o-pir-i-kut

Updated: February 17, 2026

What the origin of this terrible practice was the Pawnees could never definitely explain. The rite was of long standing evidently. The sacrifice was made to the morning star, "O-pir-i-kut," which, with the Ski-di, especially, was an object of superstitious veneration.

Henry Inman - The Great Salt Lake Trail