332 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



over a period of years are valid, and that of all these groups, the 

 Awatixa are probably the original Hidatsa group to reach the Missouri. 



The bundles were identical as to content. In fact, most Mandan 

 bundles contained essentially the same articles and the songs and rites 

 were identical. A complete bundle contained 1 large gourd rattle, 12 

 short ashwood sticks decorated with white sage, braided sweetgrass, 

 an enemy's scalp, a jackrabbitskin, magpie feathers, white down from 

 an eagle, a bundle of white sage, and a buffalo skull. Bundle purchase 

 followed the tribal pattern in that sons bought their rights from their 

 fathers after receiving visions interpreted as instructions to make the 

 purchase. Usually one first made offerings through renewal feasts for 

 the father's bundle after winning war honors whUe wearing some 

 object, usually a magpie feather supplied by the father who had 

 prayed that his son would be successful. It was customary for a son 

 to put up feasts to his father's bundle even though not contemplating 

 the purchase of the rites, and to receive some object from the bundle as 

 recognition of his efforts. 



New bundles were assembled when a complete purchase was to be 

 made. On selling the fourth time, the original bundle was relin- 

 quished. A clan "father" was selected as instructor to assemble the 

 articles, direct all preliminaries, and arrange for a bundle owner with 

 singer rights to officiate during the bundle transfer. The ceremony 

 was of 1 night's duration.^** When the purchaser wished to have 

 singer rights, it was necessary to get extra instructions from one having 

 those rights. The seller prepared an extra rattle or purchased one 

 from one who was too old to officiate or from the widow of a former 

 singer. The rights to the rattle and to be singer were transferred at a 

 feast for those holding rights in Woman Above bundles. In recent 

 years those Mandans having rights in Woman Above and other female 

 deities also met with them. 



Bundle renewal was an important responsibility of a bundle owner. 

 It was customary for the bundle owner and his family to perform a 

 renewal rite occassionally, at which time they were assisted by their 

 clans in accumulating the goods. At the termination of the rites, 

 the family woiild be nearly propertyless but it served a useful purpose 

 in demonstrating that "supernatural possessions were to be preferred 

 to material wealth." Their relatives usually replenished their mate- 

 rial needs. Individuals, particularly those whose fathers belonged 

 to the bundle owner's clan, often pledged feasts to the bundle if they 

 returned from a successful military expedition. Other "sons" and 

 "daughters" sometimes pledged feasts before a military adventure 

 was undertaken. All the leading bundle owners of the tribe, those 



<* See pp. 405-409 below on the Sunrise Wolf rites for a detailed account of a bundle transfer. 



