MICHELSON. ] ORIGIN OF THE WHITE BUFFALO DANCE. 97 
were some women, some children, and some men. The things were 
handed over to the one whom he accompanied. He would always 
speak to them. ‘It is said that we shall begin our gens festival early 
to-morrow. So start to come early,’ he said continually. Soon 
likewise the ceremonial attendants began to come. They began to 
carefully place what was brought. Late in the night the ceremonial 
attendants for that feast were there, and there were many of them. 
Then it is said early in the morning they went around borrowing 
kettles. And early on the morrow, it is said, the attendants began 
to come. And those who were going to give the gens festival also 
began to come, and also the two men who walked around to give 
invitations. 
Then it is said he was addressed: “Try very hard to learn by see- 
ing,” he was told by the men. He noticed them, and lo, they were 
the beings by whom he had been blessed. 
The drum was being filled by two Ki'sk6s and two To'kans. Then 
it is said when singing was to commence, the flute was first sounded 
four times. After sounding it, then they began to sing. This was 
the way they sang: ; 
The wood-men—men—it is he— 
The wood-men—men—-it is he— 
They have stood—I—here— 
The wood-men—men—it is he— 
The wood-men—men— 
The wood-men—men— 
The men—the men. !% 
And then the second song: 
My father, mine, my father, my father, mine, my father,'* 
My father, mine, my father, my father, mine, my father; 
The manitous have stood here in one place; 
My father, mine, my father, my father, mine, my father, 
My father, mine, my father, 
My father, mine, my father, my father, mine, my father. 
Those white buffaloes; 
All those buffaloes here; 
Those white buffaloes; 
All those buffaloes here; 
Those white buffaloes; 
All those buffaloes here; 
Those white buffaloes; 
All those buffaloes here; 
Those white buffaloes. 
13 The esoteric meaning of this song (and similarly of other songs) was obtained from theinformant. They 
are not merely my own interpretations. 
The trees will keep on growing as long as the world lasts. The manitou has done this. Ki'ciga+ 
pawi'iwa+4tci+ is for -gapaiwa4tci’. The form in the song approximates those of a number of other 
Algonquian languages, e.g., Cree, Ojibwa, Algonkin, Shawnee. Accordingly, we either have an ancient 
survivalor the song may be borrowed. The protraction of vowels and ‘for w in neni‘agi+ hardly call 
for comment. I do not understand to whom “‘I”’ refers. 
14 The one blessed is supposed to say this: ‘‘ My father’’ means his father. Besides ordinary pro- 
tractions, no‘sa*4 is the only deviation worth noting (n0's4"). 
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