Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 143 



ways in which he obtained a spouse and the complexity of his marital 

 relations are given below in his own words: 



When I was 18 years old and single I had a dream of four frames surrounding 

 my father's sacred bundles, the outer one being old and broken down. I remem- 

 bered my dream and told my father how I saw willows in a circle like the fishtrap 

 and that there were four concentric circles with the outer one broken down. He 

 said, "I often think of the way that you and your friends play here in front of 

 these skulls '* and now this dream has been given to you by these 'grandfathers.' 

 It means that you will give the 'walking' ceremony four times and make your 

 wives 'granddaughters' of the buffalo bulls." It also means that you are going 

 to live to be an old man for the last circle of sticks is old and broken down." 



I thought that I would have my wife "walk" with the buffalo when I married 

 and then I would surely have a long life. While the other young men of my age 

 were out looking for the enemies, I used to dress up and go out through the village 

 looking at the girls; but one day the enemy came to the village and I thought that 

 this time I will surely have to fight. I went out and, being brave, I was to the 

 front chasing the enemy when one man turned and shot my horse, killing it. 

 When the fight was over all my "fathers," the men of the Waterbuster clan, were 

 proud of me because I was so brave and sang the honor songs. 



When I came back to our lodge, a girl stepped up in front of me and I asked 

 what it meant. She asked where my bed was and I showed her. I felt bashful 

 for I was only 18 at the time. Her name was Different Snake; she had been 

 married and was separated from her husband. She said "You are not supposed 

 to go out tonight." 



Seeing us together at my bed, my mother came over and said, "Will you want 

 any supper? It seems that I have a daughter-in-law." Different Snake said 

 that we should go to bed so she took off my moccasins and leggings. When she 

 came near me I was not bashful any longer and possessed her. In the morning 

 my mother got up and prepared breakfast for us and we sat together on a robe 

 she spread for us. When it was daylight I was bashful again and did not talk 

 much with Different Snake. 



I did not love her for she had come to me without being asked. I was fond of 

 another girl who had not been married so 1 thought as I sat there eating my break- 

 fast, "I will go out and stay away for a while; it will be better to separate from 

 her." 



I went out and did not go back for 4 nights when I heard that she had left. 

 While I was out I met the girl I Uked and she said that she had heard I was married. 

 I told her I did not like Different Snake. She told me that I should go back as I 

 was married but I told her that I would not. I kept seeing her and 3 nights later 

 I got her to come with me to my mother's lodge. She was Brown Blossom, a 

 Mandan. The families exchanged presents after she came to live with me. 



Now that I was married, I thought that I should give the "walking" ceremony. 

 I thought that Brown Blossom was quite young and might not obey me so I 

 mentioned the matter to my father. My father said, "We will tell your mother 

 about it and she will advise you. Since you have really promised, you should not 

 back out. When your mother comes in we will have her explain it to your wife, 

 also to your mother-in-law, and it may be that they can persuade your wife to 

 help." 



w The Waterbuster clan bundle. See pp. 467-473 for the rites. 

 " The Painted Bed Stick rites. See pp. 451-463. 



