1920.] Lome, Crow Tobacco Society. 177 



Two notions which find expression in these traditions represent the 

 general Crow point of view. The Tobacco is universally identified with 

 the stars; and it is regarded as the distinctive medicine of the Crow, being 

 equivalent to the Medicine Pipe of the Hidatsa. 1 



I will begin with the free translation of a brief text recorded in 

 1907 in the Reno District. 



The ancient Crow and Hidatsa lived together. Our chiefs were named Tat- 

 tooed-face and New-moon-face. A buffalo bull once came swimming across the Mis- 

 souri. When he got to the near side, they killed him. They butchered him, but did 

 not give any of the manifolds to New-moon-face's followers. They were offended 

 and went away till they got to the mountains. The Hidatsa went in the opposite 

 direction and took to raising corn and pumpkins. 



A Crow (the chief?) said, "Way over there they (supernatural powers) have 

 given me something (in a dream), thither I will go; they speak of winning horses." 

 He got on a hill and saw the mountain he had seen in his vision. " They want me to 

 stay at the foot," he said, " they are giving me something, I'll go." He went. On 

 the mountainside he saw a star shining. He took it and carried it away with him. 

 He wrapped it up and did not show it to anyone. After a while the green grass appeared 

 on the ground. Where there was a cleared space he planted some of his find and kept 

 some of it. Then it grew. He gathered it and gave some to four persons. "Thus shall 

 we be people," he said, "do you plant it, and when it grows give it to four per- 

 sons, taking pay for it. Then we shall not be poor." This custom still exists to the 

 present day. This man who first owned the Tobacco lived to be very old, so that his 

 skin became frayed with age before he died. 2 After him the people continued to raise 

 it until this day. 



Another version clearly differentiates the sacred objects regarded as 

 characteristic of the Crow and the Hidatsa. 



When everything had been arranged on the earth, the Crow began to travel over 

 their territory with their pack dogs. A woman had two sons. The younger was 

 adopted by the stars and blessed with the vision of the Tobacco, while the older had a 

 vision of the Medicine Pipe. This happened in the country now occupied by the 

 Hidatsa. A quarrel rose, the Crow separated from the Hidatsa. The younger brother 

 said, " Let us go to the mountains, where my ' father ' has shown me how to plant 

 these things." But the older brother replied, "My 'father' bade me stay here. I 

 will try to live by the Medicine Pipe, the corn, and the pumpkin." Accordingly, the 

 two brothers separated, each remaining with one of the two bands. Ever since then 

 the Crow have kept their Tobacco. Later visionaries made additions to the ceremony 

 in accordance with their revelations. 



The following version, obtained from Crane-bear, a resident of 

 Pryor District, does not refer to the traditional separation of the Crow 

 and Hidatsa, but is equally clear in identifying the Tobacco with a star. 



Incidentally, the Hidatsa do not regard the Pipe as one of their peculiar and ancient medicines. 

 2 This is a stereotyped expression to denote the great age attained by men blessed with a revelation 



