FORMING THE GREAT CIRCLE CAMP
Indians with their families kept coming to Mad Wolf’s camp until their
lodges spread far out upon the plain. The days were warm with clear
sunshine and all were eager to move to the sun-dance camp.
At last the ceremony of the tongues was finished and they were packed
in parfleches. One evening, when the sun was sinking into the west, I
saw Mad Wolf come from his lodge and heard his strong voice ring out
over the quiet plain, saying:
“Hear, my children. The time has come to move to the circle camp.
Berries are ripe and the grass is now long over the prairies. To-morrow
we shall go to the big flat on Willow Creek. Bring in your horses
to-night and be ready to start at the rising of the sun.”
Next morning I wakened soon after dawn and went out from my lodge.
Along the horizon of the prairie was the golden glow of sunrise. Smoke
was already rising from some of the tepees where the women were cooking
breakfast. In the meadows many larks were singing and from the hills
came the wailing of coyotes.
At Mad Wolf’s tepee I saw Gives-to-the-Sun seated outside, with her
head bowed in prayer; she faced south, the direction the tribe would
move to the circle camp. As sacred woman she could do no work; she had
women assistants, the wives of White Grass, Ear-Rings, Middle Calf, and
Morning Plume, who took charge of moving her tepee. The wife of White
Calf, as the “mother,” looked after the wants of Gives-to-the-Sun. All
through the preparations for moving, she kept praying—while placing the
sacred travois before the woman and loading it with the cases of
tongues and the ceremonial clothes—the elkskin dress of
Gives-to-the-Sun with beaded leggings and moccasins to match, her
headdress and robe of soft-tanned elkskin, and juniper for the altar.
She hitched Gives-to-the-Sun’s own riding horse to the travois, which
was painted red; also the saddle, harness, and all of her equipment.
Gives-to-the-Sun was so weakened by fasting and by sitting day after
day in the same position that she had to be lifted upon her horse.
When it was time to break camp, the Indians watched the lodge of Mad
Wolf for the signal to move. As soon as they saw the poles being
removed from his tepee, the entire camp became a scene of confusion.
All the white lodges came down together; quickly they were waving and
flapping in the wind, and then lay flat on the ground. The horses stood
ready and were soon loaded; and the people fell into line according to
their different bands.
Chief Mad Wolf mounted his horse while singing a chant. He rode a short
distance with White Calf by his side, and was followed by the sacred
woman and her “mother.” They rode in single file to a near-by hill; and
there they waited for the rest of the people to fall into line.
Then Mad Wolf and White Calf slowly led the way across the open
prairie. In the procession that followed were prominent Indians with
their families—White Grass the medicine man, Ear-Rings the doctor,
Heavy Breast, Bull Child, Middle Calf, Double Runner, Three Bears,
Morning Plume, Bear Child, Blessed Weasel, Cream Antelope, and Medicine
Weasel. I rode with the Mad Wolf family and among his relatives and
friends.
It was still early morning when we started. The undulating hills were
glorious under a bright July sun. Western meadow-larks were singing and
I saw many wild flowers—pink roses, purple asters, and yellow
gaillardia with dark-brown centers. On my face the sun felt hot, but a
fragrant west breeze came from the mountains.
The plain we crossed stretched many miles in every direction and swept
upwards towards the mountains, with snow-capped peaks in the distance.
Then we climbed to a broad table-land, which was covered with tussocks
of tough wiry grass, and here and there the skulls and bleaching bones
of buffalo.
When we came to a range of grass-covered hills, I left my place and
rode ahead to the summit of a butte to see the line pass. That was many
years ago, but in memory, I can still see clearly that primitive
procession of Mad Wolf and his redskin followers, as they slowly
crossed the summit, their figures sharply outlined against the deep
blue sky.
Mad Wolf was in the lead, tall and erect, with head thrown proudly
back. The venerable head chief, White Calf, rode by his side; he was
older than Mad Wolf and was somewhat stooped, his long gray hair
falling in waves over his shoulders. The women followed with the sacred
travois, its poles crossed in front, high over the horse’s head, and
the ends dragging behind on the ground. Then came a group of women
helpers in bright-colored clothing. They rode horses with beaded
ornaments on heads and breasts, having saddles with deer antlers for
pommels and beaded buckskin flaps for the flanks.
