Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 59 



the river bottoms both for their primary som'ce of food during the 

 winter months, and for a surplus to carry them through the spring 

 months when they were engaged in agricultural pursuits. Frequently 

 the winter herds did not come onto the river bottoms, especially 

 when the season was mild. Then the winter camp suffered. Whether 

 the winter was mild or not, the rites to the winter herds began with 

 the winter solstice and continued until either the herds appeared or 

 the population divided into smaller hunting groups to seek other 

 game such as deer and elk in the undisturbed wooded areas. They 

 did not normally rely heavily on the garden products for winter 

 subsistence. Some corn and other garden products were taken to the 

 winter camp to vary the diet, and periodic trips were made to the 

 summer village to open caches for additional garden products, but the 

 Hidatsa endeavored to save their produce for use while at the summer 

 village. 



The winter leader never rehed solely on the supernatural powers 

 of his own sacred bundles. He would pray frequently to his gods to 

 send good luck and the herds, but his principal duty was to organize 

 and regulate the winter rites. Ambitious younger men who had 

 recently received visions would go to the winter leader for interpreta- 

 tions of their dreams. A good leader was one who could stimulate 

 interest in winter fasting, for it was to his credit to have many young 

 men out in the forests or on the hills fasting during cold stormy 

 weather when the "calUng the buffaloes" rites were being celebrated. 

 If the fasters succeeded in bringing the buffaloes, that is, if the buffalo 

 herds began arriving while one was fasting or shortly thereafter, 

 particularly if the herds appeared on the day indicated in the dream, 

 fasters were praised by the people without in any way detracting from 

 the reputation of the winter camp's leader. From native accounts 

 recorded when making this study, we find numerous instances of 

 young men first coming to the attention of the people as potential 

 tribal leaders as a result of their successful fasts during the winter 

 camp period. 



Winter fasting followed two distinct patterns; fasting for personal 

 vision instructions, and fasting for the specific purpose of bringing 

 the winter herds. The former affected but few people, chiefly the 

 household of the faster, and generally went unobserved by the 

 population at large unless the personal torture was so severe that his 

 clan relatives or age-grade society members were obliged to intervene. 

 In the latter instances, the entire population was affected. It had 

 the sanction of the winter camp leader and those working with him 

 in the management of the camp, and restrictions of one sort or another 



