signature]] F. [[/signature]]