148 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BuLy. 185 
rather than items of native manufacture. Pottery was not used in 
the village, but wagons and harnesses, tobacco, dishes, implements, 
weapons, toys, and many items of prepared foods were in considerable 
demand. The period of occupation was heaviest during the middle 
1880's. 
Very little evidence of economic activities was revealed in the 
archeological studies at Crow-Flies-High. Traces of hunting activ- 
ities were evidenced by the presence of animal bones. The remains, 
of course, showed numerous contacts with Whites, but the nature of 
this contact could not be determined through archeology alone. 
CROW-FLIES-HIGH VILLAGE ETHNOGRAPHY 
Archeology alone left a very unsatisfactory picture of life in Crow- 
Flies-High Village. When informants added data, however, the 
archeological fragments were brought together in a vivid picture of 
a living community. The information revealed may be used to ex- 
plain the behavior of natives who occupied Hidatsa and Crow vil- 
lages centuries earlier. These are matters, however, which will be 
discussed in the conclusions of this paper. 
After archeological excavations were completed, a few aged Hidatsa 
informants were brought to the site. One of these, Adlai Stevenson,’ 
drew his own sketch map of the village. When it was compared 
with our survey map, the similarities were very gratifying to us. 
The large depression near the southeast side of the village was identi- 
fied as the remains of the only earthlodge in the community. Our 
suspicions were confirmed by the informant. The two maps also 
agreed in the absence of cabins on the south side of the plaza. 
The excavation of cabin 2 showed that it was rectangular. The 
informant drew all his cabins with this shape, but admitted when 
questioned that some of them were square. The cabins were ar- 
ranged around a sort of plaza which was generally oriented east 
and west. 
Informants denied that stoves were used inside the cabins, but they 
described fireplaces built in a corner of the room. Smoke and fumes 
passed through an open chimney in the roof. Kettles were hung 
over the fire by means of a chain suspended from the roof or from 
the top of the fireplace. In earlier times, it was said, the Hidatsa 
preferred to have their doorways facing toward the south, but by 
the time Crow-Flies-High Village was occupied this custom had been 
abandoned. Platforms or corn racks were built. outside of the cabins, 
5This informant, born in 1866 at Fort Berthold, was originally named Bear-In-The- 
Water. He was renamed Adlai Stevenson during the 1890’s after he aided the U.S. 
Marshal in apprehending cattle thieves and outlaws in the region. He was named after 
Adlai Stevenson, who at that time was Vice President of the United States. 
