Part 19
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.
One afternoon the Sioux marched down from the hills, where they had been discovered. The Sioux saw that they could not do anything to the eagle catchers, for they were in a cave, so they tried to be friendly with them. They asked them for some eagle feathers. The leader of the party now went out and gave them some eagle feathers, walking backwards when he left them. There were some young men among the Sioux who wanted to fight. The Sioux attacked the Arikara. The leader kept all the young men in the cave and made them load their muzzle-loading guns, while he stayed at a certain distance from the bank, and the first man to attack them on horseback he killed. He would throw away his empty gun and the boys would pass a loaded one to him. He would then start to another place on the bank, and again the first man on horseback to come toward him he would shoot and kill. Thus he kept up the fire, killing several. The Sioux finally gave up and retreated. In the night the hunters crawled out of the cave, took scalps from the Sioux, and returned to their village with scalps.
FOOTNOTES:
[80] Told by Elk.
79. THE MOURNING LOVER.[81]
A man named Rolling-Log courted an Arikara woman, but she would not have him. One day a whole lot of Arikara men got together, and prepared to go hunting. Rolling-Log was one of them. This woman whom Rolling-Log wanted to marry went to him and said, “If you will bring home to me enough sinew to last a whole year I will marry you.” Rolling-Log said that he would try to get enough, for he wanted to marry this woman. He went south and killed many deer, black tails, and antelope. Rolling-Log got about twenty-four sinews, and he thought this was enough for the woman; so he went home.
While the hunters were on the chase Rolling-Log’s girl had become sick and died. When Rolling-Log came home he at once went over in the evening, where the girl had lived. He had the sinew for the girl, and he stood outside in front of the entrance, waiting for the girl to come out. A man by the name of Red-Horse came out, and Rolling-Log asked Red-Horse if his girl was inside. Red-Horse stood still for some time, and said, “My friend, the girl that you speak of died while you were out hunting.” Rolling-Log stood there, surprised to hear that his girl was dead. He went back to his lodge and scolded his people because they had not told him that the girl was dead. He felt so bad that he went among the hills and never returned to the Arikara camp.
FOOTNOTES:
[81] Told by Two-Hawks.
80. CONTEST BETWEEN THE BEAR AND THE BULL SOCIETIES.[82]
A long time ago, when the Arikara used to have the medicine ceremonies, there was the Bear family on the north and the Buffalo family on the south, inside the lodge. There were certain days and nights for the Bear people to perform their wonders; then there were days and nights for the Buffalo people to perform their wonders.
In this Buffalo society there were two buffalo scalps, with horns. The two Buffalo men who wore these buffalo scalps were painted up and medicine was put upon them. These scalps were put upon them. They went out of the lodge, and the people played with the Buffalo men through the village. On one of these occasions the Buffalo were running after the people in the village, and one young man in the Bear family filled up a pipe and gave it to the leader of the Bear family. This young man made a request of the leader of the Bear family that he would like to challenge the Buffalo to fight. The leader of the Bear family did not want to give his consent to do this, for it was not the right thing to do. But the man insisted, so the leader of the Bear family gave his consent to the young man to fight. The young man was told to fill the pipe with tobacco and to take the pipe to the Buffalo family; that in presenting the pipe he must first tell the Buffalo family that the pipe given to them was a challenge to fight the Buffalo man. The young man took the pipe over and presented it to the leader of the Buffalo society, telling him that he had come over there with a pipe to challenge the Buffalo to a fight with the Bear family. The Buffalo leader objected to this, telling the young man that it was something unusual, and that although they had always shown their powers to the people, this hidden mystery of having power of the animals would have to be given to the two fighters. The young man insisted until at last the Buffalo leader gave his consent.
The leading Buffalo man now sent for the Buffalo man, who was outside, who had the buffalo scalp on. This man with the buffalo scalp came into the lodge. He was told to go outside and wash himself and to take a sharp stick and get all the dirt out of his toenails and fingernails; then, after washing, he was to roll in the dust, then come into the lodge. After entering the lodge the Buffalo family took their drum and began to sing sacred songs, while the leading Buffalo man took his medicines and placed some of them upon hot coals that were brought by the errand man. The Buffalo man, who wore the buffalo scalp, was told to pass this smoke all over his body. Then medicines were put upon his body, and paint—even the scalp of the buffalo with the horns was passed through the smoke and medicines were put upon it. The singing continued, so that when they were through with the painting and putting upon the Buffalo of the medicine, a certain one was sent to the Bear family to say that all was ready. While the Buffalo people were carrying on their singing the Bear family were also carrying on their medicine preparations.
