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ASSOC. OBJS.)CMC III-I-648 (tobogan); III-I-658 (hockey stick); II-I-666 (racket) All of these are miniature and used for medical purposes. (COMPARATIVE OBJECTS)CMC III-E-135 (snowsnake)

Snowsnake, miniature, medical. Made of wood, smooth, slightly concave, flexible stick, without a lead or burnt tipped nose, conical shaped head 5 cm long, stick tapers from back of head for 3 cm from 0.7 cm to 0.2 cm in thickness, stick straight until approximately the centre of stick, thickness increases to 0.3 cm at centre, then gradually tapers in a slight concave curve the last half of the length of the stick, to 0.2 cm at the tail. Tail piece has a grooved end for a finger position.;;

1912 p;;

19120400-19120700, (DOCUMENTATION)(Waugh) "Miniature Snow-Snake-Isaac Hill (Ca)." (Sapir volume) "Miniature snow-snake, medical, Isaac Hill (Cayuga)" (CULTURE REMARKS)Attribution by provenance. (COMMENTS)Dream-objects were made for sick people. Dreams occurring during indisposition or illness were interpreted by a local seer on medical practitioner, who decided upon the design, kind of wood, the presentation of dream-objects to the patient, to bring about sure recovery. Failure to comply meant continued illness and maybe in the end death. This custom was based on the belief that the soul could depart from the body (Waugh, 68) and enter any object or go to any place to acquire wisdom (Parker, 61) and that satisfaction of its desires must be obtained to bring about its return (Waugh, 68).

Parker, Arthur C. PARKER ON THE IROQUOIS, Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1971:61; Waugh, F.W. IROQUIS FOODS AND FOOD PREPARATION. Ottawa: Canada Department of Mines, Geological Survey, 1916:68.