618 



TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI 



[ETH. ANN. 46 



costume, and the wild intonations of the tune, not from words re- 

 peated. These songs are suitable to the occasion, and the whole when 

 well got up has a decidedly unique appearance, singularly corre- 

 spondent in all its component parts. These chants are very difficult 

 for us to learn and scarcely less so to describe, but are preferred by 

 them to any music, vocal or instrumental, of white performers yet 

 presented to them. The length of a tune is about equal to eight 

 bars of our common time, and the syllables to each beat vary from 

 four to eight, but in some of the medical songs the intonation is so 

 rapid as scarcely to admit of being counted. Songs for dancing, 

 medicine (that is, the practice of healing), and on other assemblies 

 are generally accompanied with drums, bells, rattles, flutes, and 

 whistles, of all of which the drum is the principal instrument, for 

 though on some occasions all of them and several of each kind are 

 used, yet there are none in which the drum is not used, but several 

 where the rest are dispensed with. 



Independent of public songs, singing is a very common amusement 

 for the young men at nights, principally to attract the attention of 

 the females, and often intended as signals for secret assignations. 



Subjoined is a list of most of their songs, in reading over which it 

 will be observed that there are none denominated " Hunting songs," 

 that employment not being celebrated in song in any way, either for 

 success or failure, unless the incantative song by the Master of the 

 Park to bring the buffalo toward it would be construed in that light. 

 The uses of the others can be traced in their names, taken in connec- 

 tion with what has already been written concerning their ceremonies. 

 The words " do-wan " attached to all means " a song." 



Songs of the Sioux, Crow, and Assiniboin Nations 



Indian name 



Interpretation 



Occasion, etc 



Wah-kit-tai' do-wan 



Chan-du'-pah do-wan 



Tah-tun'-gah do-wan 



Te-chagh'-ata do-wan 



Cong-ghai' do-wan 



Pai-hun-ghe-nah do-wan. 

 Nap-pai'-she-ne do-wan .. 



Ab-kitchetah do-wan 



To-kah-nah do-wan 



Ah-do-wah __ 



At-to-do-wah 



Opah-ghai do-wan 



Och-pi-e-cha-ghah do-wan 



Shunga-tunga do-wan 



Shunk to-ka-chah do-wan 



To-shan do-wan 



We do-wan 



Scalp song 



Incantation Pipe song... 

 Bull song 



Incantation Lodge song. 

 Crow song 



White Crane song 



Song of the Braves 



Soldiers' song 



Foxes' song 



Diviner's song for thesick 



Tattooing song 



Gathering of the kins 



Buffalo Park song 



Horse song.. 



Wolf song 



Drinking songs __. 



Sun song __ 



More than ten different kinds. 



Two or three varieties. 



In the Bull dance; also used in the 

 park. 



Religious. 



In Crow dance and before starting to 

 war. 



Incantation— in the song of that name. 



In the dance of "Ceux qui sauve pas." 



Used at the soldiers' dance. 



In the dance of that band. 



About 20 different kinds. 



Sung while performing that operation. 



Called also the thunder song (incan- 

 tation). 



Incantation. 



In the whip dance. 



Sung on starting to war. 



More than ten varieties. 



Religious. 



