S0< I A 1. ORG WI/ \ riON 



Among the Blackfoot, Arapaho, Eidatsa, Mandan, 

 and ( rroe Ventre, we find one or more women's societies 

 not in any way performing police functions, but still 

 regarded as somehow correlated with the series for 

 men. Among the Blackfoot and Arapaho, the one 

 women's society is based upon mythical conceptions 

 of the buffalo as is illustrated by their regalia (Fig. 37). 

 Among the Mandan, where there were several women's 

 societies, we may note a buffalo organization whose 

 ceremonies were believed to charm the buffalo near 

 when game was scarce and the tribe threatened with 

 starvation. Some of their regalia will be found in the 

 Museum. 



These societies for both men and women in their 

 fundamental and widely distributed features, must be 

 set down with the camp circle as one of the most 

 characteristic social traits of the Plains. 



A careful study of the age-societies and a comparison 

 of their essential features with the societies of other 

 Plains tribes, indicates that they originated in the Plains 

 and were probably the original invention of the Mandan 

 and Hidatsa. At least, we can be sure that these Village 

 tribes were the center of distribution for Plains societies 

 as a whole. 



Social Distinction . There being no such thing a - 

 individual ownership of land, property consisted of 

 \u >rses, food, utensils, etc. These were possessed in vary- 

 ing degrees by the individual members of a tribe, but in 

 no case was the amount of such property given much 

 weight in the determination of social position. Anyone 



