412 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[BULL. 61 



This scale is major in tonality, yet about 55 per cent of the intervals 

 in tlio song are minor thirds. Only four intervals occur which are 

 larger than a minor third, all of these being in ascendmg progression. 



Old Buffalo's War Narrative 



In August, 1913, Old Buffalo (Tataqk'-ehaij'ni) (see pi. 41), with 

 Swift Dog came to McLaughlin, S. Dak., to confer with the writer. 

 They regarded this conference very seriously. Old Buffalo said, 

 "We come to you as from the dead. The things about which you 

 ask us have been dead to us for many years. In bringing them to 

 our minds we are calling them from the dead, and when we have 

 told you about them they will go back to the dead, to remain forever." 



Old Buffalo was born in the year 1845, designated in the Sioux 

 picture calendar Titay'ka ohle'ca kaha'pi kiy vxini'yetu, 'Winter in 

 which lodges with roofs were built.' When he was 28 vears old he 



Fig. 33. Incident in the life of Old BuOalo (drawing by himself). 



led a war party against the Crows. On this expedition he and his 

 comrades were entirely surrounded by the Crows, an event which 

 Old Buffalo depicted in a drawing. (Fig. 33.) Old Buffalo said that 

 at the time of this expedition his band of the Sioux were living in 

 the ''Queen's Land" (Canada), but had come down to the United 

 States on a buffalo hunt. From this temporary camp the expedi- 

 tion started under his leadership. 

 Old Buffalo said further: ^ 



One night the Crows came and stole our horses. I had an older sister of whom I was 

 very fond. The Crows stole her horse, and she cried a long time. Tliis made my 

 heart very bad. I said, " I will go and pay them back. "" A friend said that he would 

 go with me. I said to my friend, "We will go and look for the Crows. Wherever 

 their horses are corralled we will find them." Eleven others went with us, so there 

 were 13 in the party, and I was the leader. It was in the coldest part of the \vinter, 

 the moon called by the Sioux Car) napo^pa m, 'Wood-cracking moon'. The 



' This narrative was interpreted by Mrs. Ilattie Lawrence (see p. 3f)5), and is given a.s nearly as possible 

 in her words. Another narrative by Old BulTalo appears on p. 274. 



