Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 315 



bring credit to your clan. He will soon be suffering where Spring 

 Boy suffered. Then you can come and suffer too; perhaps you too 

 will get a good dream and become a leader among your people." 



Final preparations were completed when the leaves were full 

 grown and the days were hot. The instructor would invite the 

 pledger and his wife to his lodge to outline the final steps preparatory 

 to the erection of the ceremonial shelter. The Holy Women's society 

 was invited in at the same time and feasted. From the society eight 

 women who had passed the menopause were selected to prepare the 

 ceremonial grounds. Those berdaches who were to assist in digging 

 the hole for the central post were taken in with the Holy Women with 

 whom they cooperated in various ceremonies. When Good Bear per- 

 formed the ceremony, a Sioux named Twelve was selected as, shortly 

 before, the Mandan berdache had been killed by the Sioux and the 

 only Hidatsa berdache had fled to the Crow Agency when the Govern- 

 ment agent forcibly stripped him of his feminine attire, dressed him 

 in men's clothing, and cut off his braids. The berdache selected the 

 central post, which was of cottonwood from driftwood in the Missouri, 

 and received his instructions from the instructor. When a log ap- 

 parently suitable for the central post was discovered, the berdache 

 called for the instructor to inspect it. If suitable, and the log was 

 floating in the river, rawhide thongs were attached to it, and it was 

 staked down to prevent the current from carrying it away. Aid was 

 then asked of the young men in carrying it to high ground. 



On the day when the central log was to be brought in, the Long Arm 

 impersonator took charge. He would instruct his announcer to call 

 through the village, "This morning is the time to get the big post. 

 Fix up in your best clothing; get on your best horses; bring your 

 lariats with you," 



Young and middle-aged men would respond and form a line. Long 

 Arm impersonator called for the pledger's wife and she walked in 

 front of him to the place where the ceremony at the post was to be 

 held. He would point his eagle wingbone whistle toward the sky 

 and blow it; this was the signal for the young men to charge the 

 post as though it were an enemy. The young man striking first 

 was believed to have received the supernatural powers to strike 

 an enemy. Four men took credit for striking the post. Then the 

 men gathered around the log, where each sang his own personal sacred 

 songs, prayed for supernatural powers, attached their lariats under 

 the log, and proceeded to carry it between them to the ceremonial 

 grounds. 



When they started with the log, Long Arm impersonator advanced 

 toward them, pointing his whistle alternately toward the sky and 

 ground. They stopped four times in bringing the log to the ceremonial 



