fine day the Indians saw the Sioux coming from over the hills.
There were so many that the people became scared. The keeper of the
holy robe sat down in his lodge. The men were going out to meet and
fight the enemy. The enemy were so numerous that the medicine-man
with the holy robe and the robe’s belongings made medicine-smoke,
then laid down the gourd [rattle]. He took the robe and wrapped it
about his body, the hair side turned out. The inside had the sun,
moon, and stars upon it. He then took an eagle wing in his left
hand, the gourd in his right hand, went out and climbed upon the
top of his lodge. By this time the enemy were close to the village.
This man upon the lodge then shook himself, and shook the robe
towards the sun, then he closed the robe. While he was doing this
the enemy noticed some of their men fall off from their horses,
bleeding from their lungs and seeming to be out of their heads. The
enemy saw the man upon the lodge. They became scared. A shout was
heard. The enemy gave way and ran; for the power of the man was
so great that whoever came under his power ran into the village,
powerless to defend himself. The enemy gave way, and there was
great slaughtering. The village was saved.
The wonderful man went into his lodge and made sweet-smelling
smoke, passed his robe over the smoke several times, then wrapped
it and hung it up. The gourd was then passed over the smoke and
hung up by the robe. The medicines were then passed over the smoke
and put away. The man had red clay all over his body while going
through this performance. He also passed smoke all over his body,
and said: “I am satisfied. Our village is saved. The enemy are
killed. Scalps will be brought in, so we can have great rejoicing.”
Scalps were brought, and there was great rejoicing. There were
three different kinds of scalp dances given by the women. One was a
dance learned from the Cheyenne, another from the Grosventre, and
another from the Pawnee. Of course, they had their own scalp-dance,
but these three were the best dances.
Some years after, some of the Sioux visited the Arikara, and they
told of the strange man, and that he was a Wichita. The Sioux also
said that at that time many tribes had got together to annihilate
the Arikara.
FOOTNOTES:
[71] Told by Sitting-Bear.
[72] The tribal medicine of the Arikara.
71. THE MEDICINE BEAR SHIELD.[73]
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
believed 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 I 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 lightning 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.
I awoke in the morning and went home. I asked my people who took
the shield from my father’s grave, and they told me that some one
had taken it from the grave. I told them who had it, and my mother
went to the lodge of the man, who said, “Yes, I took it, but I
threw the cover away, for I intended to make a new cover for it.”
The frame of the shield was given up by the man to me. I took it
home, and I had my people make another cover, a cover I had seen
myself upon my father’s grave. You see the picture of the Bear as I
saw it. It is throwing up white-dust. The left side of the shield
is a Bear’s ear. Inside of it are cedar berries. The right ear has
pine cones in it. I hunted, and I killed a deer. The deer skin
was tanned and these things were put upon the tanned buckskin—the
picture of the Bear and Bear’s ears. On a buffalo hunt I killed a
buffalo bull and made the inner shield. This I did by getting the
whole breast hide of a bull. After I got it I spread it upon the
ground. I took all of the meat off. I then dug a hole and made a
big fire in it. When the fire went down and there were only coals
and hot stones I spread the hide over the bed of coals and drove
stakes around the hide, so that the hide when it shrunk pulled the
stakes up. As the hide shrunk it became thick. While hot, I cut
around the rim until I got it of the right size. Now a ceremony
was in order. Songs were sung while the covering of the shield was
being painted as you now see. The red, downy eagle feather was put
there for the first lightning, which was very red. The ears were
put upon the shield, so the shield would have understanding. There
are three songs that are sung when the shield is being made. The
shield was made, and I hung it up. In the night I took it into the
lodge. Before sunrise I would take the shield and hang it up so
that it faced towards the east.
