Sweet Medicine: The Continuing Role of the Sacred Arrows, the Sun Dance, and the Sacred Buffalo Hat in Northern Cheyenne History, Vol. 100 » (Reprint)

Sweet medicine is the most comprehensive record ever made of the ceremonies of the Northern Cheyennes. Volume one recounts tribal history against the background of the two great spiritual tragedies in Cheyenne life, the loss of the Sacred Arrows and the desecration of the Sacred Buffalo Hat. Battles of the Indian Wars are described from Cheyenne sources, and episodes from 1880 to 1969 reveal the Cheyennes' determination to maintain their tribal identity through preservation of traditional rituals. Volume two records-with fifty photographs-the contemporary Sacred Arrow and Sun Dance Ceremonies in their entirety. Father Peter J. Powell, who has observed and participated in the rites many times, was given special permission by the Keepers of the Two Great Covenants, the Chiefs, the Headmen, and the Priests to record them in words and photographs.

Booknews

The author focuses on the ceremonies of the Northern Cheyenne, including meticulous step-by-step coverage of the famous Sun Dance ceremony and other ceremonies central to Cheyenne theology. The first volume covers important events in the tribe's history from 1830 to 1965. The second volume provides an outline of Cheyenne sacred traditions and descriptions of the Sacred Arrow Ceremonies and the Sun Dance. Both volumes contain b&w photographs from the 1800s, color illustrations, and b&w drawings. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.