PREFACE 



During the spring of 1932, the late Dr. Fay-Cooper Cole invited me 

 into his office at the University of Chicago to examine a project 

 which the late Dr. George L. Collie, curator of the Logan Museum of 

 Beloit College, had formulated to investigate the archeology of the 

 historic Hidatsa sites near the Knife River in North Dakota; the 

 investigation was planned to include interviews with the older Hidatsa 

 men and women concerning an interpretation of their ancient way of 

 Ufe. When the depression deepened, the Logan Museum was unable 

 to finance these researches. Since our preliminary investigations had 

 indicated that there were only a few well-informed old Hidatsas living 

 who were famihar with their aboriginal culture. Dr. Cole suggested 

 that I work with them for at least 1 year and investigate every as- 

 pect of their former culture before they passed away. Hidatsa arche- 

 ology could be done later. In the meantime, under the influence of 

 Dr. A. R. Radcliffe-Brown and Dr. Robert Redfield, my own prin- 

 cipal interests had shifted away from archeology. 



Dr. Cole secured a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for 1 

 year's investigation of Hidatsa culture. During the depression, ex- 

 penses were less than we had calculated and after 9 months in the 

 field I was able to handle the Hidatsa language without the services 

 of an interpreter; therefore it was possible for me to remain at Fort 

 Berthold Reservation for 15 months. It was our understanding that 

 a request would be made for additional funds to report the findings, 

 but since funds were not available in 1933 I obtained employment 

 with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where I worked for several 

 years. However, as time passed, it became evident that I was losing 

 my understanding of the Hidatsa language; in the period 1939-46 

 Dr. Cole sent me additional funds to engage interpreters to translate 

 passages that were no longer intelligible to me and to recheck some of 

 my field data. 



From July 1932 to September 1933 I lived at Elbowoods, N. Dak., 

 where Mr. and Mrs. Hal O. Simons, who were employees of the Gov- 

 ernment as Farm Agent and Postmistress respectively, provided me 

 with living quarters. Off-reservation I made my home with Mr. and 

 Mrs. George A. Boomer, of Oakdale, whom I had known for many 

 years. I look back with warm memories to the time I spent in their 

 homes, 



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