﻿522 
  ANNUAL 
  IJEPOET 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1927 
  

  

  a 
  wand 
  that 
  they 
  throw 
  v/ith 
  full 
  strength 
  toward 
  a 
  hoop 
  rolling 
  along 
  the 
  

   ground. 
  This 
  wand 
  has 
  four 
  markings 
  indicated 
  with 
  leather, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  

   a 
  pad 
  made 
  of 
  leather 
  strips, 
  scraps 
  of 
  cloth, 
  or 
  even 
  bundles 
  of 
  grass. 
  The 
  

   winner 
  starts 
  the 
  hoop, 
  both 
  players 
  run 
  along 
  beside 
  it 
  and 
  throw 
  their 
  

   wands, 
  the 
  flight 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  retarded 
  by 
  the 
  pads 
  — 
  called 
  " 
  idi 
  " 
  by 
  the 
  

   Herantza 
  — 
  so 
  that 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  take 
  too 
  wide 
  a 
  range 
  over 
  the 
  smooth 
  course. 
  

   To 
  be 
  sure, 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  not 
  as 
  smooth 
  as 
  a 
  floor 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  uneven 
  but 
  cleared 
  of 
  

   pebbles 
  and 
  trash. 
  According 
  to 
  that 
  mark 
  on 
  the 
  wand 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  hoop, 
  

   in 
  falling, 
  rests, 
  they 
  reckon 
  the 
  game. 
  Although 
  they 
  put 
  up, 
  always, 
  some 
  

   small 
  object 
  at 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  game, 
  the 
  stakes 
  are 
  steadily 
  increased 
  

   until 
  they 
  mount 
  quite 
  high. 
  Some 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Herantza 
  Tribe 
  devote 
  

   themselves 
  exclusively 
  to 
  this 
  game 
  and 
  never 
  take 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  hunt. 
  

  

  Players 
  of 
  the 
  game, 
  some 
  holding 
  their 
  wands, 
  were 
  sketched 
  by 
  

   Kurz. 
  The 
  drawing, 
  a 
  page 
  in 
  his 
  sketchbook, 
  is 
  now 
  reproduced 
  as 
  

   Plate 
  6, 
  Figure 
  2. 
  

  

  Kurz 
  witnessed 
  many 
  interesting 
  gatherings 
  during 
  his 
  stay 
  at 
  

   Fort 
  Union, 
  and, 
  fortunately, 
  made 
  man}^ 
  notes 
  in 
  his 
  journal. 
  On 
  

   September 
  27 
  he 
  Avrote 
  of 
  certain 
  happenings: 
  

  

  This 
  afternoon 
  about 
  50 
  Cree 
  Indians, 
  men, 
  women, 
  and 
  boys, 
  came 
  from 
  a 
  

   near-by 
  village 
  to 
  pay 
  us 
  a 
  visit. 
  La 
  Rossade 
  de 
  Cou, 
  La 
  Velle 
  Jamb, 
  and 
  Le 
  

   Conteau 
  led 
  them. 
  These 
  are 
  the 
  first 
  Crees 
  I 
  have 
  seen. 
  They 
  came 
  to 
  beg 
  

   rather 
  than 
  to 
  barter. 
  Their 
  real 
  purpose 
  is 
  to 
  try 
  and 
  find 
  out 
  at 
  which 
  

   fort 
  they 
  can 
  get 
  the 
  best 
  price 
  for 
  their 
  skins 
  and 
  furs. 
  They 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  

   attracted 
  with 
  gifts 
  and 
  much 
  liberality, 
  else 
  they 
  trade 
  with 
  the 
  Hudson's 
  

   Bay 
  Company. 
  

  

  And 
  the 
  next 
  day: 
  

  

  Nearly 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  Crees 
  have 
  left. 
  They 
  wear 
  their 
  ancient 
  and 
  original 
  

   dress 
  almost 
  entirely 
  — 
  garments 
  made 
  of 
  dressed 
  skins, 
  and 
  buffalo 
  robes. 
  

   * 
  * 
  * 
  Crees 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  most 
  valiant 
  warriors, 
  excellent 
  marksmen 
  with 
  

   the 
  rifle, 
  but 
  very 
  cautious 
  in 
  trade. 
  

  

  A 
  Cree 
  squaw 
  Yv^as 
  seen 
  — 
  

  

  with 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  her 
  body 
  entirely 
  uncovered 
  ; 
  a 
  sign 
  of 
  mourning 
  for 
  

   the 
  loss 
  of 
  a 
  child. 
  

  

  And: 
  

  

  Indians 
  believe 
  in 
  spirits 
  ; 
  although 
  they 
  have 
  never 
  had 
  any 
  visible 
  evidence 
  

   they 
  talk 
  with 
  them 
  and 
  take 
  counsel. 
  They 
  think 
  that 
  spirits 
  follow 
  them 
  — 
  

   not 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  but 
  about 
  2 
  feet 
  above. 
  

  

  October 
  13: 
  

  

  While 
  we 
  were 
  weighing 
  the 
  meat 
  and 
  hanging 
  it 
  up, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  prevent 
  mold 
  

   and 
  also 
  to 
  keep 
  it 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  hordes 
  of 
  mice 
  (there 
  are 
  no 
  rats 
  in 
  this 
  

   fort 
  nor 
  at 
  Fort 
  Berthold), 
  there 
  arrived 
  a 
  great 
  band 
  of 
  Assiniboins, 
  including 
  

   many 
  squaws, 
  with 
  laden 
  horses 
  and 
  dogs. 
  

  

  Kurz 
  had 
  previously 
  mentioned 
  that 
  Denig 
  had 
  purchased 
  some 
  

   15,000 
  pounds 
  of 
  dried 
  meat 
  at 
  an 
  Assiniboin 
  village 
  and 
  had 
  trans- 
  

   ported 
  it 
  to 
  Fort 
  Union 
  for 
  use 
  during 
  the 
  winter. 
  

  

  