446 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 194 



was too great, he must divide it with the societies represented, otherwise people 

 would criticize him for being selfish. 



In this instance, since Poor Wolf and Dog Bear's father belonged to the same 

 clan. Poor Wolf was both ceremonial father for making up the new bundle and 

 singer, otherwise Dog Bear would have selected a different man to make up 

 the bundle. When Dog Bear's father died, his wife made a vow on the buffalo 

 skull not to remarry and remained the "daughter-in-law" of the buffaloes the rest 

 of her life. 



Guts' singer rights were identical to Poor Wolf's. It was the duty of the pledger's 

 father and ceremonial father to decide which man would serve as singer. Since 

 these two singers came from different villages, the old people usually made their 

 selection on the basis of the village from which they came. 



BUFFALO CORRAL 



The rites of corralling buffaloes were drawn from the Eagle Trapping 

 and Imitating Buffalo ceremonies. The sacred snare was also a 

 part of the eagle and fish trapping rites while Blood Man officiated 

 as director of the buffalo drive by virtue of his authority to pray to 

 them. Black Wolf secured his sacred snare for catching eagles 

 from the Black Bears, 



The following is a summary of the sacred myth on which the origin 

 of corralling buffaloes was founded: 



Blood Man was a great chief living in the village when Black Wolf returned 

 from the Black Bears who had taught him the Eagle Trapping rites. Blood Man 

 thought that since the buffaloes were quite scarce, he would ask Black Wolf to 

 assist him in getting them together into larger herds. 



He said, "The way it is now the young men go out and get the buffaloes but 

 the old men can't. I want to plan things so that all get a more equal share. I 

 know that you went over to the eagle trappers, the Black Bears, and saw it all 

 with your own eyes. You got your supernatural powers from them and that is 

 the reason why I need your help for what I have in mind. You have the sacred 

 snare. You should arrange things so that we can get the buffaloes into a corral 

 with the power of the snare." 



Blood Man selected nine men to assist him and an eagle trapper to stand on 

 the hill and use the snare. Black Wolf stood on the hill with his snare when the 

 runners were out bringing in the buffaloes. He would paint the snare red and 

 sing the Song of the Snare. In the meanwhile the holy men and Blood Man 

 were concealed in the trees. 



The eagle trapper stood on the high hill making motions as though catching 

 the buffaloes with his snare. He had four motions to use; When the buffaloes were 

 to the neck of the corral, he held his blanket to the side ; when they were a little 

 farther in, he folded his blanket; the third time he wrapped it around him; the 

 last time he threw the robe and dirt into the air four times, signifying that the 

 animals were corralled and the people could come. The right to impersonate 

 Blood Man was bought by one of the Imitating Buffalo bundle owners from his 

 father. Each village had one Blood Man representative until the smallpox 

 epidemic of 1837, Black Shield who lived at Awaxawi being the only one to 

 survive. When the people went to Fishhook Village, he directed the rites. 



According to traditions, corrals were widely used in earlier times and, 

 prior to the adoption of horses, each village group had one or more 



