348 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



bathe, in order to put them in mind of the great flood. When their fields are 

 threatened with a great drought they are to celebrate a medicine feast with the 

 old grandmother's pots, in order to beg for rain: this is, properly, the destination 

 of the pots. The medicine men are still paid, on such occasions, to sing for 4 days 

 together in the huts, while the pots remain filled with water. 



Native informants were in general agreement as to the Old-Woman- 

 Who-Never-Dies' beliefs contained in the above statement by Maxi- 

 milian, but none could recall a ceremony in which clay pots were 

 filled with water. Within their memory clay pots were used to hold 

 coals with which to incense the objects in the bundles. When these 

 pots were broken, in recent years, large sherds were used. When 

 dramatizing the visit of Village- Young-Man to Old-Woman-Who- 

 Never-Dies' lodge, when clay pots were in general use, it was cus- 

 tomary to stir the contents of the pots and to say that the food re- 

 newed itself. The participants would leave a portion of the food in 

 the vessel for the snakes. 



Closely associated with the Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies' rites 

 were the Tying-the-Pots rites. Informants insisted that this ceremony, 

 practiced only at Awaxawi, had quite a different traditional origin 

 and was established after reaching the Missouri River. 



Grizzly Bear Ceremony 



This ceremony was performed to the grizzly bear and the sacred 

 arrows and should not be confused with a small black bear ritual for 

 eagle trapping. The Hidatsa recognize two classes of Grizzly Bear 

 bundles; the hereditary bundles which have their traditional origin 

 from the bear captured by Grandson to serve as his grandmother's ^^ 

 servant, and personal bundles obtained by vision. The latter class 

 was based on visions, often obtained as the result of being mauled 

 by bears as in the recent cases of Old-White-Man and Foolish Head. 

 These bundles have no long history of inheritance and no traditional 

 sacred myths. The rites were simple and often had only one or two 

 wordless songs. They were the personal property of the vision 

 recipient; feasts were rarely given to the bundle. When the owner of 

 the bundle died, the bundle was put away and, unless sold to a close 

 relative, the songs were soon forgotten. In spite of the personal 

 character of these bundles, we find the vision recipient receiving 

 directions to doctor; the principal role of the hereditary bundle rites. 

 In many respects the personal bundle rites and beliefs partake of the 

 hereditary bear rites without the restrictions imposed by tradition. 

 Not uncommonly, a personal bundle temporarily occupied a relatively 

 high status due to the personality of its owner. 



" She Is the Old- Woman- Who-Never-Dies. 



