Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 445 



Man "called" the buffaloes in mythological times. Iron Eyes did not leave the 

 lodge but remained seated in his place making signs with the loop as if snaring 

 bufifaloes and drawing them magically into the corral. He sang the Snare songs 

 belonging to Eagle Trapping rites. 



Poor Wolf wore a buffalo robe with the hair side out. He had a piece of white 

 buffalo hide about 12 inches wide around his head. A raven feather, to represent 

 Raven Necklace of the Earthnaming bundle, was in his hair. 



Bug Woman stopped at some point in the village and all would call out at 

 once, "Come out and chase this buffalo." 



Poor Wolf sang one sacred song and, when he finished, the dancer got down 

 on his knees. The people came and asked to buy the pemmican. They received 

 as many bowls of pemmican as they offered articles in exchange. A person 

 who gave a horse received a bag full of pemmican. Only young men bought 

 and they gave the meat to prospective wives. It was proper and customary 

 for a man to give pemmican to two or three girls, providing they were not of 

 his clan, for he had the right to marry several girls, but girls were criticized who 

 accepted meat from more than one. It was understood that a girl accepting 

 pemmican was willing to take the buffalo as her god and to assist her future 

 husband in the buffalo ceremonies. 



The procession moved through the village, singing and dancing. The number 

 of times they danced depended on the supply of pemmican. When all was dis- 

 posed of except what Feather-on-head, leader of the Holy Women, had in her 

 calfskin bag. Rattles Medicine ran to Bug Woman and shook her, this being 

 the signal for the participants to return to the ceremonial lodge. When the 

 ceremony ended, the pemmican carried by Feather-on-head was given to Dog 

 Bear and his wife. It was Poor Wolf's duty to supply the pemmican carried in 

 this bag. This pemmican was made from the old buffalo whose hide and skull 

 were used in the ceremony. The other pemmican was contributed by Dog Bear 

 and his relatives. 



On the second and third days, the ceremony was conducted the same as on 

 the first. The ceremony broke up duiing the fourth night. When the pemmican 

 had been consumed, the spectators left. Sandgrass was used to sprinkle the 

 participants during the final cleansing rites. This was the grass on which the 

 people believed the old man found the blood which later became Blood Man. 

 Then Poor Wolf made up the Imitation Buffalo bundle for Dog Bear. It consisted 

 of the buffalo hide worn by the dancer, creeping cedar, and sandgrass, together 

 with the buffalo skull used in the ceremony. 



Because Dog Bear did not want restrictions placed on him in entertaining 

 his friends, such as the number that should be in attendance when smoking, he 

 said, "Do not have any rules." 



Poor Wolf placed a portion of pemmican on the buffalo skull, saying, "You 

 will get this skull without any rules." 



Dog Bear now had the right to pray to Blood Man and the buffaloes. He 

 received the right to call the buffaloes to the village, doctor the sick and injured, 

 and lead war parties. The people praised him for his sacrifices in performing 

 the rites to insure an abundance of buffaloes. 



In dividing the robes and blankets. Poor Wolf instructed the dancer to take 

 his pick. The dancer had kept track of the number of times they had stopped 

 outside to dance and selected an article for each stop. Iron Eyes, who had 

 carried the sacred snare, was given four articles for remaining inside with the 

 snare and singing the Snare song of eagle, fish, and buffalo trapping while the 

 others were outside dancing. The Black Mouths and Holy Women each received 

 one article. The remainder belonged to Poor Wolf. If he thought his share 



