402 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



Wolf Eyes went back to his lodge. He belonged to the Big Grass society and 

 he told his young men about it. He was one of the real chiefs in a way for he was 

 usually selected "Leader of the Warriors" in the Sunset Wolf performances. 

 He said to the members of his society, "Wolf Chief has undertaken a great thing 

 for it will bring rain for the crops; food will be abundant and our people will 

 increase.30 I think all of you should put in some things for Wolf Chief." 



I heard afterwards that they were having meetings and would notify me when 

 they met. I belonged during this time to the Night Grass Dance and my brother 

 was a member also.'* We heard that they were going to dance. I had already 

 sent word to them. Big Bull, their announcer, went tlirough the village telling 

 the people that we were going to meet that night. I told my wife to have meat, 

 corn, and coffee ready. They prepared several pails of food. 



The meeting was to be in the Mandan Okipa lodge.'^ 



My wife and I dressed and she took the food to the lodge. All the people of 

 the society came in and danced. I told my society that I was in need of their 

 help. When I mentioned it, they did not say anything for a while. 



Then Red Wing who was highly respected said, "Wolf Chief is doing this for 

 the good of all the people. He wants to have a good home and fine gardens; 

 he wants our people to increase; he wants no sickness among us. It is hard for 

 him to get all the articles so I advise you young men to help him along, even with 

 small things that he can use." 



The people met in small groups and talked it over. Sitting Owl said, "It is 

 all true; it is a good thing for us. We should help him. When we pass the barrel 

 around, each person should put up something. I am going to put up a 2-year old 

 colt for the Wolf Ceremony." They had two wooden barrels and stopped at each 

 end to sing the society songs. As they went along with the barrels, the people 

 put in things. 



There were 50 members in the society and they gave freely. Cherries-in-the- 

 Mouth gave a red pipe. On the other end of the line someone gave me a blanket. 

 We would get an article and then they would sing. Nearly everyone there gave 

 us a fine blanket, robe, calicoes, quilts, or other things. When the barrel came to 

 Rabbit Head, he got up to dance and gave a mare and 2-year old colt, saying 

 that it was for the benefit of all. 



The barrel came to Long Bear, Old Dog's father, and he told how he had fought 

 the enemy. He began to tease some of the members of the Dog society sitting 

 there. They were there and had to hear it. He told how he ran the enemy into 

 the creek. I thought he was very brave by the way he was dressed. Old Dog 

 was there and he had his father give an eagle tail of 12 feathers and a good spotted 

 horse for he was proud of his father the way he talked. 



Eventually the barrel came to Bears Heart and he danced. He was in the same 

 age-grade society as Long Bear. He showed how he seized the enemy, making 

 many humorous movements that amused the people immensely. He said, 

 "I do not see why those of my age and society do not get wounded. They must be 

 cowards or they always manage to be somewhere else when the enemy is around. 

 Right after the smallpox we were few, still we were always after the enemy. 

 A buUet hit me and that is what I represented just now. Another time we went 



^ Note the shift in emphasis to other societal values with the abolition of warfare by the U.S. Government . 



" These Grass Dances were of late introduction from the Sioux and were rapidly replacing the older age- 

 grade military societies. 



'2 Note the many references to the use of this ceremonial lodge by the Hidatsa for the performance of 

 various social and ceremonial fimctions. Formerly the Hidatsa met in the various lodges but there was a 

 gradual increase in the use of this lodge for their public meetings until, just prior to the abandonment of the 

 village around 1889, the Mandan ceremonial lodge was used interchangeably by the two tribal groups. 