When I saw fifteen winters I joined a war-party. After we had gone
several days we saw a Sioux coming. We hid away in a ravine and
as he came near where we were I jumped up, holding the shield in
front of me. Another man in our party shot and hit the Sioux in
the breast. I struck the Sioux with my bow and counted my first
coup. I returned to where the Sioux fell, for I had run beyond. I
jumped upon the Sioux and took only his scalplock. This I took to
my grandfather, who took the scalp to the lodge of the holy bundle.
The ceremony of offering the scalp to the gods was performed.
After this ceremony the chiefs had their ceremony, and I was made
a chief. I was invited to sit among the great chiefs. An old man
arose and, taking up a buckskin shirt, called me to him. He put the
buckskin shirt upon me. He said: “My son, I put upon you a dress
that is white; there are no marks upon the shirt. It is fringed
upon the sleeves and body with ermine. You are now a young chief.
See that you are always brave and as you strike enemies and scalp
them make marks upon your shirt, so that these chiefs who are
present here will be proud that you wear their shirt. When you come
to old age this shirt will be covered with many marks, representing
your deeds in battles.” After this ceremony I again joined other
war-parties. I gave many scalps to my grandfather. When the enemy
attacked our village I wore my shield, and though the enemy shot at
me I was never hit. When the battle would be over there would be
young men brought in from the battlefield wounded.
Another time my people had what is now known as the “sun dance.”
My grandfather took me in and placed me upon the ground. He spoke
to the old warriors, and said: “Medicine-men and warriors, I bring
this young man into this lodge. I want you, medicine-men, to paint
him and place this lariat rope upon the pole, and cut upon his back
so that he will swing. Warriors, in cutting upon his back, tell
of your great deeds, so that my grandson will overtake your great
deeds in his life and become a great man. I have many ponies to
give you, and his mother and relatives will give you presents.”
Two of the medicine-men arose and painted my body. Then one of the
medicine-men spoke, and said: “Warriors, the young man is ready
to be cut upon the back.” One warrior arose and came to where I
lay. This warrior told of his great deeds, then cut me upon my
right shoulder-blade. It hurt, but I kept courage. The next man
then came and put a stick through the cut and tied it with the
buckskin string. The next warrior came and told of his great
deeds, then cut upon my left shoulder and ran the stick through,
tying the buckskin. Each of these men received a fine pony from my
friends, also all the gifts brought in by my friends. The warriors
now pulled the lariat rope, so that I now swung about four feet
from the ground. I swung there one day and one night. One of my
related warriors seeing me swing there so long arose, and said:
“Medicine-men and warriors, this is the youngest man ever brought
into such a lodge as this. I have a present of a fine racing pony
for him. Now cut these strings.” When he said this, many of my
friends came in and spread presents of robes and other presents.
No sooner would the giver place the presents than some one would
come and take them away. A warrior arose and came where I hung.
He told of fighting a duel with a Sioux and how he had cut him up
with a knife. This man’s name was Bloody-Knife. He cut the strips
of skin, and I fell to the ground. I was taken out of the lodge.
Then I was fed with pounded corn and tallow. A few days after, the
Sioux attacked our village and again I counted coup and also struck
the enemy. I had an easy time in battle; I think it was because
of the sufferings I went through in the ceremony. I danced the
sun dance many times after that, but always suffered, for the old
medicine-men had died and young men took their places.
FOOTNOTES:
[73] Told by Strike-Enemy.
72. THE CRUCIFIED ENEMY.[74]
Many years ago there stood a village made of earth-lodges. In the
village there were some people who wanted to go on a buffalo hunt.
They were mostly young men and young women. The older people were
left in the village. After many days the enemy were seen in the
distance.
The old people who remained in the village were somewhat confused
and frightened. When the enemy approached, the men marched out
and fought them desperately. Finally the people of the village
retreated. They all got inside of their lodges. The men stood by
their doors, fighting the enemy. In one of the lodges sat an old
man. He was putting on his medicine paint and costumes. After
he had finished he went out, having a gourd in his hand, but no
weapon. He went on top of the lodge and sang some of his most
sacred songs, that there might come aid from some of the gods.
