162 TRADITIONS OF THE ARIKARA. 
a. THE MEDICINE BEAR SHIELD.* 
I was fourteen winters old when my father died. I did not go to 
see him buried, for I was feeling very bad. After the people had 
come away from where my father was buried I went to the place. 
There was the grave. The people had stuck two forks in the ground 
and placed a pole across the forks. Then some poles were placed on 
the sides, and instead of piling stones and dirt over the grave a buffalo 
robe was spread over it, so that there was no dirt. Stones were placed 
on the robe where it touched the ground. I cried and cried, and in the 
evening I fell asleep. I dreamed I had seen a Bear standing by my 
father’s grave, and I was scared. The Bear spoke, and I always be- 
lieved that it was my father who spoke to me, and said: “My son, 
the shield was upon the grave; some one has removed it. Find it; it 
is yours.” I slept a long time, for when I woke it was nearly daylight. 
I stood up and cried again, and stood by the grave all day. I was 
young. There were many enemies in the country, but I did not care. 
In the evening I saw clouds coming from the west. Soon a rain storm 
came, but I did not go home. When it began to pour I ran to a steep 
bank. There was a crevice. I crawled in there and lay down. It was 
now dark. I did not go to sleep, for | kept my eyes upon the grave. 
There was a lightning flash. The flash struck near the grave. I saw 
standing by. the grave a Bear, its paws upward toward the sky. It 
became dark again. I kept my eyes upon the grave. Again the light- 
ning flashed and again the lightning struck by the grave, where I saw 
the lightning come together and form a circle with a black mark upon 
the center. On each side of the black mark were black spots, as if the 
circle had eyes and nose. I watched the circle, and I was satisfied that 
the black center mark was a Bear. The two marks I saw were Bear’s 
ears. On each ear I saw branches of cedar and pine. As it was dark 
the circle gradually disappeared, and I saw in its place a rainbow. Then 
it disappeared. The rain storm passed, and I crawled out from the 
place and went to the grave and began to cry. I cried all night, and 
also the next day. In the evening I fell asleep. In my dream I saw 
my father, who told me that a shield was placed upon his grave, and 
that Howling-Wolf had taken the shield from the grave. My father 
further told me that the shield belonged to me and that I must get it 
and make another one such as I had seen the night before. He further 
told me to go home and get the shield. 
*Told by Strike-Enemy. 
