Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 203 



the women of the village would come to the singer who was perform- 

 ing the "fertility" rites on his earth lodge to receive a few kernels 

 of each variety of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. Moves 

 Slowly held superior status to Bear-Looks-Out in Fertility rites. It 

 was believed that the corn spirits went south with the water birds 

 in the fall and were cared for by Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies until 

 spring when they were sent northward again. As the geese were the 

 messengers of the Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies, so were the women 

 of the Goose society the messengers of the sacred bundle owners. 



When droughts threatened, the people would go to the sacred corn 

 bundle owners who would invite the Goose society to dance. If the 

 drought was prolonged, the Goose society members would invite 

 others having rain ceremonial rights to perform their Rainmaking 

 rites and pay them for their services. When a rainmaker failed to 

 bring rain within a definite number of days, he would terminate his 

 rites and direct them to take the goods to another rainmaker. If 

 Hidatsa interpretations of the role of the Goose society are correct, 

 all rainmaking rites were undertaken on the initiative of this society. 

 There were a number of bundles that could be classified primarily 

 as rainmaking bundles, but anyone who had fasted much and had 

 demonstrated supernatural powers might be asked. 



On one occasion during the 1860's, the Goose society took their 

 goods to various men each of whom tried for a day or two, giving 

 up when rain did not come. At last they asked help of Broken Ax, 

 a Mandan noted for his numerous performances of the Okipa, and 

 the rains came, penetrating the soil to the depth of a hand's width. 

 Broken Ax did not think it would look proper for him to keep as 

 personal possessions all of the goods contributed by the Goose soci- 

 ety, so he shared everything with other "holy" men who had tribal 

 bundles and with those who had fasted much during their youth. 

 In gratitude for services rendered, the people of the village materially 

 thanked the Goose society. 



Slightly later, grasshoppers were numerous and flew into the river 

 valley from the adjacent prairies, attacking the corn silk as fast as 

 it appeared. The women of the Goose society again met to select 

 "holy men" to help drive away the insects. Crows Heart, who 

 observed the activities of the Goose society at that time, tells us that 



The women were crying, for the grasshoppers were eating up their corn plants 

 before the kernels could form. The Goose women were invited by those who 

 had gardens to meet and see if something could be done to drive the insects 

 away. Each day grasshoppers flying in the air near the sun would settle in 

 the trees as the sun went down until they were so numerous that even the leaves 

 were nearly all gone. The Goose women went to various men to ask their help; 

 these men tried because they were asked and goods were promised to them. 

 But the men were soon discouraged and quit. At last the women went to Bro- 



