SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 80 MANDAN AND HIDATSA MUSIC FRANCES WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1923 ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D. C. AT 60 CENTS PER COPY PURCHASER AGREES NOT TO RESELL OR DISTRIBUTE THIS COPY FOR PROFIT.—PUB. RES. 57, APPROVED MAY U, 1922 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, Washington, D. C ., December 15, 1918. Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith the accompanying manuscript, entitled " Mandan and Hidatsa Music," by Frances Dens- more, and to recommend its publication as a bulletin of the Bureau of American Ethnology. Very respectfully, J. Walter Fewkes, Chief. Dr. Charles D. Walcott, Secretm'y of the Smithsonian Institution. ; FOREWORD A phase of Indian life hitherto untouched by the present writer is shown in this work. The Mandan and Hidatsa lived in houses which were grouped in permanent villages, their environment differ- ing essentially from that of the Chippewa and Sioux in their camps or the Ute in the fastnesses of the mountains. The music of the latter tribes has been analj^zed in previous works/ and a comparative statement of results is presented in this volume. The songs of the Mandan and Hidatsa were recorded on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota during the summers of 1912 and 1915, an additional trip being made in 1918 to complete the material. This research was suggested by Dr. O. J. Libby, secre- tary of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and the first season's work was under the auspices of that society. The subsequent work was under the auspices of the Bureau of American Ethnology. The writer desires to acknowledge the valued assistance of her two principal interpreters, Mr. James Holding Eagle, a member of the Mandan tribe, who interpreted and translated that language, and Mr. Fred Huber, who interpreted and translated the Hidatsa. Mr. Holding Eagle was bom in 1884, received liis early education at the Fort Berthold Mission of the Congregational Church, and graduated fi'om the Santee Normal Training School at Santee, Nebr. He is now engaged in missionary work among his people on the Fort Berthold Reservation, Mr. Huber went to Fort Berthold as a musician with the United States Army, and for more than 30 years spent the majority of his time among the Hidatsa. He died before the completion of the present work. Grateful acknowledgment is made of the assistance rendered by officials of the North Dakota Historical Society, also of the courtesy extended by Dr. C. L. Hall, who for more than 40 years has been a missionary of the Congregational Church on the reservation. The writer desires also to express her appreciation of the assistance cordially given by members of the staff of the Bureau of American Ethnology and the United States National Museum in their re- spective fields of research. Frances Densmorel • Chippewa Music. Bull. 45 ; Chippewa Music II, Bull. 53 ; Teton Sioux Music, Bull. 61 and Northern Ute Music, Bull. 75, Bur. Amer. Ethn. CONTENTS Page. List of songs by serial numbers xi List of songs by catalogue numbers xiv Special signs used in transcription of songs xvi Phonetic key xvii Names of singers xvii Informants wbo did not record songs xviii Proper names and other native terms xix Characterization of singers 1 Mandan 1 Hidatsa 2 Mandan and Hidatsa Indians 3 Name 3 History and characteristics 3 Dwellings and villages 4 Pottery 5 Burial customs 6 Language 6 Mytliology 6 Music 7 Musical instruments 8 Drums 8 Rattles 8 War whistles^ 9 Courting whistles 9 Flageolets 10 Dealings with the United States Government 11 Mandan and Hidatsa music 12 Introduction ^ 12 Tabulated analyses of 820 Chippewa, Sioux, Ute, Mandan, and Hidatsa songs 16 Analysis of Chippewa, Sioux, Ute, Mandan, and Hidatsa songs 26 Comparative group analyses of Mandan and Hidatsa songs 32 Graphic representation or " plots " 34 Section 1. Mandan Good Fur Robe 35 The office of Corn Priest 86 The instructions of Good Fur Robe '. 38 VII Vni CONTENTS Page. Societies organized by Good Fur Robe 39 The Goose Women Society 39 Ceremony and meeting of the Goose Women Society 40 The Black Mouth Society 47 Meeting of the Bhick Mouth Society 48 Customs 52 Singing in the gardens 52 Eagle catching 60 Origin of the custom of eagle catching 64 Legends , 80 Origin of the flageolet . 