“Awaho” means “left,” “deserted,” for this band was left, and was the last people to come out from the ground. So they were called “Awaho.”
The other bands had gone ahead a long distance. When the Awaho band reached the place where the other bands had camped, they found bits of meat that had been offered to the gods. This is the way the people secured their food.
When the Awaho people made a sacrifice of meat they took a piece off and buried it, eating what remained. The ceremony of burying the piece of meat was to teach the others that this band was at first covered up and was under the earth. These last people, the Awaho, who came out from the earth, knew all the ceremonies and taught them to the others. As they went on, these people were attacked by enemies and they were nearly all killed; but the keeper of the bundle hid it under a bank. The bundle was wrapped up with calfskin. After the people had gone into camp, the women begged that they might get the bundle. So a man went with them, and they got the bundle. A ceremony was performed to purify the contents of the bundle. A wooden bowl of water and a bundle of yellow flowers were used to cleanse the sacred objects. The flowers were dipped into the water; then they shook the flowers over the fire and dropped a few drops; then the flowers were made to touch the contents of the bundle. The people then ran down to the river and bathed. The next day sacrifices of meat were made, for now the people and the bundle were cleansed. These were the first ceremonies given by these people.
We are told by old people that Nesaru made the people; that the people were bad, and that they were destroyed. But Nesaru made some animals to take kernels of corn under the ground. These kernels had been people, and were turned to corn by Nesaru. In this way the people lived under the earth for many years. This is why the animals brought them out from the ground and why they were led, with the consent of the other gods, by Mother-Corn, who was sent by a god in the heavens, who had a field of corn.
FOOTNOTES:
[9] Told by Hawk.
9. MOTHER-CORN’S VISIT TO THE ARIKARA.[10]
Many, many years ago the Arikara, according to their traditions, were journeying west, when they were told by Mother-Corn, who had led them out of the ground, that in time they must dress her up and put her into the river; and, as they should put her into the river, the priest should say, “Mother, make haste and return to us.” For many years the Arikara continued to journey west, until at last they made a permanent village of earth-lodges upon the Missouri River, opposite the city of Washburn.
The old men thought that it was now time to send Mother-Corn down the stream. She was to go to the place from whence the Arikara originally had come, and if there were rituals and ceremonies or medicines that had been left behind, Mother-Corn was taken from the bundle and painted. A dress of tanned buffalo hide was wrapped and tied about the middle of the Mother-Corn.
While the painting and dressing of Mother-Corn was going on, the crier went through the village, telling the people that Mother-Corn was going to leave them for a period of time; and that she was going to the place from whence their forefathers had come; and that the Arikara people must all bring old moccasins for their little children; and that these must be placed with Mother-Corn, so that she might carry the old moccasins to the place whence the people had come, so that the young ones might grow up in life as the Arikara people had grown through their journey, meeting different obstacles, and finally settling down into a village; that the children might grow up; that although difficulties might beset their daily walks, they might overcome them by the power of Mother-Corn, and grow up to be strong men and women.