The Bear and the Buffalo family now went out of the lodge, each carrying their drums, their rattles, and all their medicines. The Bear family sat on the north side in an open place. The Buffalo sat on the south. Each family now sang its medicine song. Then the Bear man came forth with a bear robe over his body, growling and acting the part of a Bear. The Buffalo man went forth with a buffalo scalp upon his head. The Buffalo man rolled on the ground, shaking himself, so that the buffalo scalp stuck on to the head of the man, although it was not fastened on his head, causing him to act the part of a real Buffalo. The people could see the Bear when it stood up, and that the Bear man had made the tusks come out of his mouth. The Bear family had put on the greatest medicine that they had, and so had all the Buffalo family. While the Bear was sitting around trying to get a chance at the Buffalo, the Buffalo seemed to have been the quicker, for it ran up to the Bear and hooked it before it could turn around. Again and again it hooked the Bear, until the Bear man was killed.
The Bear people took their man into the lodge, and the Buffalo people also returned into their lodge. It was announced through the lodge of the Bears that the young man was killed for all time, and that the Bear family did not get mad about it, for it was his own fault, as he had wanted to challenge the Buffalo man. The young man was buried. Ever after that, when the people were holding their medicine-lodge and performing their mysteries, the chiefs of the animals in the lodge never challenged one another while the performances were going on.
FOOTNOTES:
[82] Told by Standing-Bull.
81. HOW WHITE-BEAR CAME TO BELONG TO THE BEAR SOCIETY.[83]
White-Bear is my son. He has the spirit of the Bear. I will tell you how it happened: I was in the medicine-lodge when my wife was pregnant. I used to put on the bear robe that was wonderful and I used to try to catch people, that I might cut them open, so I could get a piece of liver from them. My doing this made my son have the spirit of the Bear. So when he was born, in nursing, the boy’s mouth showed froth, and he made a noise like a young bear. I went hunting and killed a young bear. I skinned the bear, took the hide home, and had it tanned. In the Bear dances the boy, White-Bear, wore the robe. White-Bear stayed in the medicine-lodge.
One time the Arikara were about to have their yearly medicine dance. As they had brought willows and Cottonwood branches to build their lodges White-Bear, who was then but three years old, picked up a butcher knife and went out to play. The boy fell upon the knife. The knife handle struck the ground, the point upward, striking the boy on the belly. The knife cut deep. White-Bear got up and ran to the tipi, crying. I saw the boy coming, holding his intestines in his hands. I picked up the boy and took him into the tipi. I now laid the boy across my lap, and with ease put the intestines back into their place. The relatives and mother were mourning. I took some medicine and put upon the cut place, and bandaged it with buffalo hide. I still held the boy upon my lap. The boy cried. The mother was called and nursed the child. The child nursed like a bear. Froth came out from his mouth, and I unbandaged the child. I took the froth from the child’s mouth and put it upon the cut. The child became better. In a few days the child was much better. I then took the bear robe and put it upon the child’s back. The child could not straighten out. The bear robe was left upon him for several days. As the child got better he got to making noises like a cat. Now, the child began to try to walk, and went out. Children were sent for, so that the boy might see them. They came and played with the boy, for the boy had on the bear robe. The child grew up and acted like a bear. In their Bear ceremonies the boy stayed with me and much sleight-of-hand was performed upon him. As he grew up he had ways like a bear.
One time the boy, while in the medicine-lodge, had visions of a bear. He told me, and I was glad of this and encouraged the boy to remain in the lodge. The boy is that young man sitting there. He is now a man and has a big scar upon his belly. He is a Bear by birth, but as we now have no more Bear dances he does not show the ways of a bear.
FOOTNOTES:
[83] Told by Strike-Enemy.