80 Origin of the Buffalo Dance Society 84 The moon and the dancers 86 The black-tailed deer 87 Folk tales 89 The turtle who went to war 89 The man who married the birds 90 The coyote and the skunk 92 Section 2. Mandan and Hidatsa Mandan women's societies 94 Skunk Society 94 Enemy Society 95 Little River Women Society 97 Origin of the Little River Women Society 97 Ceremony of the Little River Women Society 99 Mandan and Hidatsa men's societies 108 Drums, rattles, and whistles used in the societies 112 Songs of the societies 112 Stone Hammer Society of the Hidatsa _ 113 Stone Hammer Society wand 115 Stone Hammer Society songs 116 Fox Society songs 121 Young Dog Society song 129 Foolish (or Crazy) Dog Society songs 129 Dog Society songs 133 Buffalo Society songs 138 Horse Society songs 143 War songs 144 Miscellaneous songs 170 Melodic and rhythmic analysis of songs by serial numbers 178 Authorities cited 185 Index 187 ILLUSTRATIONS PLATES Page. 1. Old Dog 2 2. a, James Holding Eagle, h. Scattered Corn 2 3. a. Crow's Heart's earth lodge, h. Old Dog's log lodge 2 4. a. Entrance to earth lodge, h, Entrance to earth lodge, showing scaf- fold for drying corn 2 5. a, Frame of sweat lodge, h, Corn-drying scaffold 2 6. ff, Missouri River at Crow's Heart's landing, b, Missouri River, looking west 2 7. Dried squash , 6 8. a, Camp on Fort Berthold Reservation. 6, Scaffold burial on Fort Berthold Reservation 6 9. Hand drum, a, obverse; h, reverse, c. Foolish Dog Society rattle. (Z, " Mushroom " rattle 10 10. a. Pan playiug on whistle, b. Whistle and Dog Society rattle 10 11. Plots of Mandan and Hidatsa songs 34 12. Plots of Mandan and Hidatsa songs 34 13. a, Goose Women Society drum, b, Drumming stick used with Goose Women Society drum 40 14. a. Otter Woman, h, Bear-on-the-flat. e, Pan 40 15. a, Yellow Hair, b, Sitting Rabbit, c, Butterfly 62 " 16. a, Bone used for fastening bait in eagle catching, b, c, " Kick-ball 62 17. a, Eagle trap (filled by vegetation in foreground), b. View from eagle trap 62 18. a. Sitting Crow, b, Holding Eagle 62 19. a, Headdress worn in Buffalo Society, b, Stone Hammer Society wand and Foolish Dog Society rattle, c, Head of Stone Hammer Society wand 112 TEXT FIGtJRES 1. Whistle melody 10 2. Plots of Sioux songs compared with Mandan and Hidatsa songs 34 3. Diagram showing movements of men in ceremony of Black Mouth Society 48 4. Flageolet melody 83 5. Plot of song No. 72 141 6. Plot of song No. 92 161 IX LIST OF SONGS 1. Arranged in Order of Serial Numbers Songs of the Goose Women Society Serial No. Catalogue No. Page. 1. The Captive song 808 42 2. Song of the Goose Women Society (a) 809 43 3. "My daughter" 810 44 4. Song of the Corn Priest 812 45 5. Song of the Goose Women Society (b) 811 46 Songs of the Black Mouth Society 6. Song to the raven 861 49 7. "Earth always endures" 859 50 8. " Enemies are many " 860 50 9. Going to dance 903 51 10. Black Mouth Society song 869 52 Garden Songs 11. "Kill the blackbirds" 877 54 12. "The corn is my pleasure" 813 54 13. "I am alone" 814 55 14. " My lover is dead " 875 56 15. "My heart aches every day" 878 57 16. "This is her village" 874 58 17. Song to the corn . ^ 876 59 18. " The first wife laughs " 906 60 Songs Connbx;ted With Eagle Catching 19. Song of the buffalo 821 70 20. Song of the black eagle 822 71 21. Song of the coyote (a) 823 72 22. Song of the snake 824 73 23. Song when making the brush shelter 825 74 24. Song when making the sweat lodge 826 75 25. Song when making the eagle trap 827 76 26. Song when preparing the bait 828 77 27. Song of the little wolverine 829 77 28. Song of the goose 830 78 29. Song of the swan 831 79 30. Song concerning the twine 832 80 XI XII LIST OF SONGS Songs Connected With Legends and Folk-Tales Serial No. Catalogue No. Page. 31. Song of the leader of the herd 838 86 32. Song of the moon 842 87 33. Song of the deer 837 88 34. Song of the turtle who went to war 893 90 35. Song of the man who married the birds 894 92 36. Dancing song of the sifunlf 820 98 Songs of Women's Societies (Mandan) 37. " He never will return " 807 95 38. "He stared at me" 819 96 39. Song of the spirit women 800 101 40. " The Missouri women " 801 103 41. Song of tlie bear 802 104 42. Song of the shell 803 105 43. Song of the coyote (b) 804 106 44. Dancing song of the Little River Women Society 805 106 45. Song of the Little River Women Society (a) 872 107 46.