60 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



were invariably imposed on the whole population while the fast was 

 on. Commonly, when one with recognized supernatural powers 

 volunteered to fast at a distance from the camp, fires were extinguished, 

 all loud noises were prohibited, and hunters were forbidden to leave 

 camp. The entire population fasted while men and women alike 

 addressed prayers to their sacred objects. When the sun set, the 

 faster returned to the camp and the fires were rekindled. Fasting 

 continued daily for 4 days, after which, if no buffaloes appeared, the 

 faster terminated his fast by either promising the herds in a stated 

 time or offering some excuse for his failure. The women's White- 

 Buffalo-Cow society also fasted daily during the coldest days, with 

 the camp organized in the manner described above. 



The first approach of the winter herds toward the river bottoms was 

 the signal for increased ritualistic action to "keep them coming." 

 The camp was strictly policed to prevent premature hunting. Wood 

 cutting was prohibited, and fires were extinguished if they were up- 

 wind of the approaching herds. Scouts kept watch of the progress of 

 the herds and reported regularly to the camp leader. The individual 

 households which had sacred bundles including buft'alo skulls made 

 offerings of food and calicoes to each bundle, while households having 

 no such bundles made similar offerings to those of closely related 

 households. During the approach of the herds, the Black Mouths 

 were on constant guard to see that no person hunted prematurely; 

 there are traditions that on some occasions the police killed individuals 

 disobeying their orders. In the memory of the oldest Hidatsa, 

 however, there were few intentional violations of the orders ; hence the 

 punishment was less severe. In any event, the Black Mouths had 

 the authority, fortified by public opinion, to take such measures as 

 they deemed necessary to enforce the "no hunting" orders of the winter 

 chief. According to informants, the buffalo herds were easily startled 

 when they fii'st reached the wooded bottoms from the prairies — in 

 fact, whenever a herd first moved to a new pasture — and it was 

 necessary to leave them undisturbed for a few days to graze and get 

 settled in their new environment, or'^they were likely to move on. 

 During this time, Wolf Chief said that it was very hard indeed to 

 restrain one's self, particularly when the children were crying from 

 hunger and cold. The people stayed within doors and could often see 

 the buffaloes walking between the lodges or hooking at dogs that had 

 not been securely tied. When the time came to kill, even in later 

 years, restrictions on the use of firearms were enforced. These 

 restrictions placed the young men unskilled with bows and arrows 

 at a disadvantage. After two or three large surrounds had been 



