The Priests of the tribe are individuals who can heal the injured or sick through prayer and the use of herbal medicine. Not only this, but they participate in births and deaths, and hold ceremonies for the various stages of life. The Priests hold birthing ceremonies or mateship ceremonies, and AniWayans may seek them for advice, blessings or support. The Priests are the main individuals responsible for holding ceremonies, and are able to perform all parts of them, except the re-kindling of the Great Fire, which i the Fire Tenders' job. They are responsible for maintaining a healthy supply of medicine in the storages, and crafting the necessary materials (sometimes with the support of the craftsmen) needed for their work, such as pots, cloth for bindings and crutches. Additionally, the Priests may aid the Animal Carers in ending or helping an animal's life.

Priests are present at executions, to perform the death rituals (see Gola Watsi).

Beginner rank

Kunikoti

Five characters
Translation: Medicine man/woman

Those of the very bottom of the tribal medical tree. Kunikoti are trained by the Priests and the Great Priest. Kunikoti is a starting title and requires no other title to be held.

Main tasks
- Mainly responsible for focusing on their training, to expand their knowledge on the body, herbal remedies and the spirit world.
- Allowed to practice their skills on small ailments and injuries.
- Aids the higher ranked medicine men in whatever they should be told to do.

Skilled ranks

Nvwoti Three characters Translation: Priest Members with a higher skill and understanding of diseases, injuries, and ceremonies. To become a Priest, one must first hold the title of Medicine Man or Medicine Woman. Main tasks - Permitted to perform certain ceremonies, such as birthing ceremonies or minor blessings. - Permitted to treat middle-to-serious ailments. - Responsible for training the lower ranked medicine men of the tribe. - Often brought along with hunting parties in case of injury, and to perform the ritual after the kill. - Hold the main responsibility to pick and prepare herbs for use with teas, ointments, and direct application. - Weave cloth or salvage usable cloth for bandages.

Gola Watsi Three characters Translation: Bone bearer The members of the tribe who often take care of the deceased and dying. To become a Bone Bearer, one must first hold the title of Medicine Man or Medicine Woman. Main tasks - All the tasks of the middle-ranked medicine men, Nvwoti. - Additionally responsible for caring for the dead and dying. - Responsible for determining cause of death, should that be necessary. - Maintaining the burial ground of the tribe. - Responsible for performing death rituals and burial ceremonies.

Master rank

Ookah

One character
Translation: Great Priest

The most trusted and skilled Priest of the tribe. To become the Great Priest, one must first hold the titles of Medicine Man/Woman and Priest.

Main tasks
- Tutoring of the lower ranked medicine men of the tribe.
- In charge of maintaining a healthy storage of herbs, ointments, teas and bandages for the tribe to use.
- In charge of all ceremonial/spiritual aspects of the tribe, unless these are particular tasks reserved for the Chief.
- Often leads all ceremonies, such as weddings, birth celebrations, or tribe-wide blessing ceremonies.

Mark and relic

Characters who reach the Master rank also receive a master's brand in the form of a dyed or tattooed color pattern either on their chest, face or an arm (or similarly visible place), as well as a relic, to symbolize clearly their ranking and powerful position in the pack hierarchy. In the case that there are more than one master in a profession, the most prominent one keeps the mark and relic, and the rank can be challenge for.

Mark: The blue dreamcatcher. Its color symbolizes many things: Defeat and depression: for the heavy burdens of the Gola Watsi and the injured and sick Conservatism: for the spiritual authority that the medics/priests represent Harmony: for the balance they maintain through their duties and ceremonies Confidence: for the trust of the tribe, and the lives placed in the medics' hands

Relic: The relic of the Ookah is a shaped pelt, taken from what needs to have once been a rather large male elk. It is sown to drape over the shoulders of the carrier like a cloak, fastened in front with a sown lock using part of an elk hoof as part of the mechanism. It reaches an average wolf almost to the knee in optime form. The part of the pelt that covered the elk's deer is shaped to construct a kind of hood.

Page updated 05 Mar, 2012