Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 31 



other two groups which claim a common kinship by virtue of a com- 

 mon origin from the underworld. In spite of their traditional origin 

 from the sky, the oldest culture-bearing levels in the Awatixa sites 

 show features which are characteristic of the other Hidatsa sites on 

 the Missouri as well as to the east and southeast of the region. The 

 Awatixa culturally occupied a position intermediate to the other two 

 Hidatsa groups on one hand and the Mandan on the other. The 

 basic Hidatsa-Awaxawi inheritance pattern of sacred rites and objects 

 was from father to son; the Mandan practiced clan inheritance of 

 bundles, particularly ancient tribal bundles. The Awatixa had a 

 dual system; that is, most bundles were inherited through a "father-to- 

 son" relationship but a number of other important bundles were owned 

 by the clan and transmitted to another member when one holding the 

 bundle died. The Waterbuster and Knife clan bundles were owned 

 collectively by the clan members of Awatixa village. While living at 

 the Knife River, and after the other two bands had built villages 

 nearby, those of the same clan in the other villages at first claimed no 

 rights in the clan bundles; it was not until the three Hidatsa groups 

 united at Fishhook in 1845 that clan rights extended to the other 

 groups. The Shell Robe belonging to the Prairie Chicken clan of 

 Awatixa was actually kept by the Mandan during the last century. 

 Nevertheless, rights in the bundle were claimed by all Mandans of 

 the Prairie Chicken clan regardless of the village they lived in, and by 

 the Awatixa. More recently, after imiting at the mouth of the 

 Knife River, rights were extended to include persons of the Prairie 

 Chicken clan at Awaxawi and Hidatsa. The Awatixa, according to 

 traditions, brought the Sun Dance (NaxpikE) down from the sky 

 and taught the rites to the other Hidatsa groups. They shared with 

 the Mandan the custom of arranging skull circles near the scaffolds 

 for the dead as shrines to the Sun Doing bundles and transporting 

 back to the villages skulls of those who had died or had been killed 

 when away from home. This custom was not generally practiced by 

 the other Hidatsa groups. They did not establish "mourners' camps" 

 as did the Hidatsa and Awaxawi, rationalizing this practice by the 

 other two groups on the basis of a quarrel — not a part of their cultural 

 history — which occurred prior to the separation of the Hidatsa-proper 

 and River Crow. 



Awatixa village organization differed slightly from that of the other 

 Hidatsa groups in the absence of an Earthnaming bundle with rites 

 defining village hunting territory. It was claimed that the highest 

 ranking leadership was vested in the holders of the Knife clan bundle 

 (Three-clan moiety) and the Waterbuster clan bundle (Four-clan 

 moiety): Stirrup and Blackens-his-Moccasins, respectively, just prior 

 to 1837. The village had no open circle or lodge arrangement other 



