Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 371 



MISSOURI RIVER 



These rites are nearly identical conceptually and ritually with the 

 Grandfather Snake rites of the Mandan. Their traditional origin 

 relates to the eating of a snake by one of the Two Men who after- 

 ward was transformed into a large double-headed snake and put 

 into the river by his twin brother. Before taking up his eternal 

 residence there, he instructed his brother in the rites to the Missouri 

 River and explained that although he was formerly a Sacred Arrow, 

 he would thenceforth be chief over all the water spirits, the various 

 snakes, the otter, beaver, turtle, mink, muskrat, and frog. In a 

 sense, the sacred bundle was almost an exact duplicate of the Big Bird 

 bundles, the essential difference being that the latter had additional 

 objects representing the big birds. Natives explain the presence of 

 objects representing the water spirits by saying that the grandfather 

 snake who became the "chief of the river spirits" was himself formerly 

 a big bird identified with the Sacred Arrows. The bundles were of 

 major status with buffalo skulls and were held in high regard because 

 one of the Two Men who is represented in the bundle possessed such 

 great supernatural powers that he was able to draw Packs Antelope 

 under the waters even though he had been blessed by the eagles, had 

 learned their sacred songs, and carried their sword. 



There were three complete bundles after the smallpox epidemic of 

 1837: Man-With-Long-Hair, Prairie Chicken clan, from Hidatsa 

 village; Missouri River, Waterbuster clan, of Awatixa village; and 

 Roadmaker, Waterbuster clan of Awaxawi village. Similar bundles 

 and rites were possessed by the Mandans. The Hidatsa bundle line 

 was broken when heirs did not buy the rights of Man-With-Long-Hair. 

 The Awaxawi bundle line became inferior to that of Awatixa chiefly, 

 I believe, because Poor WoK was involved in too many ceremonies 

 and could not make appropriate feasts to maintain its status. Mis- 

 souri River's bundle line was perpetuated by his son, Women-in- 

 Water of the Awaxenawita clan, who took an active part in preserving 

 the rites and beliefs concerning the Grandfather and other water gods. 



Although the principal bundle line was maintained by father-to-son 

 inheritance, minor bundles were frequently established through vision 

 experiences of individuals of more distant relationships. Even these 

 minor bundles frequently were sold from generation to generation 

 with the ceremonial sanction and assistance of the principal bundle 

 owners serving as singers. The pattern of River bundle relationships 

 with major bundles is characteristically Mandan rather than Hidatsa; 

 complete rights in all of the seven animals of the River together with 

 their songs and sacred myths, and the recognition of minor rights 

 related to segments of the complex. A complete bundle carried rights 

 in several ceremonies. The owner possessed Sacred Arrow rights 



