The founder of the Snow Tepee was caught on the open plains in a bad
winter blizzard. He lay for days under a deep drift, and had a dream in
which the Maker of Storms and Blizzards gave him the decorations and
ceremony. The Snow Tepee was not often pitched in summer camps. It was
a bad-weather-lodge and was believed to have power to bring storms and
cold weather. It had a yellow top, like the color of the sky at
sunrise, with a cluster of seven stars for the constellation of the
Great Bear on the north side, the direction blizzards come from, and
Pleiades on the other. At the back was a red disc for the sun, with a
buffalo tail attached. Under the yellow top, and at the four sides
where stood the four main lodge-poles, were four claws to represent the
Thunder Bird. At the bottom was a yellow band for the earth, with green
discs, the ice color. On both sides of the door were horse tails for
good luck; and bunches of crow feathers, with small bells attached to
tinkle in the wind, were fastened to the tops of the ear-poles. Inside
no drumming was allowed, the fire must not go out, nor moccasins hung
up; dogs were not allowed to enter, nor the tepee cover to be raised.
Medicine Owl was the owner of a large Snake Tepee, with black top for
the night sky and the Morning Star and constellations of stars on both
sides. Two large serpents were painted round the middle, with the male
serpent on the south side and the female on the north. Above the snakes
were four red bands for their trails and their den at the back of the
tepee. No bones should be broken inside, lest the owner’s horses go
lame.
The Crow Tepee had a broad red band around its center, with a
procession of crows holding pieces of meat in their bills. A buffalo
head was painted over the door; at the back was a row of buffalo tails;
and at the top a cross for the Moth, the Sleep Bringer—a symbol that
the tepee had come to the owner in a dream. In the legend of its
origin, the founder slept one night in the Rocky Mountains, where great
flocks of crows came to roost. In his dream the crows gave their
supernatural power which went with the tepee.
There was another Crow Tepee, which had a strip of fringed buckskin
round the center part for a trail. A row of crows were walking in
single file towards the front of the lodge, holding pieces of red
flannel in their bills for meat. Under the top of this tepee were red
and yellow bands, to represent the color of clouds at sunrise.
The Thunder Tepee was believed to bring fair weather. Its ceremony gave
protection from storms and had power to clear the sky. Near the ground
and at the back was painted a large yellow disc; the north half dotted
with small blue spots for hail, the south half with yellow spots for
rain. Near the top of this disc the Thunder Bird was represented with
outstretched wings and flashes of lightning coming from its beak. At
the time of the first thunder in the spring, a ceremony and feast were
given.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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