1066 



THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION 



[ETH. ANN. 11 



Translation 



Give me my knife, 



< rive me my knife, 



1 shall hang up the meat to dry — 1 r. ye .' 



1 shall hang up the meat to dry — 1 i ye .' 



Says grandmother — Yo'yo 1 ' 



Says grandmother — Yo'yo'! 



When it is dry I shall make pemmican, 



When it is dry I shall make pemmican, 



Says grandmother — Yo'yo! 



.Says grandmother — Yoyo! 



This song brings up a vivid picture of the old Indian life. In her 

 trance vision the old grandmother whose experience it relates came 

 upon her friends in the spirit world just as all the women of the camp 

 were engaged in cutting up the meat for drying after a successful buf- 

 falo hunt. In her joy she calls for her knife to assist in the work, and 

 says that as soon as the meat is dry she will make some pemmican. 



Fig. 103— Jerking beef. 



In the old days an Indian camp during the cutting up of the meat 

 after a buffalo hunt was a scene of the most joyous activity, some faint 

 recollection of which still lingers about ration day at the agency. 

 Thirty years ago, when a grand hunt was contemplated, preparations 

 were made for days and weeks ahead. Couriers wen' sent out to col- 

 lect the neighboring bands at a common rendezvous, medicinemen 

 began their prayers and ceremonies to attract the herd, the buffalo 

 songs were sung, and finally when all was ready t lie confederated bands 

 or sometimes the whole tribe — men, women, children, horses, dogs. 

 and travois — moved out into the buffalo grounds. Here the immense 

 cauip of hundreds of tipiswas set up, more ceremonies were performed, 



