BRINGS-DOWN-THE-SUN TELLS ABOUT MEN’S SOCIETIES
THE BRAVES
“I am a member of the Society of Braves. It was started long ago by
an Indian. He had a strong dream in which he saw a band of dogs and
the way they acted. The Braves ruled the camp and helped our chiefs
to keep order. We punished men and women who quarreled; we
sometimes killed people who disobeyed our orders.
“When it was time for our tribe to move camp, we marched with the
beating of drums and singing, each member carrying a knife and a
bow and quiver full of arrows. We went to the center of camp and
spent the night curled up on the ground like dogs. The day our
tribe moved, we stayed behind and acted like dogs, eating all the
food that was left; like dogs we followed slowly and entered camp
after all the lodges were pitched.
“We placed our big lodge in the center of camp, taking possession
early, on the morning we danced. Our leader wore a coyote skin for
a headdress with the tail hanging down behind. He was called
Wolf-Skin-Man and carried a short lance, which was decorated with
feathers. The next in rank carried a willow branch. He wore a robe
with buffalo hoofs attached, which rattled when he danced.
“On the left of our leader sat the ‘white braves,’ with white
painted lances stuck into the ground in front of their seats. Their
bodies were painted white; and they had yellow stripes across nose
and eyes. Two other members called ‘water braves’ were painted
black; they carried bladders on their backs for water pails and
bags for back-fat and pemmican. There were also ‘black braves’
carrying black lances, with bodies painted black and black stripes
across their faces; and ‘red braves’ with red lances and red
painted bodies.
“Two other braves carried bows and arrows instead of lances. They
had their faces painted to impress the spectators; their bodies
were covered with red and on their faces was the bear sign—black
streaks down over the eyes and at each corner of the mouth. They
wore their front hair short and made it stand straight up by
covering it with paint. They had fringed shirts made from the
smoked tops of old lodge covers, belts of bearskin and arm-bands of
bearskin with bear claws attached; for headdresses they had strips
of skin with bear ears and two claws attached to look like double
ears.
“Whenever we danced outside our society lodge, we sat in an open
circle with four drummers in the center, our lances stuck into the
ground with points down. Wolf-Skin-Man as leader was at the head of
our circle, opposite the opening, with the two bear braves outside.
They covered themselves with robes, as if they were bears lying in
a den.
“Our leader, Wolf-Skin-Man, danced first, blowing his bone whistle
as a signal for the others to follow. Then we dropped our robes and
followed him, blowing whistles and bearing our lances. We danced
slowly in a circle, leaning forward and holding our lances near the
ground and acting like dogs looking for places to lie down. The
white-painted braves drove the others before them with their
lances, but stopped as soon as the two water braves appeared. Then
came the brave with the willow branch, who could not stop dancing
until the two grizzly bears appeared.
“The bears only danced when they felt like it. They lay in their
den and did as they pleased. Sometimes the spectators threw things
at them to make them dance. When they were ready they got up
slowly, holding their hands the way bears do their paws. They
danced leaning over, hopping along in short jumps with their feet
together, as bears are accustomed to do. They aimed with bows and
arrows, and drove the other dancers back to their seats.
“When we wanted to bring our dance to a close, the two bears
pretended they were going to shoot at the spectators with
sharp-pointed arrows; but they changed quickly to painted arrows
without points and shot them over the heads of the people. Then we
ran over the prairie, in the direction the arrows flew, taking off
our moccasins and throwing them away.
“We marched through camp singing our society song and shouted our
orders to the people. It was our custom to take anything we wanted,
even food from the kettle, as dogs do. We stopped to dance at the
lodges of prominent chiefs, who were expected to give us presents
of food and clothes. If any people bothered us or held us back, the
bears shot at them with their arrows.
“If our leader told us to allow no one to chase buffalo, then we
were the watchmen of the herds. If the buffalo were frightened and
ran away, scared by some one who chased secretly, we followed that
man and took away his horse and weapons; we tore off his clothes
and whipped him; we sent him back to camp naked and on foot. We
alone could look for buffalo; and, when we found plenty of them, we
moved the tribe that way. We also punished women who picked berries
against our orders by tearing their lodges to pieces.
“Men who joined the Society of Braves had to face danger whenever
it came; they could not turn away. When we decided it was time to
change our camping place, we made a feast in our society lodge and
invited the head-chief. After we had eaten and were smoking
together, our head-chief would say:
“‘My children, why have you asked me to come here? What is it that
you want’?
“And our leader would answer: ‘Grass is scarce for the horses; the
water is poor and the ground no longer clean; it is time for us to
move to another place.’
“Then the head-chief would reply: ‘In the morning we shall break
camp; it is too late to-day. Tell the people to bring in their
horses from the hills and to picket them close to their lodges; we
shall start at the rising of the sun.’”