When the enemy saw him they were much amazed, and very much afraid
of him. Some one said that he knew the old medicine-man, and that
they could not do anything to him, for he was a medicine-man who
had the power to mesmerize. So they all ran, crying: “We can not do
anything with him! Hurry on, before he works on us!” The old man
ran behind them. One young man on the enemy’s side was wounded and
brought into the village. He was taken into the medicine-lodge, and
they all saw him. He had been one of the bravest men, and had all
kinds of medicines on his head and around his neck. Finally it was
agreed that he should be tied up to a wooden cross and be placed
outside of the village. They did this, and the man died. After a
while he lost all of his flesh, but the bones were left on the cross.
Many young men used to go outside of the village near the cross to
play at games. One day while they were playing, the bones of the
man on the cross fell to the ground, rose up and ran toward the
village. Everybody ran away, because of the ghost. The ghost ran
toward the medicine-lodge and ran inside, but no one would go in,
for everyone was afraid. At last one brave man came forward who
dared to go in. He looked all around and found the man from the
cross under some blankets upon the altar. He called to the others.
They all came in and saw the ghost lying there. They gathered the
bones and bundled them up in an old basket, then threw them away.
After this had passed, the party that had gone on a buffalo hunt
returned with lots of dried meat. Of course, the people who stayed
were very glad to see them again. The happenings and results were
told to them.
FOOTNOTES:
[74] Told by Hawk.
73. HOW A SIOUX WOMAN’S SCALP WAS SACRIFICED.[75]
In the fall there were five or six of us who went on the war-path.
We came to the Pine Ridge Agency, and there hid, close to where the
Sioux got their water. Two women came down to the spring to get
water. We all ran towards the women. The women ran. One young man
caught up with one woman, grabbed at her hair, took his knife, and
took the scalp off from the right side of the woman’s head. The
woman ran into the camp.
We returned to our leader and gave the scalp to him. The leader
then said, “We must hurry home.” We walked all day and all night,
and another day and night. The next day we found the thick timber,
and there we lay down to rest. When we woke up, the leader took
the fat off from the scalp. He then called one of the men. He
then cut the fat, making it into five pieces. Facing the east, he
placed four of the five pieces in his hand—one on each corner of
his palm—and the fifth piece he placed in the center of the palm.
He then took the pieces, one at a time, beginning with the one on
the southeast corner, then the southwest corner, then the northwest
corner, then the northeast corner, and placed them in a similar
position upon the ground, which was to show that the scalp was to
be offered to the gods. We then went home.
We gave the scalp to one of the high priests, who held the scalp
ceremony. At this ceremony we used the fire-sticks to make the fire
for burning this scalp. The scalp was burned. After the burning of
the scalp the people turned out, passing their holy bundles and
medicine bags over the smoke. The priest stood to the west of the
burning scalp and recited a ritual, calling on the gods. The young
men and children who wanted their names changed gave presents to
the priests, who changed their names for them.
FOOTNOTES:
[75] Told by Sitting-Bear.
74. THE WARRIOR WHO FOUGHT THE SIOUX.[76]
When the Indians used to live at the Fort Berthold village a
few of them moved about ten miles west of Fort Berthold, on the
Missouri River bottom, in the timber. This was in the winter time.
Strike-Enemy and some others went to the Fort Berthold village.
When Strike-Enemy was about a mile from the village he was attacked
by a hundred or more Sioux. He held them back, for he had a rifle.
He reached the fort; then the Sioux surrounded it. The people in
the fort all fought the Sioux. It seems that one man had gone out
to hunt antelope. He had killed one antelope, and was bringing
it towards the fort. He could not see ahead, for he was carrying
a whole antelope upon his back; but when he heard a noise he saw
that the Sioux had attacked the fort. He threw down the antelope
and ran. This all happened in the winter time when the snow was on
the ground. The Sioux found the man’s tracks, and they followed
him. They caught up with the man about six miles west of the fort.