In the van was a group of warriors with war bonnets of eagle feathers;
they carried weapons, also a sacred Lance and a Shield. Their limbs
were bare, and their clean copper skins shone in the sunlight. They
were a hardy lot, with lithe muscular figures, riding gracefully, with
an easy careless air and the haughty military bearing of warriors.
Then came many travois laden with baggage, groups of old men and women,
children and young girls. The granddaughters of Mad Wolf and White
Calf, Anatapsa and Dives-Under-Water, were both astride a pinto horse.
Anatapsa rode in front, her long black hair flying in the wind; round
her slender waist, a blanket of bright scarlet was fastened by a belt
of colored beads. She was pretty and vivacious, continually striking
the sides of their old saddle horse with her small moccasined feet. All
the time the hands of both girls moved gracefully in the sign language,
for Dives-Under-Water was deaf and dumb.
I saw a travois with three old squaws, drawn by an aged rawboned horse.
When he refused to go farther, the old women dismounted and beat him
with ropes; but it was in vain. He stood as if asleep, with eyes closed
and head down, oblivious to both their blows and curses.
Our procession wound in and out among the grassy hills, until we came
to the broad plain chosen by Mad Wolf for the circle camp. It was
covered with rich bunch grass, still green from the rains of early
summer. On the west side of the plain was Willow Creek, a small trout
stream, which was lined with willows and marshy meadows. Toward the
east were the open plains, south, a range of grass-covered hills, and
north, a ridge with a huge rock near the center.
The Indians all waited while Mad Wolf and White Calf chose the place
for the sun lodge; and then the sacred woman and her attendants
dismounted. Mad Wolf and White Calf seated themselves beside the
medicine bundles and smoked, while the women helpers pitched the Mad
Wolf tepee over the place where the sacred bundles lay. They placed
green branches against the back, also the sacred travois—a sign to the
people that the fasting woman was inside and must not be disturbed.
Around the lodge of Mad Wolf, the great circle camp was formed
according to bands or blood relatives. Each family knew where their
lodge belonged and took their accustomed places, each band under a head
man.
Mad Wolf was the head man of the “Hard-Top-Knot” band, which were on
the north side of the camp. They were called Hard-Top-Knots, because of
the way they wore their hair. Other bands were called—Small Robes,
because of the size of their robes; Fat Melters, who liked to eat
melted fat; Don’t Laughs, Worm People, Skunks, Buffalo Chips, and Lone
Fighters. There was a band called All Chiefs, because their men all
acted like chiefs; Lone Eaters, who were selfish and ate by themselves;
Eat-Before-Others, because they had their meals before others were
ready.
Then Mad Wolf sent a messenger to the southern division of the tribe,
who were assembled under Running Crane many miles to the south, calling
on them to move to the circle camp on Willow Creek.
Now Running Crane was a venerable chief, loved and respected throughout
the tribe. He was head man of the band of Fat Melters, a wise counselor
and one who acted as a father to all the people. He was brave in war,
yet of a gentle and benevolent spirit. He gave freely to the poor, and
was always ready to help those who were in trouble. I found him simple
in his manners, modest, yet full of dignity.
In the afternoon of that same day, Running Crane arrived with his
followers of the southern division. Among them were the war chiefs,
Little Plume and Little Dog, Bear Chief, Spotted Eagle, Big Moon,
Shoots-in-the-Air, Black Bear, Flat Tail, Strangling Wolf, and other
prominent chiefs with their families.
Throughout that entire day people continued to come, until two thousand
Indians were gathered together in the circle camp. Families came from
many other tribes of the northwest, traveling long distances to
attend—Mandans and Sioux from the Dakotas, Flatheads, Pend d’Oreilles
and Nez Percés from across the Rockies. From the far north came Sarcees
and Crees, North Blackfoot, Bloods, and North Piegans; also Bannocks
and Crows from the south.
The big camp was over a mile in circumference, with the lodges of the
head men of different bands on the inside circle; the small and
inferior tepees of the poorer class were relegated to the outskirts.
Near the center of the camp, and apart from the others, the powerful
society of Brave Dogs had their lodges where they kept their weapons
and dance clothes. In their society lodge they gathered to feast and
dress for their ceremonies and social dances, which took place at all
times, both day and night. They were the police of the tribal camp. The
head men looked to the Brave Dogs to enforce their orders. They saw
that all the tepees were in their proper places and the big camp was
symmetrically formed.