Tirawa is the supreme being worshipped by the Pawnee people. Tirawa is often associated with and supposed to live in the north star (Polaris), but is not, contrary to missionary prejudice, the north star itself. Tirawa's role in Pawnee lore is analogous to that of Jehovah in the Roman Catholic religion: He is the ultimate source of all supernatural power, but works through agents such as animal spirits (rather analogous to Christian saints) in bringing this power to individuals, and it is they and not