The Great Medicine Road
The Pawnee believe that after death, the soul travels along the Milky Way, which they call the Great Medicine Road or the Path of the Dead. This celestial road leads the deceased to the land of the dead in the south, ruled by the South Star. Spirits must walk this path, and the journey is long. The stars in the Milky Way are the campfires of the dead. When a falling star streaks across the sky, it is a soul traveling to its final rest. The dead live in a world much like Earth, where they hunt, feast, and dance. The living honor their ancestors with prayers and offerings.