Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 369 



beside the sweat lodge; I will sprinkle water over you for there is much sickness 

 among us. Then you will have new life and be healthy. You women come over 

 too." 



Each time he sang, he would dip the sage in the water and sprinkle the water 

 over them. He would say, "My Grandfather, I want my people to be well, 

 lucky, and free of sickness." " 



Even the children came over to the sweat lodge and were sprinkled. They 

 Hked it and beheved in it, thinking they would be lucky. They would crowd to 

 get ahead and be the first. While this was going on, there were only four stones 

 in the sweat lodge, all the others being left outside. 



When he had finished, he called three old men. Hairy Coat and two others 

 whom I do not remember, and instructed them to distribute the dry meat and 

 corn balls saying, "We are eating before our gods and I hope there will be no bad 

 luck. Try to distribute the food so that all will have an equal share." After 

 eating, the rites in the sweat lodge began. 



Smells called Small Ankles to break a stick and throw it into the sweat lodge 

 pit. They usually picked a man who was brave when he met the enemy to do that. 

 This act meant that Hard Horn would overcome the enemy. When this was 

 done. Smells said to Hard Horn, "When you put a stone in the sweat lodge, you 



should call the name of some enemy you want to kill saying, 'I killed ' 



and hit the stone as though you were striking the enemy. Whoever carries the 

 stone in will allow you to hit it. That is the sign that you will overcome your 

 enemy." 



They did that and four men would hit each stone. After putting the four 

 stones in that way, they threw the rest in without striking them. Then they 

 covered the lodge and poured water on them. 



After the sweat bath was over. Smells said again, "What are we going to do 

 with the cover? There are many articles making up the cover." 



I said, "You do as you wish. I have my share for I have 3 horses and 40 robes. 

 There are many holy men here; you can do as you wish." 



The robes were distributed and it seemed that everyone was well satisfied with 

 the distribution. When the ceremony was over I took my share and the three 

 sticks representing the horses. All this goods was the reason I always thought 

 that I had a good protector in early times. It was proof that I was well protected. 

 If old times were back, I would give others the same advice if they wanted to 

 become lucky and strike their enemies. 



When away from the village, bundle owners of Big Bird, Missouri 

 River, and Creek rites also performed hunting rites at the various 

 stone effigies of animals associated with these bundles — for the 

 purpose of clearing fogs. These effigies have been observed by the 

 writer on Mount Nebo (sec. 29, T. 143, R. 83) west of Price, N. Dak. 

 (sec. 17, T. 141, R. 82) (pi. 6), and 4 miles northwest of Golden 

 Valley, N. Dak. An effigy situated about 2 miles southwest of 

 the Upper Sanger site was removed to Bismarck and set up on the 

 Statehouse lawn. Will (1909) reports an efGigy outline near Ludlow 

 Caves in northwestern South Dakota, one of the Buffalo Home 

 Buttes of the Mandan. With the exception of the latter, all effigies 

 are situated in the historic and late prehistoric hunting range of 



" "Grandfather" refers to one of the Two Men who was changed Into a snake. 



