Traditions of the Arikara

by George A. Dorsey

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.