82. THE TALE OF A MEMBER OF THE BEAR SOCIETY.[84]
You heard what my father said about my belonging to the Bear Society. It is true. I used to stay in the medicine-men’s lodge and inside of the Bear’s lodge. I learned many things about the mysteries of the Bear Society. My father gave me a bear skin that was stuffed, so that it was like a bear. When we had a Bear dance my little bear used to be placed on the south side of the lodge and I would be placed opposite. When the singing for dancing was begun I danced, and as I danced I would notice my little bear doing the same thing that I was doing. If I moved my head sidewise, it would do the same thing. If I raised up my arms towards the sky, the little bear would do the same thing. People saw it. I kept the bear a long time. Only a few years ago it became spoiled. The little bear, which was part of my life, was now old, so that the hide was easily torn. My father thought it was best to dispose of it, so one day we took the little bear yonder among those hills, and we placed it in a ravine, where there was a bush of choke-cherries, and there we left it.
Some years ago one of my friends, a young man who was a great hunter, asked me to go hunting with him, and I agreed to go. I caught my pony and saddled it. This pony was a good runner. At this time there were many Sioux in our country, so I had to be careful which pony I rode while hunting. I took upon my pony some things to eat, and a rifle that my father had given me. I had also many cartridges. The other young man came to my lodge, and I was surprised to see him upon a white pony, which I knew could not run. I tried to persuade him to get a better pony, but he would not change, for the white pony, he said, would not run away. We started and crossed the Missouri River. We went over yonder hills. We started early in the morning and we went far over those hills. We did not see any deer all day. Towards evening we got to a draw, where there were some trees. There we unsaddled our ponies and made camp. We lariated our ponies some distance from where we were. Far into the night I heard the horses snorting. I reached for my gun, went to the other man, and tried to wake him. He was sleeping soundly, so I left him and crawled up to where the ponies were, dragging my gun as I went on. I noticed that there was a man standing in the shadow of a hill. My pony kept on snorting. I saw the man, so I crawled back to our place and woke my friend. We crawled up to the ponies, and as we approached them we saw the man coming. The pony was now snorting furiously. I told the other man to have his gun ready; that I would go up and meet the man; that if he should see anything wrong he should shoot. I rose and walked toward the man. As I rose the man ran, and as it was moonlight we knew from his running that he was a Scalped-Man. We had heard of this man wearing a wolf hide, so we let him go, and we went back to our camp. I told my friend that he could sleep and I would watch the rest of the night, for I could not go to sleep. The next morning, while I was dishing out some pemmican, I told my friend that I had always had a liking for bears; and that I would like to see one. He promised to let me see one.
After we had eaten a bite we went on further west. We found some deer. My friend thought that he, being an experienced hunter, could kill where others could not. He shot at the deer several times, but he never killed any. He was discouraged. We saw a deer at a distance. I then asked if I might try my luck on this fine deer. He allowed me to shoot at it. We were out of meat, and I was very hungry for fresh meat. As I neared the deer I crawled up to it and shot it. I broke both of its hind legs, so that it could not run. We killed it, then went into camp again. That night we had to watch, for we were now in a country where there were many rattlesnakes. The next morning we went further west into canyons, where we had to watch every step we took, for there were many rattlesnakes. The other man did not seem to care about them, but I did. I would not go any further, for I was afraid of snakes. I returned to our camp. I heard several shots, and after a while I saw my friend coming. He had killed three deer. We took our ponies and brought the meat to our camp. The next day we started for home. On our way home I saw at long distance what seemed to be a horse. I told my friend. As we went nearer to the supposed horse I saw that it stood up like a man. I told my friend about it. He looked, and said that it was a bear, saying, “Here is a chance for you to see a bear.” We now unloaded our ponies. He told me to remain behind with the meat and his pony, for he rode my pony, taking his rifle with him. I saw him coming back, for the bear was now after him. The bear ran back, and I saw a young bear sitting at a distance. The bear got to its young and embraced it, as much as to say, “My child, we are lost.” Then my man went for it again. He shot at it, but still the bear would run after him. Finally the man ran the bear towards me, and I got upon the pony’s back and I had to whip the pony hard to make it go. I felt scared, for if the bear had kept on after me it would have got me. The bear ran back to its young, so I felt safe. My friend now attacked the bear, and he shot at it, hitting it. The bear ran after the man, but it turned back and went into the brush. We went down, and found a pond on the side of the brush, where the bear had gone. I undressed, took only my knife, and waded into the pond. My man remained on the side of the pond, ready to shoot the bear, and was telling me that as soon as the bear jumped at me I should dive, and keep on in the same direction. I crossed the pond and found the bear sitting in the bushes. The bear was dead. We skinned it, taking only the hide. When a bear is skinned and stretched out it is the perfect image of a man.
