The sacred medicine bundle was the most holy of holies among all the Plains People. Stewardship of these bundles was usually vested in a member of a tribal clan or cult, although the power of the bundle was believed to be beneficial to the entire tribe or band. The bundles were opened on specific occasions, and according to precise ritual. Each bundle contained a varied collection of objects and representations of spiritual significance, from animal skins and effigies to ceremonial pipes. Most medicine bundles had been passed down from one keeper to another over such a long span of time that their origins had become shrouded in mystery and myth. - HT