40 TRADITIONS OF THE ARIKARA. 
the Buffalo ran on to where the human meat was, and cried: “Get 
some of the meat and place it under your arm so that we can eat it 
whenever they let us alone.” But the people kept on killing, till they 
had scattered the Buffalo out. So they became buffalo and never ate 
the people any more. 
The young man saved the people, and these people came out from 
the ground and made their home close to the village; but finally the 
last people who came out from the ground went south, away around 
by the mountains. Later they came back to Dakota, and joined their 
brothers again, where they have been ever since. 
13. WHY THE BUFFALO NO LONGER EAT PEOPLE.* 
A long time ago, while the Arikara lived together in the village, 
it was customary to hunt in the spring. The story I am about to tell 
was told to me by my father; for I was very small when this story was 
told by the priests: 
On one of these hunts, the people failed to find any buffalo. 
Women and children began to cry from hunger.. The men took long 
journeys hunting buffalo, but they could not find any buffalo. At last 
the chief was approached by the women and asked to call on the priests 
for aid. 
The chief then took the sacred pipe from his bundle, filled it and 
took it to the lodge of the priests of the Knot-in-the-Tree (Critatao) 
bundle. The chief priest took the pipe, smoked it, and offered the 
smoke to the gods. After smoking, he said: “It is well. We will 
open the bundle and call on the gods to help us get buffalo. We will 
make an offering of gifts to the gods, so they will send buffalo.” The 
chief was glad, and went to his own tipi. The chief then called on the 
crier to tell all the people to be silent. The priest had his tipi cleaned 
and the bundle was taken down and the other priests were sent for. 
After the priests were seated and all the chiefs had entered, the priests 
took up the gourds and began to recite a ritual that had been given to 
the people by the Buffalo. After the giving of presents—native tobacco, 
black handkerchiefs, robes, and blankets—the priests stopped singing. 
The chief priest then went out and cut a long pole, brought it to the 
lodge and tied gifts upon the pole. The pole was then set in front of 
the lodge. Gifts were placed upon the pole for the southeast God, the 
southwest God, the northwest God, and the northeast God. 

*Told by Snowbird. 
