Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 75 



Clan cooperation was expressed in many ways. In addition to 

 assisting and caring for the old and the orphans, women who were ill 

 and could not do their work were assisted in caring for their households 

 and gardens. One might even be brought into the lodge of clanswomen 

 and nursed back to health; Goods and horses were contributed when 

 a clansman performed a ceremony. Men of the same clan gave up 

 their wives for an unmarried clansman or one whose wife was in 

 advanced pregnancy when a ceremony was being performed, in order 

 to enhance the prestige of the clan. When a clansman was killed in 

 warfare and his clan brothers did nothing about it, people of the other 

 clans would accuse them of being cowards. The highest honor was 

 shown one who had organized his fasting so as afterward to avenge 

 the death of a clan brother. In every instance, the clansmen brought 

 out goods and property for the victory dances when one of its number 

 had returned successfully from war. 



At death, both the person's own and the father's clan had important 

 duties. Generally, the members of the father's clan who officiated 

 were selected in advance, sometimes years beforehand. It was the 

 duty of the clan to provide goods, horses, and food for the funeral rites 

 as payment for the official mourners who comprised the adults of the 

 father's clan. Not uncommonly one who was believed dying would 

 call in the close relatives of the father's clan, either men or women, 

 who would paint and dress the dying person even before death oc- 

 curred. The clan members would begin bringing in the property and 

 displaying it on lines within the lodge where those caring for the sick 

 person and friends coming in for a last visit could observe them. It 

 was believed that a lavish display of goods expressed the generosity 

 and solidarity of the clan. The sick person was happy in the belief 

 that in the spirit world he could boast of the goods that had been 

 disposed of when he was sent away. The clan had no other role when 

 death of a member occmred. Individuals of the father's clan were in 

 charge of the last rites. A dying person called in those who were to be 

 present to perform the funeral rites, otherwise the family would make 

 the selection. They would say to the people selected, "We want you 

 to bring the robe; your son (or daughter) is ill and about to leave you." 



Those selected talked to the "son" or "daughter," telling him not 

 to be afraid; that all people must die sometime; that they would see 

 their people in the spirit village and to greet them. Some dying 

 persons had many messages to carry to relatives in the spirit world. 

 The Hidatsa preferred to be dressed and painted when death occurred, 

 so, not uncommonly, a person would be painted and dressed several 

 times before death occurred. Brave men wounded in battle, knowing 

 they were dying, often asked to be painted so that they could dance 

 before the people to show their bravery. The people of the father's 



