SOCIETY OF BRAVE DOGS
My tepee was near the three dance lodges of the Brave Dog Society,
which were somewhat apart from the others, near the center of the
circle camp. There they kept their costumes and weapons and dressed for
parades and dances. Day after day I watched them in their interesting
customs.
As a society they had power, because of their reputation for bravery.
Every one feared to oppose them. They did not maltreat people, but
sometimes punished severely offenders against the public welfare. Their
function in the tribal camp was primarily to preserve order.
The first evening of the camp, they rode round the circle shouting
their orders to the people, saying:
“Let every one be quiet to-night. Young people must not act
thoughtlessly or play pranks. The sacred woman has important ceremonies
and should not be disturbed.”
For parades and dances out of doors, the Brave Dogs went forth in their
best costumes. They marched by twos. Short Robe, their leader, wore a
beaded suit of deerskin trimmed over shoulders and arms with
black-tipped weasel-skins; also a large coyote-skin, with his head
thrust through a slit in the middle of the skin and the tail hanging
down his back. According to their society custom, he carried a rattle
in his right hand and a blanket over his left arm. Sometimes in their
parades, Short Robe’s youngest son, a boy of twelve, walked by his
father’s side, wearing a miniature costume like the chief.
Next in rank to Short Robe were two mounted men, Big Moon and Elk Horn.
They were the assistant leaders, and wore war bonnets of selected eagle
feathers. Their horses were painted with war pictures, representing the
brave deeds of their riders.
Two members, Lone Chief and Cream Antelope, represented grizzly bears.
They alone of the society carried bows and arrows. Their faces were
painted with the “bear face” pattern—red all over, with black marks
downward from the eyes and corners of the mouth. They wore headdresses
of bearskin, with bear’s ears and two bear claws on top for horns; and
on their arms were bands made of bearskin with bear claws attached. The
lower part of their bodies was naked and painted with bright colors.
They wore loin-cloths and beaded belts with daggers and short-sleeved
shirts of soft-tanned skins covered with fringe.
Four other members were known as “Old Men Comrades.” They were Flat
Tail, Mountain Chief, Drags-His-Robe, and Blood. They carried rattles
and wore eagle feathers in their hair. Flat Tail had a beaver-skin cap,
Mountain Chief a red band round his head and carried a skin shield
decorated with clusters of eagle feathers. It was the duty of the Old
Men Comrades to call the society together, to act as advisers in the
ceremonies, also as heralds and to make announcements to the people.
The lay members wore whatever they pleased. They were mostly from
prominent families, who were chosen because of their fine costumes;
also because their relatives had property and could make liberal
presents to the society. They were—Lazy Husband, Raven Eyes, Drags
Behind, Makes-Cold-Weather, Bad Married, Big Spring, Bird Rattler, Bear
Shoe, Three Bears, Two Spears, and Black Bear. In parades it was their
custom to carry blankets over their left arms and rattles in their
right hands. They painted their faces to correspond with the designs on
their rattles. These rattles were looked upon as ceremonial objects and
were all different. If a member wanted to withdraw from the society, he
sold his rattle. Thus the transfer consisted in the purchase of a
rattle.
In parades the four drummers walked behind, wearing blankets tied about
their waists, beating on drums and singing. Some of the members carried
sacred objects; Drags-His-Robe had a Medicine Pipe, Mountain Chief a
Shield, and Big Moon, one of the mounted men, the War Bridle.
They all marched in time with the beating of drums and sang. A throng
of women and children, the families of members, followed in the rear.
Every now and then they stopped in their march, and, turning about,
faced the drummers and danced backwards and forwards; then reversed and
moved on. Sometimes they stopped to give a formal dance in front of the
lodge of a prominent man. They seated themselves in a circle in their
regular positions on both sides of the door. Short Robe, as chief of
the society, was at the head with his son; and then the four Old Men
Comrades. The two grizzly bears were at the other end of the circle,
with the lay members between. The families of members stood near and
helped in the singing.
In the dance they rose in their places. The two mounted men rode round
and round the circle in opposite directions, forcing the dancers toward
the center, and at last pretended to ride them down. This figure was
used, because the founder of the society had a way of killing enemies
by riding them down with his horse. Finally, all members who had
performed the brave feat of unhorsing an enemy, took hold of the two
mounted men and dragged them from their horses. Then they all danced
together. When they were ready to stop, they held their rattles high in
the air and the drummers their drums; they shouted and returned to
their seats.
Whenever the Brave Dogs stopped at a lodge and gave their dance, the
owner was expected to give them a feast, They kept on dancing until
food appeared. Any man of prominence dared not refuse, lest people
think him stingy.
After their feasts, the head men of the society were accustomed to make
speeches; and they all sang together accompanied by the beating of
drums. One of their songs was: “It is bad to live to be old; it is
better to die young, fighting bravely in battle.”
One evening, I saw the Brave Dogs marching through camp in the golden
light of sunset. They went to the beating of drums, singing in unison
and shaking their rattles, dressed in gorgeous costumes of wild animal
skins and war bonnets, carrying weapons and their standards of
black-tipped eagle feathers. Elk Horn, as herald, rode in advance,
shouting their orders and warnings; and announced their society dance.
That night I saw the lodges of the Brave Dogs, glowing with light from
inside fires. Their drums beat steadily and became louder and louder.
Then people began to assemble, coming from all parts of the camp, until
the dance lodge was thronged.
I stood outside, listening to the war-whoops and singing. The
rhythmical beating of the drums increased until it reached a climax;
then, with loud beating and shouts, would suddenly cease.
For a while I waited; then crawled under the canvas and found myself
inside, among a crowd of women and children—the families of the Brave
Dogs. But, they were so interested in the dance, they took no notice of
my sudden appearance in their midst.
The dance was at its height and the Brave Dogs had laid aside their
costumes and blankets. They looked savage and wild, with the red glow
of the fire on painted faces and bodies. They wore only loin-cloths and
moccasins. Some had bone whistles in their mouths on which they blew
shrilly, others sang and gave war-whoops at intervals.
Short Robe as leader wore his large coyote-skin, with head thrust
through a slit in the middle, the tail hanging down his back and almost
touching the ground. Four of the dancers were covered with white clay
and represented gray wolves. They carried long sticks decorated with
eagle feathers. They imitated wolves driving buffalo, circling round
the dancers. Their step was an alternate lifting of the feet, slow or
fast, according to the beat of the drums.
The two grizzly bear dancers sat in a hole for a den. They wore the
bear headdress, with bear’s ears and bear claws on top for double
horns. Their faces were painted red with black streaks across the eyes
and corners of the mouth, representing the “bear face.”
Whenever the spectators wanted to see them dance, they threw at them;
but, like bears, they were lazy and stayed in their den until a point
in the dance when the wolf dancers had herded the buffalo and were
closing in; then the two bears rose slowly and entered the dance,
driving back the wolves from the buffalo, after which they returned to
their den and all the dancers sat down. This figure was repeated many
times.
Before they separated, the Brave Dogs had a feast; and then marched
through the camp, singing their society song and shouting:
“Let every one be quiet to-night. Do not disturb the sacred woman. All
the young men should rest and be ready to help. To-morrow we will build
the Sun Lodge and will make it a great day.”