"The two feathered stems…are the principal articles of the [wa-wan] ceremony, and are strictly symbolic, every ornament having its special meaning and connection with venerable rites and beliefs dear to the heart of the Indian and sacred in his thought. These so-called Pipes could only be made by a man versed in their ritual which preserved the history and teaching of each article used, told how it must be prepared, and where it must be adjusted on the stem. In this manner these peculiar Pipes have been made for generations, without a model, so to speak, the ritual preserving the inviolate. The stem must be 7 spans of the hand in length and perforated throughout that length by means of fire. It was painted green, emblematic of the verdant earth and the clear blue sky. A groove was cut along its entire length and painted red, representing the straight path of peace, upon which the sun ever shone obscured by no clouds or storms of wrath. The feathers of the golden eagle, a bird all