Here he stopped, and the first Sioux he came to he killed. He then
jumped on the enemy he had killed and cut him open with his knife,
cut his arm off at the shoulder and commenced to hit the man on his
head with his own arm. The Sioux were shooting at him from behind
with their arrows. The hunter did not pay any attention to the
shooting. He stood up, gave a big yell, like that of a bear, and
the Sioux ran. Then the hunter again cut the Sioux upon the breast
and began to put blood upon his face. When he straightened up, the
Sioux saw that he had a piece of liver in his mouth. He chased them
and took away all their ponies. He caught one pony, got on it, and
ran after them. The Sioux say that they were scared, for they had
never seen anybody acting in this way, for the hunter seemed like a
bear. He gave them back their ponies, then went away, but the Sioux
would not come near him. He took only one pony and went into some
timber. That night a blizzard set in. The next day he was found
frozen. He still had the arrows in his back. The Arikara and Sioux
both tell this story.
FOOTNOTES:
[76] Told by Strike-Enemy.
75. THE CAPTURE OF THE ENEMY’S BOWS.[77]
In olden times the young men in a village went on the war-path.
While they were gone the Sioux came down to the village and
captured all their old women and children, killing many. A young
man returned to the village and found out what had happened. He
found his brother coming from a thickly timbered place, who told
him that his father was in hiding in the timber. These three were
the only ones around the village. The young man was angry. He told
his father and brother that he wanted them to follow him to the
Sioux. This they did.
One evening they came up with the enemy, who were in camp by a
creek. The young man said, “We will attack this camp.” The three
went through the timber. They saw the big campfires, mostly of
their people, but there were some Sioux warriors stationed out,
watching. The young man looked up at the stars, then at the
trees, and at everything. Then he said to the two—his father and
brother—“We must make an attack, give a big war-whoop, and make
it sound as if there were many people.” So the three gave the
war-whoop and attacked the camp. The oldest man, at the same time,
yelled: “My people, do not run, but pick up your bows! We are
here!” When they gave the war-whoop the trees all seemed to give
the war-whoop—even the grass gave the war-whoop. The stars seemed
to give the war-whoop. War-whoops sounded all through the timber.
The birds and everything seemed to give the war-whoop. The enemy
were frightened. They ran. The people stayed behind. They captured
the enemy’s bows and several of their people. Then they followed
the enemy. The next day they came up with them and killed a great
many. The people then took the enemy’s bows and arrows and took
them up on a high hill. They set them up, with one bow in the
middle and all the other bows resting on it. So all the bows and
arrows were set upon the high hill. The hill was known after that
as “Enemy’s-Bows-Upon-a-High-Hill.”
FOOTNOTES:
[77] Told by Yellow-Bear.
76. THE WOMAN WHO BEFRIENDED THE WARRIORS.[78]
When the Arikara had their village on the Missouri River there were
two boys who started out on the war-path. They went away up on the
Missouri River. They went down to the fields and found a little
earth-lodge. They went in and found an old woman, who was glad to
see them. She gave them something to eat. She told them where to
go. There they went, and found the enemy. They killed one or two,
then went home. Again they went on the war-path. They visited the
old woman’s place again, and she fed them. After they had eaten
she told them where to go to find the enemy. They went and found
the enemy. They killed the enemy and took scalps home. At another
time several other young men joined their war-party. They went up
to the old woman’s place and there they were again fed, and they
were told by the old woman where to find the enemy. They found the
enemy, killed several, took their scalps, and went home. After
this, whenever the two young men wanted to go on the war-path, many
young men joined them. They found that these two young men had a
grandmother, who was helping them. In one of these war-parties
against the enemy there were so many young men in the party that
when the old woman saw them she felt ashamed; but she told the
people to go on; that they would find the enemy and would kill and
scalp them. The people did kill the enemy, took their scalps, and
went home.
Again, another war-party went out to find the old woman, but the
old woman had disappeared. The men came and told the two boys.
