Traditions of the Arikara

by George A. Dorsey

One time famine prevailed, and the people were in much distress. The medicine-men did all they could, but all in vain. Some came and talked to the woman, and she told them that it was an easy matter to give them aid. She advised all the people to open and clean their cellars. They did so. The people took out the little corn they were saving for seed and gave it to the woman. Again she advised them to stand by their cellars until she had relieved them. So she went with a little corn, beans, and squash, and when she came to the first one she asked what things were usually kept in that cellar. The owner of the cellar gave his or her answer—such as, “Corn and beans were kept in this.” The woman then would throw down the seeds in the cellar and tell them to cover them up. She did this to all the people’s cellars, and they were all covered. She advised them not to open the cellars until at the end of four days. So the people waited, and after the fourth day they all opened their cellars and beheld the corn, beans, squash, and other things, which filled their cellars. The people were pleased and showed more respect and honor to Mother-Corn. Later, the woman did many other things for them.

FOOTNOTES:

[43] Told by Hawk.

43. THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE ARIKARA AND THE SNAKES.[44]

One summer the Arikara went out to hunt buffalo, deer, and antelope. On their way they saw by the path a pretty little snake. Some of the old people told the others to give presents to the snake, such as deer meat and moccasins. There were two foolish boys in the rear of the crowd, coming along on foot. When the foolish boys saw the pile of presents they wondered what it was for. They looked all around the pile, but could see nothing; but after a while they saw the little snake on top of the presents. The boys were mad, and said: “We are poor. We are living with these people and they do not give us anything, although they know that we need help, and here they have given these things to this little snake.” “Let us kill it,” said one of the boys. The other one said, “All right.” So they killed the snake. The boys told the people that they had killed the snake. The people turned back from their hunt and went to their village, and they began to climb upon high arbors for refuge. From the top of the arbors they saw something coming down both sides of the Missouri River. Soon they discovered that what they saw were all kinds of snakes. They were ready to meet the snakes, for they knew what they had done, and they were ready to die. They took their clubs and killed the snakes, although the snakes killed many of the Arikara. By and by the snakes killed one of the foolish boys. They bit the other boy all over, but he killed many of them. After a while they went away, but they had killed many people, and all because the foolish boys had killed the young snake.

FOOTNOTES:

[44] Told by Two-Hawks.

44. THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE ARIKARA AND THE BEARS.[45]

There was a young man who had a beautiful wife, whom he loved. She had a garden in the woods where she went every day in the spring to hoe. Each morning, before starting to the garden, she prepared pemmican and dried meat to take with her. She took enough for two or three persons. Her husband noticed this. One day while she was preparing the meat he asked her why she was preparing so much, for he thought that she must have some of her relatives to help her in her garden. The woman made no reply. One day, as she went out to the garden, her husband secretly followed her. When her husband came to her garden he hid near by. He saw that the garden was well cared for, and he knew by this that some one had been helping her to clean it. The man waited a little while, and there came forth from the woods a man, who walked right over to the woman. The woman seemed glad to see this man who met her, and the man was glad to meet the woman. This strange man was painted, and upon his head were feathers, and a set of bear’s claws were about his neck. The man went to work in the garden, helping the woman. The woman’s husband lay upon the top of the hill, watching them. When the sun was high, the strange man and the woman stopped working. They went over in the shade of some trees, and they ate the meat that the woman had prepared. After eating, the strange man lay with the woman. The woman’s husband saw all that went on. He slowly made his way toward the camp and went home. When he got home he took down his bow and arrows and began to fix the arrow-points and bow-string. In the meantime, the woman returned. She asked her husband where he was going, and he made reply that he was fixing up his bow and arrows to go hunting the next day. The man then asked his wife how she was getting along with the work in her garden, and she said she was nearly through.