200 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BuU. 194 



Skunk Society 



The lowest of the Hidatsa societies, the Skunks, seems to have 

 had no Mandan equivalent. The Skunk society consisted of young 

 women from 15 to 20 years of age and a male singer selected by the 

 society. Their "friends" were the men's Stone Hammer society; 

 they assisted each other on various social occasions and for society 

 purchases. Although purchases were made collectively, each woman 

 of the society standing in the "father's sister-daughter" or "mother- 

 daughter" relationship, it was not considered improper for others to 

 paint themselves in the same manner and dance when the men re- 

 tm-ned from a successful war expedition. They were entitled to 

 presents from those who had just returned with war honors. This 

 was not an exclusive privilege of the society; frequently on such oc- 

 casions others also took the victor's weapons and required payment 

 for their return. Individuals were taken into the society from time 

 to time by individual purchase and were considered full-fledged 



members thereafter. 



Enemy Society 



Lowie (1913) gives a full account of the women's Enemy society. 

 This was second in the series of Hidatsa age-grade societies and its 

 members were "friends" of the Foolish [Crazy] Dogs. The society 

 was composed of young married women who met whenever the men 

 returned from a successful war expedition and took an important part 

 in the victory parades. Although the Mandan think of this Hidatsa 

 society as a poor imitation of the River society, the Hidatsa ascribe 

 its origin to First Creator who organized the society for the purpose 

 of dancing during the victory celebrations. Singers for the society 

 were men of "friendly" societies and held their positions on invitation 



of the women. 



Goose Society 



The Goose society was of Mandan origin according to all of my 

 informants, in spite of the fact that Maximilian (1906) lists it only 

 for the Hidatsa. According to Mandan traditions, this society was 

 of long standing with them and even preceded their arrival upstream 

 to the Heart River. The society was associated with agriculture and 

 had as its principal singers men who held rights in various corn 

 ceremonies. This society differed from the societies of younger women 

 by being concerned exclusively with rites for insuring good crops. 

 According to Hidatsa traditions, the Awatixa were longest to have 

 this society and, since this Hidatsa village group has the longest 

 traditional history on the Missouri, it would appear that as each 

 Hidatsa group settled on the Missouri, this society became a part of 



