172 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



articles. When the individual was placed on a scaffold, it was com- 

 mon for those having distinctive military records to request that the 

 symbols associated with these records be painted on the posts. 

 Food of the type a man would carry on a long journey was usually 

 placed in a dish or bag with the body. 



The mourners and the participants would meet at the deceased's 

 lodge and move to the burial grounds in a procession. At the head 

 would be those carrying the body, immediately followed by the 

 nearest relatives. For a man these relatives would be his sisters, 

 mothers and father, brothers, and wife in that order. 



Prior to the removal of the body from the lodge and usually imme- 

 diately after the moment of death, it was the custom for the sisters 

 and mother to prepare their mourning clothing and hair. First of 

 all, they would cut their hair short and jagged. Then they would 

 cut off the lower section of some old dress and remove the sleeves. 

 A woman was expected to cut off a section of a finger for anyone 

 who had given her a horse on returning from a successful war expe- 

 dition. Since a man normally gave horses only to mothers and 

 sisters, these generally were the ones who cut off fingertips. Men 

 rarely cut off the tips of their fingers in mourning; they, however, did 

 do this when fasting for visions and supernatural powers. 



For distinguished men and women, the amount of goods given to the 

 mourners was often very great. Most of the goods was secured as 

 gifts from members of the clan. However, a man's age-grade society 

 would frequently contribute goods to be given to various distinguished 

 persons. No two individuals tended to have exactly the same kinship 

 ties and relationships. One individual, whether male or female, 

 might during his hfetime adopt many sons and daughters and be 

 adopted as son by many others, even of ahen tribes. When such a 

 person died, it was expected that the brothers and sisters and all these 

 sons and daughters would present gifts to distinguished people in the 

 deceased person's name. 



My informants were all in agreement that the fires in the lodges 

 were all extinguished on the death of a great chief. However, my 

 informants could not agree on the particular categories of chiefs in- 

 volved. All agreed that the head chief of the village, commonly 

 known as the Village or Peace Chief, the principal War Chief, and the 

 four men "protecting the four directions" would be so honored. 

 It may well be that the lack of agreement after the Hidatsa moved to 

 Fishhook Village was because there was not the same cultural unity 

 within the village that there had formerly been when they lived in 

 separate villages. 



When it was learned in the village that someone was about to die, 

 it was customary for those who had lost loved ones shortly before to 



