412 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



put hot stones on them, and roll these hot stones over the hides until the hides 

 were charred. When a Iiide was dry, they should cut the edges again until the 

 hide was round. Tanned buckskin should be fastened over the hide. Then 

 when the tanned buckskin was painted with pictures of \,h.e young men's gods, 

 these shields would protect them when attacking their enemies. All the men 

 did that and the arrows would not penetrate the shields. The other tribes saw 

 these shields and copied them. Hungry Wolf also had the power to bring rains. 

 The war party moved camp, going toward the southwest. When they reached 

 Like-a- Prairie-Chicken-Tail Butte they found red paint inside stone balls and 

 took all they needed. Scouts returned to report a large camp They charged 

 and the enemy ran. They killed 100 and allowed the others to escape. His 

 former wife aud another old Hidatsa woman were in this camp. The old woman 

 told how she had been taken captive bj^ the Cheyenne when a little girl and had 

 raised a family there so she did not want to return to the Hidatsa. Many women 

 and children were taken prisoners and kept at the Knife River villages. When 

 Hungry Wolf was old, he sold his ceremonies to his sons and so they passed down 

 to present times. 



In spite of the fact that women with Wolf Woman rights partici- 

 pated in this ceremony, only one brief reference is made in the myth 

 to the Wolf Woman bundle and that is to the effect that there is 

 another song without words that belongs to a very old female wolf. 

 A summary of the sacred myth which the Hidatsa claim to accoimt 

 for the origin of the Wolf Woman bundle is supplied at this point 

 since the bundle owner had an important role in the performance of 

 the Sunset Wolf rites. 



The myth has its origin with the Hidatsa who were Uving at the mouth of 

 Knife River on the north bank. A very holy man named Strong Jaws hved in 

 this village. He had grown holy because he fasted 9 days and nights and had 

 dreamed of all the different kinds of wolves." 



The wolves told Strong Jaw to stuflf a wolf hide with sage and to take it outside 

 of the lodge whenever the wolves howled and they would reveal what news they 

 were sending him. Because he could predict the future this way with the help 

 of the wolves, he was of great assistance to the village. 



The other holy men were jealous of Strong Jaw's supernatural powers and a 

 friend warned him that it would be best to leave the village and take the friendly 

 families with him.*^ 



Thirty-five families broke away and traveled westward towards the Killdeer 

 Mountains until they reached a place on the Little Missouri where they built a 

 new village. They hunted afoot for there were few horses in those days. They 

 lived there 3 years. Strong Jaw had a son named Walks-at-Dusk and a daughter 

 who was 8 years of age. 



Farther west the Snake Indians lived. One of their men was very holy so he 

 was looking around to find someone suitable to buy his sacred rites. His power 

 was a sacred hoop through which he could look and see every tribe on the earth. 



•' The informant, Joe Ward, interpreted this to mean that, in addition, he had given public performances 

 so that the people knew and approved Strong Jaw's beliefs of his supernatural powers and that he had 

 further distinguished himself in battle. 



" Traditionally this village group displayed less imity than the other two Hidatsa groups, the Awatixa 

 and Awaxawl, and is said to have forsaken agriculture from time to time, living nomadically for several 

 years at a time. 



