138 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



Thus, tlie father generally directed his son to other "fathers" and 

 payments were made to them individually for their ritualistic in- 

 structions and prayers. 



Even those eligible by the rules of inheritance to purchase the 

 father's sacred tribal bundles, believed to go back nearly to the 

 beginning of time, were not exempt from military duties. Every 

 sacred bundle was in some way concerned with warfare even though 

 its principal functions were to bring the buffaloes, catch eagles, insure 

 good growing conditions for crops, or attain other social values. In 

 the competition for high status, those who had performed many 

 ceremonies and had publicly disposed of a great deal of wealth were 

 not expected to have as many war records to show as those who had 

 distinguished themselves largely in warfare. 



A girl's position was much different from that of a boy. She 

 usually remained a lifelong member of her mother's household, 

 brought her husband there to live, and inherited the lodge and lodge 

 property, including the gardens, when the older female members of 

 the lineage died. Her training was in domestic tasks so that she could 

 marry a good provider. Her affections and interests were with her 

 brothers even after they had married and moved to another lodge. 

 She would put up goods when a brother returned from a successful 

 war expedition, fast for his success whUe he was away, and have first 

 claim to the horses he had captured, even when he lived with his 

 wife's household, provided she ran out to meet him. She fasted less 

 than her brothers, never tortured herself while seeking a vision, and 

 generally kept the first name given her for her entire lifetime. She was 

 taught to avoid the vUlage ceremonies during her menses lest she undo 

 all the rites, and, if on eagle-trapping expeditions or small hunting 

 parties, to report her condition so that appropriate sacred songs 

 could be sung to send away bad luck. There were no organized 

 puberty rites but many simple household rituals relating to agriculture 

 which she was expected to observe. A girl was trained to become a 

 good gardener and housekeeper, and a skillful tanner and decorator 

 of hides. It was customary for the household to arrange her marriage 

 soon after she had reached puberty. 



MARRIAGE AND THE HOUSEHOLD 



Marriage did not involve more than a few Hidatsa households at 

 most and was never a public event. Frequently only the two house- 

 holds of the couple were involved. Courtship was usually carried on 

 openly and people would see that the couple were showing affection 

 for each other. When a girl was a good worker, and neither she nor 

 the man had been married before, his older brothers and sisters would 



