DENS MoRE] MANDAN AND HIDATSA MUSIC 85 
saw a spirit approaching him. The old people thought this spirit 
was a buffalo. It said to the man, “Start a dance society.” The 
man replied, “ How shall I do it?” The spirit said, “Select men 
about 60 or 70 years old and tell them that after the society is 
started whoever dances must give a war bonnet or gift of equal 
value. There will be no hardships connected with the society and 
_we will dance when the sun turns back” (meaning during the short 
days of winter). The name of the society was “Pasa’Sa,” and 
there was a great deal about it that. was sacred. The headdress 
worn by members of the society was made of buffalo hide and had 
no horns. Except for this they wore no special costume. The men 
offered a pipe to the headdresses which were laid in a row. They 
offered the pipe to the headdresses and afterwards to the sky, the 
cardinal points, and the earth. The only exception was that if a 
man had a personal fetish he offered his pipe to that before offering 
it to the sky and the cardinal points. Those who could afford to ae 
so brought presents to the headdresses. They also took coals from 
the fire, put them in a separate place and laid cedar on them, then 
they held the headdress in the smoke of the cedar and then shook it 
to bring a snowstorm, as though the snow were being shaken out of 
the headdress. It was said that this would bring a blinding snow 
which would drive the buffalo from the open prairie to the timber 
and hills where the Indians could get them. The old people said this 
usually succeeded and the Indians secured many buffalo in this man- 
ner. In those days there were few horses and the Iwans traveled 
afoot. The young men knew it was good to have the buffalo driven to 
the timber and hills, and they willingly gave presents so the old 
men would dance AS buffalo dance. Then they would go and get 
the buffalo. The old men would not dance this dance a their own 
accord—only when requested to do so with gifts, and the dance 
must take place at the full moon. They dined fod days. They 
_ danced until they were exhausted and then slept in the lodge, re- 
suming the dance as soon as they wakened. They had an abundance 
of food, as this was part of the offering made with the request. for 
the dance. The members always visited the sweat lodge when the 
dancing was finished. 
It is said that the society numbered 90 or 100 men, who elected 
their leader. Women were allowed to witness the dancing but took 
no part in it. 
The words of the song were Mandan and are not transcribed. A 
free translation is as follows: “The leader of the herd says, ‘ We will 
walk in that mud.’” The buffalo always avoid mud holes when 
they are traveling, but in this song the leader of the herd assures 
them that he will take them safely through. 
