An Indian will never pronounce the name of the Big Medicine, or Great Spirit, other than in a reverential manner, nor upon trivial occasions.
This being is considered the Great Superintendent of all things, whose power sustains the universe, —causing day and night with the varying seasons, —
making the grass to grow, the water to run, and the rains to fall, for the good of man and beast.
Some imagine He lives in the sun; others, in the air; others, in the ground; and others in the immensity of His works.
The animal or thing possessed of wonderful or extraordinary powers, such as their ignorance ascribes to be the attributes of the Supreme Being, they look upon as endowed with a greater or less share of His presence, and venerate it accordingly. Thus, the sun, fire, lightning, thunder, fountains of peculiar medicinal qualities, extraordinary localities, and various other things are alike objects of religious regard.
Although their theological sentiments are generally the same, the manner of showing their respect for this Overruling Providence differs with different tribes, families, and even persons. For instance, —some tribes shave their heads in token of their submission to Him. Others mark themselves for His own by some peculiar manner of cutting their ears for the reception of ornaments; —while others burn their thighs, tattoo their breasts, scar their arms, or flatten the heads of infants, for a like purpose.
The instrument, with which such ceremonies are performed, is invariably thrown away. In case of cutting the ears of an infant, the gift bestowed upon the operator is regarded as indicative of its success during life; parents have been known to give as high as ten horses on like occasions.
Some make indelible marks of a blue color upon their chins and foreheads, —or the figures of lizards, snakes, arrows, or other objects upon their arms.
Some show their reverence in the peculiar manner of receiving the pipe and passing it to another; —others by certain ceremonies before smoking, — thus, pointing the pipe-stem to the zenith, then towards the ground, then horizontally upon either side, as if saying, "Oh thou, whose habitation is immensity, accept this as the willing tribute of homage from thy child."
They will never allow a bone of any kind to be broken within their lodges, and express great consternation and alarm at such an occurrence. Some will not permit a stick of wood to be struck with a knife or other edged tool while burning, and others exhibit their devotion by some peculiarity in the structure of their lodges, or the mode of placing their medicine-bags, the length and shape of their arrows, their fashion of hairdressing, and various minutia of like character.
Others again will never eat unless they bestow the first mouthful as an offering to the prairie, —believing that, as the prairie affords water, grass, and game, for the good of the red man, it is the fullest embodiment of the Essence of Good; therefore, in the observance of this practice, they not only acknowledge their faith in the existence of the Great Spirit, but set apart the first of their substance as test of their piety.
Their ideas of the existence of a principle, or being, who is the author and prompter of evil, are crude and indefinite.
They are ready to acknowledge its reality, but seem to consider its person
