440 



BUREAU OF AiMKKICAN ETHNOLOGY 



I ISLLL. 61 



No. 180. Soiif,' of tho Buffalo Hunt (a) (Catalogue No. 475) 



►Suiij,' by 8iYA^KA 

 VoiCK J =92 

 Drum J— 92 

 Dnim-iiiythm similar to No. 





Analijsis, — The tones in this song are E flat-G-B flat and C. By 

 the test of the ear E flat seems the most satisfactory keynote; the 

 song is therefore chissified as major in tonahty, and its tone material 

 is considered to be the major triad and sixth. The tonic is found 

 only in the upper octave and in connection with C, forming the interval 

 of a minor third, which comprises 69 per cent of the entire number of 

 intervals. In this, as in many other Indian songs, the fact that 

 a certain tone seems tjie keynote of the song does not imply tliat 

 the corresponding "key" is fully established. Six renditions wore 

 recorded; these are uniform throughout. The song as a whole has 

 an interesting completeness of rhytlmi, though there is no repeated 

 phrase which can be regarded as a rhytlimic unit. 



Siya'ka contiimed: 



After the esc-ortiiii,' party had returned to the camp, the searchers were entirely 

 under the control of their leader. Sometimes he assigned a territory' to each of his 

 men and scattered them over the prairie, directing them to meet at a certain time 

 and place. ^Vhen the men made their report to him, they were expected to be delinite 

 and sure in their statements. If they reported that they had seen buffalo they must 

 be able to give an estimate of the number in the herd. It occasionally happened 

 that a searching party was unsuccessful. In that event they straggled back to the 

 main camp, attracting as little attention as possi])le. The longest absence of a party 

 remembered by Siya^ka was 12 days. 



Aa soon as the searching party had started, the tribe broke camp and began its 

 journey to the place designated for the next camp, where the searchers were expected 

 to make their report. Having reached this pUiie and made their camp, they began 

 an anxious watch for the return of the searchers. Men were stationed to watch for 

 them, and if these men saw them coming they relumed to the camp, and the crier 

 announced to the people that the searching party was in sight. The searching party 

 gave certain signals to indicate the result of their search, running back and forth if 

 the buffalo were close at hand, or waAing a blanket at its full width and then laying 

 it flat on the ground if they had seen a particularly large herd. Some went on horse- 

 back to meet them, and the entire tribe i\sseml)led in the middle of the circle to hear 

 their report. The following song was sung as they returned. 



