436 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [eth. ann. 46 



others ; some are more powerful, more rascally, or more tractable, but 

 no aristocratic or honorable distinctions exist. 



Soldiers. — Having mentioned and explained the divisions of bands 

 and clans with the chiefs thereof, the next important body in their 

 government is the ah-kitch-e-tah, 10 or soldiers or guard. These 

 soldiers are picked from the band on account of their proved bravery 

 and disposition to see things well conducted. They are men of 

 family from 25 to 45 years old, steady, resolute, and respectable, 

 and in them is vested the whole active power of governing the camp 

 or rather of carrying out the decrees and decisions of councils. In 

 a camp of 200 lodges they would number 50 to 60 men, and in a 

 camp of 60 lodges 10 to 15 men. The soldiers' lodge is pitched in 

 the center of the camp and occupied by some of them all the time, 

 although the whole body are only called when the chief wishes a 

 public meeting or when their hunting regulations are to be decided 

 upon. This is their statehouse ; all business relative to the camp and 

 other nations is transacted there, and all strangers or visitors, white 

 or red, are lodged therein. 



Neither women, children, nor even young men are allowed to enter 

 in business hours and seldom are seen there at any time. All tongues 

 of animals killed in hunting belong to this lodge if they wish them, 

 and the choicest parts of meat are furnished them by the young 

 hunters all the time. A tax is also laid on the camp for the tobacco 

 smoked here, which is no small quantity, and the women are each 

 obliged to furnish some wood and water daily. 



What are the general powers of chiefs in council? To explain 

 this, it will be necessary to describe a council as witnessed by me a 

 few years since. The camp when I was a visitor consisted of about 

 110 lodges and in the neighborhood, say, 10 or 15 miles off were two 

 other camps, respectively 50 and 60 lodges, all being of the band 

 Gens des Canots. The council Avas held in the soldiers' lodge, 

 where, being a stranger, I had a right to be, though having nothing 

 to say regarding the question. This question was, Will we make 

 peace with the Crow Nation ? A few days previous the leading chief 

 had received an intimation through me that overtures for a peace 

 were made to them by the Crow Nation, and that the Crow tobacco 

 sent for that purpose was in my possession at any time the council 

 assembled ; also that a deputation of Crow Indians was at the Fort, 

 who had commissioned me to bear the tobacco with their request 

 and to await a reply prior to their visiting the camp in person. 



To decide this runners were sent immediately to the two camps 

 mentioned with a message from the chief requesting the attendance 

 of all chiefs, counsellors, soldiers, and warriors who felt an interest 



10 In form and sense this term ah-kiteh-e-tah is identical with the Chippewa kitchitwa, 

 " sacred, holy, honorable," and with the Cree nkitchilnir, "a brave, a soldier, un soldat)." 



