202 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



selling group selected "daughters" — younger clan members or 

 "brothers' daughters" — for each of whom they prepared an ear of 

 white or yellow corn wrapped in white sage, a headband of goose- 

 skin with the head attached,^^ and a complete set of clothing consisting 

 of a buffalo robe, dress, leggings, and moccasins. A woman could 

 select as many as four women standing in the relationship of 

 "daughter." During the 60-day period of feasting, the younger 

 women were taught the songs and rites of the society and received 

 instruction in the traditional origin of the society and its relationship 

 to other corn rites. In return for this instruction and the ceremonial 

 paraphernalia, each younger woman paid her individual "mother" or 

 "father's sister," according to the relationship that existed between 

 them. At the end of the period, the society was surrendered to the 

 younger women. However, there was not the same clear-cut separa- 

 tion from the society by the sellers as was practiced by the men 

 buying into the men's societies. 



Members of the Goose society frequently received supernatural 

 experiences, associated with Corn rites, in which the individual was 

 instructed in a vision to make feasts to the society or to various 

 sacred bundles concerned with the corn. Some women also bought 

 the right to have "corn spirits" come up in their throats on certain 

 public occasions. These women were retained by the buyers as 

 honored life members of the Goose society. They met with the 

 society of younger women and on all other occasions when public 

 rites were being performed by bundle owners having supernatural 

 powers over the garden crops. These women might even retain their 

 rights in the Goose society while buying into the next higher society, 

 the White Buffalo Cows, with their own age group. 



The most important meeting of the Goose society was held in the 

 spring when the first water birds arrived from the south. Usually 

 someone dreamed during the winter of the return of the water birds and 

 asked permission of the society to prepare a feast for the geese when 

 they returned so the Goose women could pray for good crops. Fre- 

 quently, several people who had dreamed of the geese would go together 

 and give the feast, otherwise a series of ceremonies were given indi- 

 vidually by those receiving supernatural instruction. The women 

 would meet with their singers at the appointed time and go to a 

 point just outside the village where the rites were performed. This 

 was the largest and most important ceremony heralding the first 

 arrival of the water birds and the end of winter. 



During the summer, individuals would frequently prepare feasts 

 and ask the women of the Goose society to dance. At planting time 



»' The Hidatsa Goose society formerly did not have the headband. See Lowie, 1913, p. 335. 



