Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 385 



then she fed them. She continued, "My sons and daughter, you are the ones 

 who put on this ceremony and you should pray to your new gods. Also, all you 

 men who own rights in black medicine and peppermint should give them some 

 to make them lucky." 



Then she addressed the bundle, saying, "You are passing out of my hands 

 now; you will be in Spotted Bird's keepmg. I have always treated you well and 

 I hope that while these people keep you, there wUl be no trouble." 



She touched the different kinds of food — the corn balls and the meat — with 

 the stick, and then she touched the sacred objects, saying, "You eat this. Your 

 son has given this to you and you can see what he has done. Perhaps there are 

 some holy spirits standing outside that we do not know about" so she made a 

 motion with her stick as of feeding them also. She touched the food and pointed 

 the stick to the different creeks and rivers, saying, "Your grandsons are giving 

 you this. They want to be lucky and have a long life. Sometime they may 

 want to cross over you so you should look out for them while they are crossing." 



She called Two Teeth, Spotted Bird, their wives, and our sister, saying, "I am 

 going to sing a holy song that belongs to the Frog and that will be the end. When 

 I sing that song, it will mean that you will have a good living and many children." 

 Finishing the singing she said, "I have received many benefits from owning these 

 gods. Now I have received good things for them and am ready to give them up. 

 I will heap these robes and the food into two piles before my children distribute 

 them to you old people. Each of you older people pray for my children and 

 promise them good luck so that they will conquer their enemies and become 

 chiefs." 



There was so much to divide that it took a long time. When this was done, 

 my mother said, "We have finished eating and we are all happy that our children 

 have done this for us. You spirits should now go back to the places that you 

 came from; the creeks, the Missouri River, and the four directions." '^ 



Formerly we did not get pay for doctoring unless the patient lived. If the 

 patient died, the doctor was afraid to take what had been promised him. In the 

 last 40 years [40 years prior to 1933] the younger people have been taking the pay. 



When I was about 12 years old [1863] four sisters, Juneberries, Bird Woman, 

 Different Sage, and Roots, the mothers-in-law of Percy Rush, came to her.'^ 

 One of their daughters was ill and different doctors had tried to cure her. They 

 came with a red pipe and walked up to my mother's sacred bundle and said, 

 "We have come for you. We want you to come over and doctor our daughter." 



One had a robe and some calicoes with her. My mother inquiied of my father 

 whether she should go there to doctor, for he had told her that she ought not go 

 out doctoring too often or she might lose her powers. Then her own children 

 might catch a serious disease. This time he said, "I think they need you badly 

 so you should go over there and find out if you can help. You know how to tell 

 if the patient is going to die by feeling the stomach. If it is a hopeless case, you 

 do not have to stay." " 



They offered to pay three horses and several robes to have the girl cured. 

 Before they left, they put the pipe in front of my mother's bundle and she smoked 

 it while talking to the bundle. Then she went to the sick girl's lodge. 



My mother came back and said that the girl was very skinny and that the 

 people had given her two sets of eagle feathers; 24 tail feathers. My father 



" Note that Strikes-Many-Woman was more generous than Wolf Chief, who kept for himself a large share 

 of the goods put up by the buyers. Note also that food and goods were taken from two piles by the moieties. 



'• Bear-Looks-Out's wives; see Old-Woman-Who-Never-Dies rites. 



1* Since the four sisters and other doctors had tried and failed, Strikes-Many- Woman could enhance her 

 bundle's status if she succeeded. 



