The Four Chiefs enter, a firemaker lights the Council fire (this can be done in any one of several ways - fire by friction - fire by flint-fire by sending a blazing ball of fire down a wire. Be sure the camp fire is thoroughly prepared so it will blaze up immediately. The Camp Director enters. Each of the chiefs present to the Camp Director the privilege of using the old hunting grounds, emphasizing their responsibility for preserving them.

Characters

The Camp Director; (Four Chiefs) 1st - Bugling Elk; 2nd - Black Bear;

3rd - Red Eagle; 4th - Kittikithia*.

*He brings with him a birch bark roll and sceptre.

Enter Chief Bugling Elk from the North.

1. Chief Bugling Elk - Now light we the Council Fire, after the manner of the forest children; even as Gitche Manito himself doth light his fire-by the rubbing together of two trees in the storm wind, so cometh forth the sacred fire from the wood of the forest.

2. Firemaker lights fire.

3. Chief Bugling Elk: - Now know we that the Great Spirit has been pleased to smile upon his children and hath sent down the fire. By this know we that he will be present at our Council; that His wisdom will be with us. (He beckons - the Camp Director and the other three chiefs enter the Council ring to beat of the Tom-Tom. The Camp Director enters from the North, Black Bear enters from the South - Red Eagle enters from the West - Kittikithia enters from the East.)

If outdoors the positions would be -

If indoors at the fire place, the positions would be -

4. Bugling Elk: Attend! Mr._,1, Bugling Elk, Chief of the bring to you the land of

On the shores of ..................... by the shining.....................stand the wigwams at .................. Dark behind them rise the forests; rise the green and leafy beaches, rise the oaks with acorns on them. I bring to you this village of..................... I bring the battle ground upon which our forefathers fought and died and the mount of fortifications by which they protected themselves from their enemies. I bring to you this reservation as a great Trust. I have spoken.

5. Black Bear: - I, Chief Black Bear of the ....................._Tribe, present as part of your inheritance of Camp_..................... all the living creatures, the fishes of the streams, the animals of the forest, the birds of the air, and it is my desire that you nuke use of them as would best please the Great Spirit. I have spoken.

6. Red Eagle: - I, Red Eagle, Chief of the_..................... present to you the things that have no life, the inanimate, the forces without that divine spark of our Great Spirit. I pre cent the air which lets men live; the sun his greatest friend, which brings light and heat to endure the winter; the water to give him to drink, to carry his burdens end float his birchbark; the stars, the moon, the snow in winter and the warm rains of spring; the hail, the winds, the lightning, and lastly fire - his ever present helpmate. All these do I bring. I have spoken.

7. Kittikithia: - I, Kittikithia, the Leaping Panther of the Blue Grass, bring you a great privilege and a great responsibility. I place upon you the charge to keep all the things of Nature in as good condition as you have received them. Yes, to improve them. To keep the air unfouled, the water uncontaminated, the soil undisturbed by the plow, the trees untouched by the axe, the flowers untouched by the hands of the thoughtless, the animals, the birds, the fishes unheeding the passage of man, because they know they need not fear. I give you the privilege of using these as you need, but only as you need.

I charge you also with the responsibility to hand down to your descendants and their contemporaries, this land, in as good, yea, better condition, than you accepted it. May it be improved and prosper under your reign. If you accept this double charge, I ask you to accept these tokens (hands him the birch bark roll and a scepter made of horn) of our charge to you. I have spoken.

8. The Camp Director takes the birch bark roll and the sceptre. Camp Director:

I,..................... Camp Director of..................... accept from Bugling Elk the land of..................... and the Village of..................... from Black Bear, all the living creatures, the fishes, animals and bird; from Red Eagle the inanimate, the air, the sun, the elements; from Kittikithia, the privilege and responsibility of transmitting to those who will follow us, all these things unsullied and unspoiled. For these things our appreciation will be expressed by using them for our happiness, our growth and our accomplishments. I too, have spoken.

9. The four Chiefs give the farewell (#4 below) in pantomime and exit in single file, leaving the Council circle by the North entrance.

10. The Camp Director continues, or closes, the program as is necessary.

Other Directions For Ceremony

1. Chief Bugling Elk, enters, goes to the fire and salutes by raising right arm stiff, diagonally in front of him, turns, faces others and speaks first part. He then folds his arms and goes to four corners. N - E -S- W and does "A" then "B" refolding the arms after each one.

2. He again salutes the fire (this time the fire is burning) same as in No. 1 and then speaks No. 3.

3. Each Chief as he speaks to the Camp Director, salutes him, using same salute as in Nos. 1 & 2 to the fire.

4. Farewell:

The following may be repeated in unison as the different positions are taken: