IJUKSKY.] THE DAHPIKE. 503 



§ 317. The Bah'pike. — According to Matthews, the most importaut 

 ceremony of the Hklatsa is that of — 



The Dalipike or Nalipike, which formerly took place regularly once a year, but is 

 now celebrated every second or third year only. Ou the day when it is determined 

 to begin this ceremony, some of the men, dressed and mounted as for a war-jiarty, 

 proceed to the woods. Here they select a tall, forked cottouwood, which they fell, 

 trim, and bark; to this they tie lariats, and, by the aid of horses, drag it to the 

 village. lu the procession, the man who has most distinguished himself iu battle, 

 mounted on the horse ou whose back he has done his bravest deeds, takes the lead; 

 others follow iu the order of the military distiuction; as they drag the log along, 

 they fire guns at it, strike it with sticks, and shout and slug songs of victory. The 

 log, they say, is symbolical of a couciuered enemy, whose body they are bringing 

 into the camp in triumph. [See ^^ 28, 42, 160.] When the log is set up, they again 

 go to the woods to procure a <inantity of willows. A temporary lodge of green wil- 

 lows is then built around the log, as the medicine lodge, wherein the ceremony is 

 l^erformed [see \S168.] The participants fast four days with food in sight, and, on 

 the fourth day, submit to tortures which vary according to the whim of the sufferer 

 or the advice of the shamans. Some have long strips of skin separated from difl'er- 

 ent parts of their l>odies, but not completely detached. Others have large pieces ot 

 the iutegimient entirely removed, leaving the muscles exposed. Others have incis- 

 ions made in their tlesh, in which raw-hide strings are inserted; they then attach 

 butt'alo-skulls to the strings and ruu round with these until the strings becomes dis- 

 engaged by tearing their way out of the tlesh. Other have skewers inserted in their 

 breasts, which skewers are secured by raw-hide cords to the central pole, as in the 

 Dakota suu dance; the suft'erer then throws himself back until he is released by the 

 skewers tearing out of the flesh. Many other ingenious tortures are devised.' 



§ 318. In the narrative of Long's e.xpedition to the Rocky Monntains, 

 we find an account of tlie latter part of this ceremony, prepared, as 

 Matthews thinks, from the statements of Mr. Dougherty or Mr. Lisa, as 

 the exijedition did not go near the Minnetaree country. All the tor- 

 ments there described, and more, are inflicted to this day. That 

 account is as follows :- 



Annually in the month of July the Minnetarees celebrate their great medicine 

 dance. * * * On this occasion a considerable quantity of food is prepared. 

 * * * The devotees then dance and sing to their music at intervals for three or 

 four days together iu full view of the victuals without attempting to taste 

 tuem. But they do not, even at this time, forego their accustomed hospitality. And 

 if a stranger enters, he is invited to eat, though no one partakes with him. On the 

 third or fourth day, the severer * » » tortures commence. » * » An indi- 

 vidual presents himself l)efore one of the * ' ' magi, crying and lamenting, 

 and reciuests him to cut a fillet of skin from his arm, which he extends for that pur- 

 pose. The operator thrusts a sharp instrument through the skiu near the wrists, 

 then introduces the kuife aud cuts out a piece of the required length, sometimes ex- 

 tending the cut entirely to the shoulder. Another will request bauds of skin to be cut 

 from his arm. A third will have his breast flayed so as to represent a full-moon or 

 crescent. A fourth submits to the removal of concentric arcs of skin from his breast. 

 A fifth prays the operator to remove small pieces of skin from various indicated 

 parts of his body. » » » ^u individual requests the operator to pierce a hole 

 through the skin on each of liis shoulders, and after passing a long cord through each 

 hole, he repairs to a burial ground at some distance from the village, aud selects oue 



' IT. S. Geol. and Geogr. Surv., Ilaydeu, Miscell. Publ., No. 7, 1877: Ethnog. and Philol. i>[ Hidatsa 

 Indians, pp. 45, 46. 



= James's account of Long's Expedition to Rocky Mountains, vol. i, pp. 276-278. 



