442 



BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 



(mi. I.. 61 



asked for their report. Tlie ilaijVaij did not ask a direct (jiiestion but said to the man 

 who first saw tlie buffalo, "You are not a eliild. You must tell me truthfully what 

 you have seen, and where you saw it." The man might reply thus: "I mounted a 

 certain butte and looked down where I have seen buffalo before, and there I saw two 

 herds, near the butte on which 1 was standini;:. " (It was tlie custom when speaking 

 of buffalo to jioint witli the thumb, not with the linger, and this custom was followed 

 by Swift Dog when describing the event.] 



"You say that you have seen the wallows'and those wlio make tlie wallows. I am 

 sure you have spoken truly, and you have made my heart good," said the itari^(5ar), 

 wliile the listeners cried //*'', and touched the ground again with the palms of their 

 hands. 



Then the itag'cag said, "If you saw anything beyond this which is worth reporting, 

 tell it to me." The searcher might reply, "Beyond the two herds I saw the plain 

 black with buffalo. " And tlie pc^oplc would say //»'' once more. 



Thus far the people had remained vt^ry quiet, but when the report was completed 

 there was great excitement. The crier shouted, "Put saddles on your horses! Put 

 saddles on your horse.'*! We go now to hunt the buffalo! " As soon as this announce- 

 ment was made to the whole village, tlie horses were brought in, and men and horses 

 were painted. Whetstones were brought out and knives were shar])ened. The scene 

 was one of busy preparation for the great event. 



Five or more men were selected from among the aki'cita to keep order during the 

 hunt. These men went to the council tent and received their final instructions from 

 the chiefs, who told them to be sure to secure beeves for the helpless, the old and 

 cripples, as well as for women who had no one to provide for them. These aki'cita 

 were men of executive ability, and were men to whose authority the people were 

 accustomed. They directed the people on their journey and required them to move 

 quietly so that the buffalo would not become alarmed, ^^^len nearly in sight of the 

 buffalo other aki^cita were selected. The method of approaching the herd was of 

 course not always the same, but in an ordinary liiint the party was divided into two 

 secticms, each led by about five aki^cita, under whose direction they surrounded the 

 herd, and at whose command they plunged into the chase. Those who were to chase 

 the buffalo took the saddles from their horses. Every man had his arrows ready, with 

 the special mark so he could claim iho, animals he killed. It was like a horse race. 

 As soon as the man shouted "Ready!" they were off, and you could see nothing but 

 dust. The men who had fast horses tried to get the fattest buffalo. Each man tried 

 to get the best possible animals as his trophies of the hunt. 



The follo\\'ing is a song of the chase, sung hy Gray Hawk (pi. 71), 

 a successful })uff alo hunter in the old days, who contrihuted interesting 

 details to the foregcoinii: narrative. 



No. 182. Sons of Ihe Buffalo Hunt (<•) 



Sung by (i KAY Hawk 



Voice 



-92 



Drim J:_92 



Drum-rhythm .similar to No. 6 



(Catalogue No. 545) 



■0- -»• -0- Qh 0'- ^ 



14 r 3 