I mounted my pony and we went on. I attacked the young bear, ran into the brush and got hold of the bear. I tried to get my man to bring my lariat rope, so I could rope it and lead it to the village. I became tired, so I called out to my man to shoot it. He would not do it, so I took my knife and stabbed the young bear and killed it. I skinned it. Now I had two hides. I tried to put the large hide upon my pony, and the pony snorted at it. I finally gave the hide to my friend. I did wrong, for I should have asked him to put the hide upon his pony for me. He did not belong to the Bear Society, notwithstanding he was thankful for the hide. The little bear hide I put upon the pony. My father scolded me for giving the bear hide away. My little bear hide was of good size. My father had it tanned for me, and the hide was also decorated with paint. The bear hide also had a soft, feathery appearance about its head. I wore it in dances, and kept it by my pillow in our lodge. Only a few years ago I was visiting the Sioux, and while I was gone some white man came to our village. He saw the bear robe in our lodge. He asked how much they wanted for the hide, and my bear was sold to some white man. When I came back home I missed my bear, and asked where it was. My folks said, “We sold it to a white man.” I was sorry, but it was all right, for we do not have any more Bear dances.
FOOTNOTES:
[84] Told by White-Bear.
ABSTRACTS.
1. THE WOLF AND LUCKY-MAN CREATE LAND.
Wolf and Lucky-Man meet on shore of big lake, where two ducks are swimming. Wolf challenges Lucky-Man to see who can endure rain longest. Lucky-Man wins. Wolf sends Duck down to fetch dirt from bottom of lake. Duck brings up mud, which Wolf throws in north and forms into prairie. Lucky-Man sends Duck for more mud, which he throws on south side of Wolf’s land. Hills and mountains are formed and buffalo are on land. There is channel between two countries created, occupied by Missouri River.
2. THE SPIDERS GIVE BIRTH TO PEOPLE.
Wolf and friend change Spider-Man and Woman by rubbing them with wild sage dipped in water and teach them how to lie together. Their progeny are human beings.
3. THE ORIGIN OF THE ARIKARA.
Large people on earth long ago destroyed by flood, by Nesaru. People turn into corn and are put into cave with animals. Nesaru turns ear of corn into woman and sends her to bring people from earth. People and animals know her. Badger, Mole, and long-nosed Mouse offer to help her to take people out. They dig in turns. Thunder opens earth. People go out upon earth, journey west, leaving behind Badgers, long-nosed Mice, Moles, and some people who turn back into earth and become animals. People come to great basin, which Kingfisher fills up by striking bill into banks. Journey is continued until people stopped by timber, which is removed by Owl. They come to big lake. Loon parts waters. Mother-Corn returns to heavens. People here make games, first shinny and then javelins, to catch ring with. Winners kill those of other side. Mother-Corn returns to give people rules to go by. Man is selected as chief. He instructs people as to scalping. Mother-Corn makes bundle, songs, ritual, and ceremonies. Man instructs medicine-man, teaches them sleight-of-hand, and tells them to make village. Mother-Corn leads people to Republican River, Kansas. Awaho people come last and receive ceremonies from Mother-Corn. They offer smoke to gods. Dog comes to village and complains that Mother-Corn has left out Dog and Whirlwind. Dog has come from Sun, who has given it curative power. Whirlwind is disease, and if dog meat first offered as sacrifice gods will send storm to drive away disease. Whirlwind comes and Dog appeases gods and says he will be people’s guardian. Mother-Corn says gods in heavens are four world-quarters. They will send storm if smoke not given to them first. Mother-Corn is Cedar-Tree in front of lodge and Stone at right of her is man who established office of chief. Nesaru watches over them and gives them long life.
4. ORIGIN OF THE ARIKARA.