434 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [ETH. ANN. 46 



killed and scalped one alone (within sight of our fort on the 

 Yellowstone), and returned unharmed amid a shower of bullets and 

 arrows. This extraordinary woman is well known to all whites and 

 Indians. She resided at Fort Union last winter, and appears in pri- 

 vate disposition to be modest and sensible ; but she is an only instance 

 in all the roving tribes of the Missouri. Her success induced an imi- 

 tation a few years since by an Assiniboin woman, but she was killed 

 by the enemy on her first war excursion, since which no rivals have 

 sprung up. 



Having disposed of the chieftainship for the time and separated 

 the nation into bands, we will now proceed to describe other divi- 

 sions which we shall call clans. These are clubs or societies formed 

 by the young men of different bands or of the same band. There 

 are not many among the Assiniboin, they being a small nation, but 

 are numerous among the Sioux and the Blackfeet, bearing the 

 names of Foxes, Foolish Dogs. Strong Hearts, Bulls, Pheasants, etc. 

 Among the Assiniboin are first the braves, Na-pa'-shee-nee, Ceux qui 

 sauvent, who are a picked body of young men, said to be bound by 

 the most solemn promises and oath never to run from an enemy or 

 leave one of their clan in danger. They are chosen from all the 

 bands on account of some previous brave act, and are only known as 

 a body at feasts of their own and on war expeditions. They wear no 

 badges but dance completely naked in public and have different 

 songs, different from those of other dances. The Bulls, Tah-tun-gah, 

 are another of the same kind of clans in the band, Gens des Canots. 

 Their badge is a bull's head and horns painted on their drums, 

 shields, and robes, also in the Bull Dance they imitate the motions 

 of that animal, his bellowing, and shoot at each other's feet with 

 powder. When dancing they wear the head and horns of a bull, 

 skinned to the neck, the bones taken out, and the skin dried. Into 

 this the. head of the man is thrust, giving him the appearance of 

 half man and half animal. 



The Sndoo-kah, " Circumcised." — This is a large, clan of the band, 

 Gens des Canots, consisting of at 'least 100 persons, young and old. 

 They have not actually had circumcision performed, but these are 

 called so, and belong to that class who are naturally minus the 

 prepuce. These assemble once or twice a year and their ceremonies 

 are kept somewhat secret. They are, however, obliged to display 

 the part alluded to, to prevent imposition. When wishing to be 

 known in that capacity on private occasions they paint the tip of 

 their nose red. The end of a feather painted red or the pod of the 

 plant sketched as the comb root stuck in their hair is equally 

 significant. 



The Fox and Wolf clans are small and only appear to differ in the 

 manner of their dances and songs. There does not seem to be much 



