Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 379 



take the men back. Those anxious to get home drifted over on rafts. It took 

 much of the day to cross the 452 warriors and their equipment. 



When they had reached the village, Roadmaker said, "I am tired now and need 

 to rest. I will rest today and tomorrow I will sing the Victory songs with my 

 men." 



It was the custom for people to go around singing, and those seeing that would 

 give them presents. Roadmaker announced that On Buffalo's parents should 

 be invited to his lodge and that those who had won war honors should come and 

 give the old couple presents during the victory dances. 



Next morning the warriors painted their bodies and faces black and danced, 

 singing the Victory songs. Many other groups danced too. On Buffalo's father 

 and mother went to Roadmaker's lodge and sang this song, "Just a little while 

 ago you did this and now you have done it again. Roadmaker went out and found 

 three tipis and killed all the people. He went out again and found 15 tipis and 

 killed all the people." 



Roadmaker came out of his lodge and placed his finest war bonnet on the old 

 man's head. He gave him a new gun with powder horn and said, "You can use 

 this gun for a cane, my father." 



The old man went from lodge to lodge singing the same song; all gave him 

 presents of fine things. This made the old man and woman very happy. 



Then he made the ceremony to the "Grandfather" in the Missouri River who 

 had promised the otter skin, for Roadmaker had been told that he must do that 

 as the price for success. He took the scalp to the spot where the Knife River 

 empties into the Missouri, at which place there was a deep pool formed by the 

 swirling water. He gave it to the Grandfather. In the dream his Grandfather 

 had said, "You must make the sweat lodge and give the ceremonies to the River; 

 you will become a great doctor; the people will recognize your powers and call 

 you in to doctor them. When you treat a patient, give him two or three pillows 

 placed under his back; raise the head, and he will breathe easier. Scrape the small 

 turtle and put some of the scrapings in a horn spoon full of water from the Mis- 

 souri. Make the patient drink all of it whether he wants to or not. When you 

 have done that, take grease and rub on the patient's chest and abdomen. Then 

 rub wild sage on your hands and knead the sick man's abdomen, for that is where 

 the pain all lies and gathers. By kneading the stomach after greasing the patient, 

 this grease goes through the skin and eases the pain so that things will work right 

 inside. The blood will circulate. In 4 days you can stop doctoring. However, 

 if it is a severe case, you will need to doctor for 8 days, but the patient will recover." 



These were the instructions that the grandfather gave to Roadmaker.* He 

 became a great doctor and leader of war parties. Three years later Roadmaker 

 put on ceremonies to buy the bundle during the winter. He went out for the 

 enemy six times and never lost a man in war so he was famous both as a warrior 

 and doctor. Men of the three villages would come to him and volunteer to go 

 along. 



The Awaxawi would say, "If you are in the age-grade societies, get up and tell 

 what you did and it will be sure to come true." The men would get up in the dance 

 and tell how brave they were and the number of times they had struck the enemy 

 and made wishes that came true. So it was that the people of Awatixa and 

 Hidatsa, when hearing something funny, would say that it sounds just like an 

 Awaxawi talking. 



Roadmaker said, "When any of you have a dream that you are being killed by 

 the enemy, you can always avoid that by dressing up in your best clothing, going 



'These are general beliefs associated with all Missouri River bundles 



