Songs Of The Mandan and Hidatsa

Recorded and Edited by Frances Densmore
Folk Music Of The United States Issued from the Collections of the Archive of American Folk Song L33

For many years the Mandan and Hidatsa have lived together on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. Both are agricultural tribes and they have many interest in common but each tribe has preserved its own songs, to a remarkable extent. these songs connected with tribal societies and other customs, as well as songs with legends and folk tales. They are Siouan tribes.
This study was begun at Elbowoods, North Dakota, in 1912, under the auspices of the North Dakota Historical Society and continued in 1915 and 1918 for the Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution which published the result. This publication contains transcriptions of 110 songs.
The songs of six singers are here presented, three being Mandan and three Hidatsa. One of the singers in each tribe was a woman. Scattered Corn, a Mandan, was the daughter of Moves Slowly, the last of the line of 34 corn priests of that tribe. Wounded Face represented the fine old members of the Mandan tribe, and Ben Benson was a much younger man who had filled the office of Indian policeman and taken other responsibilities in connection with his people. Butterfly was an old Hidatsa warrior, and his wife, Yellow Hair, recorded one song. Old Dog was a leader among the Hidatsa.
An interesting part of the field work was a camping trip of about two weeks at Crow's Heart's Landing, on the Upper Missouri River. This made possible the securing of valuable songs and information from Crow's Heart and other Mandan living in that locality.

Play song

Name

Performed by

Description

Native Words

Translation

Notes
Song Of The Goose Women Society Scattered Corn SONG OF THE GOOSE WOMEN SOCIETY

Many year ago there lived a Mandan chief named Good Fur Robe. He organized the Goose Women Society to "look after the corn," and if there were an early frost the Goose Women brought presents so that he, as Corn Priest, would prevent damage to the crop. Their special duty was a ceremony which took place in the spring of the year, to secure an abundant crop of corn. Four songs of this ceremony were recorded by Scattered Corn, a member of the Society. During the first and second songs the Goose Women swayed to and fro like the corn in the field. The third and fourth songs were connected with a trance which formed part of the ceremony. It was said that corn might be seen coming from the mouths of the women when in this trance and that sometimes little ducks or singing birds were thus see. The song here presented was sung after the Goose Women had recovered from their trance and been "cleansed." It was recorded by Scattered Corn.		 Mandan
The First Wife Laughs Yellow Hair SONG IN THE GARDENS

The women were responsible for the cultivation of the gardens which were a mile or more from the village. They worked in the fields of corn, beans, squash and pumpkins, and when the corn was ripe they guarded it, sitting on scaffolds and driving away the birds. Many songs were sung by the women in the gardens. Many were "lonesome songs" and the song next following contains the "teasing" that was an old Indian custom. This song was recorded by Yellow Hair, an Hidatsa, the wife of Butterfly, the old warrior. The words were not translated but were said to mean "The first (or present) wife laughs when the next wife is brought to the lodge."		 Hidatsa
Song Of The Black Eagle Ben Benson SONG OF THE EAGLE CATCHING CAMP

After the corn was harvested the people went to the eagle catching camp and remained there "until the ice was along the edge of the rivers and little pools." A trap for catching eagles consisted of a hollow in the ground covered with brush on which the bait was placed. In this hollow the catcher concealed himself, reaching up through the brush to seize the legs of the eagle when it alighted. The writer visited such a trap that had been in use about 75 years. The Mandan history of the custom was related and its songs recorded by Ben Benson, the last Mandan who had the hereditary right to sing them. One of these songs recorded by Benson is next presented. It was said the song was taught long ago, by the black eagle.		 Above the earth I walk,
On the earth I walk		 Mandan
The Enemy Are Like Women Wounded Face SONG OF THE DOG SOCIETY

Several societies of men are common to both the Mandan and Hidatsa and the songs might belong to either tribe. Among these societies were the Young Dog, Foolish (Crazy) Dog, and Dog Societies, and the words of the songs indicated the various ages of their membership. Wounded Face, the old Mandan warrior who recorded the next song, said it was always sung with the accompaniment of a rattle, not a drum. When recording the song he used his own Dog Society rattle which he afterward transferred to the writer. The rattle consists of a wand covered with leather to which are attached pieces of bone or deer hoof that jingle when the rattle is shaken. He said that a dancer held the rattle in his right hand which hung at his side, the rattle being shaken in that position.		 The enemy I do not fear,
(They are) like women		 Mandan
Old War Song Butterfly WAR SONGS

The three war songs that close this series are from the Hidatsa tribe. The first and second were recorded by a man known as Butterfly who was probably the oldest Hidatsa who recorded songs. His present name was given him by white people who thought the word "butterfly" sounded like his Hidatsa name. He said that the following song was his great-grandfather's war song and was of the sort sung before the departure of a war party.		 The first time (he went)
He brought it (an expression of sarcasm meaning that he returned empty-handed),
The next time
He brought it.		 Hidatsa
Butterfly's War Song Butterfly In the dances that followed the return of a victorious war party a man might relate some deed of valor and sing his personal war song. The next song, recorded by Butterfly, was understood to be his own war song but he gave no information concerning it. Hidatsa
War Medicine Song Old Dog It was not unusual for the leader of a war party to be a man who had dreamed a dream and believed in its power. Old Dog said that the following song belonged to his uncle, One Buffalo, who received it in a dream. He saw a wolf in his vision,and the wolf sang this song to him. One Buffalo lived to old age and died "more than 60 years ago." When acting as leader of a war party he said, "this is a medicine song. I want all our party to return in safety and I want you all to sing this song with me." Then the warriors all sang the song. Before making the phonograph record Old Dog spoke a rapid sentence which was caught by the recorder and later translated. He said, "Grandfather, I am going to sing your song. Do not be offended." Similar sentences were spoken by Sioux singers before recording important songs and are noted in Bulletin 61, Bur. Amer. Ethnol. pp. 95 and 163. The Sioux also had a war song given by a wolf in a vision (Bull. 61, Bur. Amer. Ethnol., No. 53).
Old Dog, who recorded this song, is a leader among the Hidatsa. His house is on the eastern side of the Missouri River and near his dwelling is a log "council house" which serves as a communal center for the Hidatsa of the vicinity.		 Hidatsa