The two boys hunted for her, and at last found her in the side of
a cliff in the Bad Lands. Here the two boys visited her, and she
helped them. Other men found out where she was and a great company
of them went there, but she had again disappeared. Another party of
warriors went out. They came to a big lake. The warriors made their
camp there. In the night they heard a woman singing scalp-dance
songs, and she danced and laughed. The warriors were scared. They
wanted to return home, but the leader said, “No, she is rejoicing,
for we are to kill the enemy.” The warriors went on, found the
enemy’s camp, and they killed several and took their scalps. They
took the scalps home, and they had a scalp-dance. Again, another
war-party went out. They went and stopped opposite the lake. The
dancing and singing was again heard. The leaders were glad to hear
this. They went and killed the enemy and scalped them.
Another war-party went out. They stopped opposite the lake. The
woman, instead of singing and dancing, began to mourn. But the
warriors went on, notwithstanding, and when they attacked the enemy
the enemy got the best of them, killed several of them, and only
a few of them reached home to tell the story. After that, when a
war-party went to the lake, whenever the old woman sang scalp-dance
songs and danced, they knew that they were going to be successful.
If the woman began to cry and yell, they knew that if they went on,
the enemy would get the best of them. It was found out afterwards
that this was the same old woman who had lived upon the Missouri
River, and she had gone away from the people and had gone to the
Bad Lands; and when she was found out there she went off to dwell
in the lakes. The people used to give the old woman blankets,
tobacco, and other things.
FOOTNOTES:
[78] Told by Enemy-Heart.
77. THE ATTACK UPON THE EAGLE HUNTERS.[79]
Many years ago it was a common practice for the Arikara to go
upon the hills and dig holes in them and stay in the holes many
days, to catch eagles. One young man went away off by himself. He
climbed upon a high hill, dug a hole, and over the hole spread
some dry limbs. On the limbs he placed some dead jack-rabbits and
other small animals. Then he himself got into the hole. His bow and
arrows were lying outside of the den. While he was lying there the
Sioux came and found the hole. They marched down and came upon the
man. They found his bow, arrows, and gun outside. They took the
things off from the hole and told the man to crawl out. They then
wanted to know where the other men were. He told them they were at
another place. So they tied him up and he led them up to the spot
where the other men were. They found that the party had lots of
meat. They untied the man and told the Arikara to stand around the
fireplace while they made the man cook the meat for them. The man
cooked a lot of dried meat, and the first thing he did was to take
a fire-stick, which he ran into a piece of buffalo tallow. This
he held over the fire, and as the grease was dripping from it he
whirled it around and burned the Sioux with the grease. The Sioux
were all scared. The man went out of the tipi and walked a short
distance, for he was very weak, for the Sioux had been torturing
him. Now, he went a little way ahead into a ravine. The Sioux were
all scared, for they thought that the man had gone outside and was
waiting for any of them to come out, so that he might kill them.
They stayed in the tipi all night.
That night the man went home and told the people all that had
happened, and the warriors and braves got on their ponies and
they found that the Sioux had just left the tipi. They caught up
with the Sioux and killed three of them. The Arikara went home
victorious with three scalps. So the people gave war dances.
FOOTNOTES:
[79] Told by Many-Fox.
78. THE ATTACK UPON THE EAGLE HUNTERS.[80]
There was a young man who understood the ceremony of catching
eagles upon the hills. He invited six other young men to join him
in catching eagles. They went west from their village, upon the
banks of the Missouri. These men made their camp, then dug into the
bank of the Missouri. They made a kind of cave. They spread limbs
of trees upon the top of the opening. They then laid fresh meat of
deer or rabbit, which had been skinned, upon the limbs. Here these
people stayed several days, catching eagles. They would hide in the
cave, while one man would watch out. The magpies were the first
birds to come and eat of the meat that they had placed upon the top
of the cave. Then, when the magpies flew away they knew that an
eagle was coming. They caught several eagles.