Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 443 



bundle; Bug Woman, Dog Bear's wife, impersonator of Calf Wedge's wife and 

 daughter-in-law of the buffaloes; Iron Eyes, carrier of the Eagle Trapping snare 

 and owner of the principal Mandan Eagle Trapping bundle; File, an Arikara, 

 the dancer and wearer of the buffalo robe; Coyote Head, the announcer for Poor 

 Wolf; Rattles Medicine (Mrs. White Duck, daughter of Poor Wolf) the waiter; 

 the Black Mouth men's society; the Holy Women's society. 



During the period of preparation, it was necessary to get the wife's approval 

 since a vow to live with her husband was made during the rites. At this time 

 she was told that should her husband die, she could make a vow not to remarry, 

 which the men would respect. In return for this vow, she was pledged good 

 health and a long life. If, however, she eloped or went around with other men, 

 the promise made by the bulls would be revoked. 



A runner was sent to the badlands for the creeping cedar. He received the 

 right to use this cedar for doctoring as compensation for his assistance. 



The rites were usually performed in the Mandan Okipa lodge but in this 

 instance they were held in Dog Bear's lodge. The approach to the lodge was 

 made by four stops, at which time Dog Bear brought the pipe to Poor Wolf 

 who used the large hide rattles from the Earthnaming bundle for the songs. 

 The participants followed in groups back of Poor Wolf and occupied places as 

 indicated by the floor plan (fig. 8). 



Dog Bear filled the pipe and carried it to Poor Wolf who smoked, sang the sacred 

 songs, and prayed for Dog Bear's success. The night was divided into four 

 periods of singing, a practice characteristic of the Mandan Okipa ceremony, 

 representative of the four groups of buffaloes. The people fasted during the 

 night, symbolically representing the old man and his wife who were starving 

 when Blood Man came to kill their selfish son-in-law and to rescue them. About 

 midnight, the Holy Women and Black Mouth societies, together with the spec- 

 tators, left the lodge, leaving Dog Bear, Bug Woman, File, Poor Wolf, Iron Eyes, 

 and Rattles Medicine to fast until morning. 



Shortly after daybreak, those who had left earlier, returned bringing sacks 

 of pemmican; all ate, dramatizing the feeding of the old people after Blood Man 

 had killed the buffalo. Poor Wolf's wife painted the dancer, having bought 

 the right to paint the dancer from Missouri River's wife, Root. File, the dancer, 

 was painted with red paint; the old buffalo head and neck hide with hair on was 

 hung over his head reaching down his back. The creeping cedar was tied to 

 the hide. His moccasins were made from the old buffalo's hide with the hair 

 inside and turned down at the top. These moccasins were called "straight toe." 

 Then Bug Woman's face and arms were painted red. 



The spectators arrived with the two societies and occupied places at the door, 

 males on the same side as the Black Mouths and the females on the opposite 

 side of the lodge. The front row was reserved for holy men who had sacred 

 bundles containing buffalo skulls and who were not performing any specific 

 parts in the ceremony. People came in anticipation of a feast. Corn balls 

 were mixed with the pemmican and served with a ceremonial wooden spoon 

 belonging to Rattles Medicine. She had bought the right from her mother who 

 had bought it from Root. She had given her mother a horse to own the spoon 

 and the right to use it during the ceremony. 



When the food was ready to be served. Poor Wolf sang the Thanks song, 

 holding some of the food up to the four directions and thanking Blood Man for 

 the buffaloes. Then Rattles Medicine served the food. Poor Wolf received a small 

 coil-basket full; the dancer received a wooden bowl full; all the others received 

 a handful, except Dog Bear who was fasting. 