THE SOCIETY OF MOSQUITOES
“This society was formed many years ago by an Indian who hunted in
a place where there were great numbers of mosquitoes. They came in
swarms and bit him all over; he lay on the ground and lost all
feeling; he heard strange voices singing:
“‘Mosquitoes, mosquitoes, get together, get together.
Mosquitoes, get together,
Our friend is nearly dead.’
“And then he saw mosquitoes beginning to dance. Some were red and
others yellow. They had claws attached to their wrists and long
plumes hanging from their hair. They sat in a circle and sang; they
jumped up and down, springing this way and that, always dancing in
the direction of the sun. He heard a voice say:
“‘Brother, because you were generous and let us drink freely from
your body, we give you our society of mosquitoes; we make you the
leader.’
“Then that man came safely home and started the Society of
Mosquitoes. Its members wore buffalo robes with the hair side out.
Some painted themselves red and others yellow, with stripes across
nose and eyes. They wore plumes in their hair and eagle claws
attached to their wrists to represent the bills of mosquitoes.
“When the mosquito society gave their dance, they sat in a circle
around the drummers; the leader was at the head, with yellow
mosquitoes on both sides. After each song, they held down their
heads and made a buzzing noise in imitation of mosquitoes. After
repeating this dance four times, they scattered and went through
the camp. Any person they met, they scratched with their
eagle-claws, and said: ‘Now I shall take blood from you.’
“Any one who resisted or tried to run away, they caught and
scratched hard. But those who offered themselves freely, and
invited them to take their fill, they did not hurt. Because, if a
mosquito is left alone, its bite does no harm.”
THE SOCIETY OF KIT FOXES
“This was one of the oldest of all our societies. It was started by
an Indian named Elk Tongue, who dreamed about a kit fox. It invited
him into its den. And there he saw the chief of the foxes with many
foxes seated around him. Before he left their den, the fox chief
said:
“‘When you return to your tribe, take a foxskin for your medicine;
wear it always on your back and my power will go with you. Form a
Society of Kit Foxes. Gather together some young men and show them
how to dress and to dance. Tell them, if they do these things and
never kill any foxes, they will have benefit. But it will be bad
luck for them to harm a fox.’
“After Elk Tongue came home he started the Society of Kit Foxes.
The members had great power. The ceremony was secret and the people
were afraid; it was dangerous to talk about it. Elk Tongue was
their leader. He alone knew the secrets and told the other members
what to do. Before he died he taught the ceremony to his son and
told him all the secrets. After that the power of the foxskin was
handed down from father to son through many years; and the members
of that society taught their children never to harm a fox.
“When the Kit Foxes gave their ceremony, they opened up two lodges
and made them into one. For four days and four nights they sat
inside, painting and dressing themselves, singing and making ready,
only appearing outside their dance lodge at night.
“But, on the fifth day, they came out and marched through the camp.
Their leader wore the foxskin with its head in front, the ears on
top, and the skin itself, with small bells attached to the tail,
hanging down his back. He carried a bow and arrows, which were
painted green; his body was also painted red, his face green, to
look as frightful as possible and to make people afraid.
“The second in rank, called the white-circle-man, carried a long
lance, with one end bent into the form of a hook; it was covered
with white swan’s-down and had white eagle feathers attached at
regular intervals along its staff.
“The next in rank had a long lance in the form of a hook, which was
wrapped with otter-skin and had black and red feathers attached.
The other members carried pointed lances decorated with feathers,
and small pipes painted red. They all painted their faces and wore
eagle feathers in their back hair. Around their legs were wide
bands of otter-skin with small bells attached.
“When the Kit Foxes marched through the camp, they formed in the
shape of a fox head. The chief went first to represent the nose;
behind him were the second and third men for the eyes; then came
the other members in a group, all together representing the head of
a fox. The two second men, as the eyes, watched the chief who was
the nose, or leader; they acted as he directed and the rest
followed after.
“For their dance, they sat in lines, with the regular members in
the first line. If any were withdrawing from the society—giving up
their lances to new candidates—they sat in a second line; and the
wives of the members sat behind.
“As soon as the drums began, the leader started the dance; and the
two circle-men with white lances followed. After them came the
other members with plain spears. They danced in pairs, the way Kit
Foxes run together. They gave short, even jumps with feet close
together, imitating the movements of a fox. They barked and moved
about, first in one direction, then in another, just as a fox is
accustomed to do. The two circle-men (eyes), barking and swinging
their spears, danced between the two lines. They did not move in a
straight line, because a fox never goes straight; his tail always
seems to guide him. When the white-circle-men shouted, ‘It is
enough,’ the dance stopped and the members returned to their seats.
But, after a short rest, they began again. And that is what I know
about our societies.”