98 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 80 
Long ago two Mandan women were taken away by the spirit women. 
One came back, but the other lived in Eagle Nose Peak, and it was 
through her help that the Mandan women received the Little River 
Women Society. All the spirit women who lived in the buttes and 
the trees once met together and decided to teach a society to the 
Mandans. Then this woman said she would go as their interpreter, 
because she understood the language of the spirit women and also 
that of the Mandan people. The spirit women did not have this 
society. They planned it in order to give it to the Mandan, and 
while they were in the bare peak planning the society each woman 
wore as a headdress one of the bright green snakes that are some- 
times found in the buttes. 
When all was ready, the spirit women came out of the bare peak, 
crossed the Missouri River, and started for the Mandan village, still 
wearing the bright green snakes twined around their heads. After 
_ they had gone a little distance they met an eagle, who said, “ Let 
me go with you, and I will give you one of my feathers to add to 
your headdress.” The spirit women took one of the feathers and 
let the eagle come with them. For this reason a feather was always 
worn in the front of the headdress of this society. Next they met a 
coyote, who said, “If I do not belong to your society it will not suc- 
ceed.” The coyote gave them a song which was always sung at the 
close of the ceremony (No. 43), and asked them to add to their head- 
dress a wreath of. plumy grass which resembled his fur. In return 
for this he was allowed to go with them and share the feast. As they 
came to a creek they met a bear, who said, “ You may meet trouble 
on your way, so you must wear claws to protect you from enemies you 
meet and from those who may follow you.” The bear also gave 
them a song (No. 41). For this reason the bear was allowed to go 
with them and share the feast, and when the ceremony was held there 
were two women who wore necklaces of bear’s claws. 
The spirit women came to a creek and there they saw an otter and 
a flat clamshell. Both wanted to join the new society, so the spirit 
women allowed them to come. For this reason, when the ceremony 
was held, a woman walked in the middle of the procession wearing 
the fur of an otter ornamented with a polished clamshell. The 
song given the women by the shell is fourth in the group of cere- 
monial songs (No. 42). 
When the spirit women entered the Mandan village they were still 
wearing the bright green snakes twined around their heads, together 
with the eagle feather and the wreath of plumy grass. They also 
wore the bear claws, the otter fur, and the polished shell. Their feet 
did not touch the ground as they entered the village because they 
were spirit women. ‘They said, “ We bring the society because you 
