Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri: Edited with Notes and Biographical SketchDenig, Edwin Thompson
History
Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri: Edited with Notes and Biographical Sketch
Denig, Edwin Thompson
Assiniboine Indians; Indians of North America -- Missouri River Valley
Another Head painted and decked very gaudily is placed in the lodge of
the master, who smokes and invokes it, at times singing the Bull Song,
which he accompanies with a rattle nearly all night, and prophesies
as to their appearance of success in the morning. A man is now chosen
who is to lead the buffalo within the lines, and there are but few
among them who can do it. When the discoverers have reported buffalo
to be within 8 or 10 miles of the camp, and the wind is favorable, the
master, after great ceremonies to the Heads, and making them other
sacrifices, gives notice that a throw must be made, sending all the
camp to take their stations behind the piles of earth, lying down; he
remains in camp, keeping up a singing, rattling, and smoking—with
invocations all the time. The person who brings the buffalo mounts a
horse and meets them a great distance from camp. When within about 150
yards of the herd he covers his body with his robe, lies along the
horse’s back, and imitates the bleating of a buffalo calf.
The whole mass immediately moves toward him. He retreats toward the
pen, always keeping to the windward of them, and about the same
distance ahead, renewing the noise of the calf whenever they appear to
stop. They generally follow him as fast as his horse can gallop, and
in this way alone he conducts them within the lines of the angle. Of
course as soon as they are a short distance in, the scent of one of
the angles reaches them but it is now too late, they have closed in
behind. The animals now take fright and rush from one line to another,
but seeing people on both sides (who rise as the buffalo attempt to
get through) they keep straight forward. The leader on horseback now
makes his escape to one side, and the whole herd plunges madly down the
precipice, one on top of the other, breaking their legs and necks in
the fall. Into the pen they tumble, those in front having no power to
stop. They are forced on by the pressure from behind and frightened by
the yelling and firing of the savages. When all have passed into the
pen the work of slaughter commences, with guns and bows firing as long
as any appearance of life remains. From 300 to 600 are thus thrown in
at one time by a small camp, and two or three days are required to skin
and cut them up.
Men, women, and children now commence skinning. Each secures as many
hides as he can skin. The master of the park claims a portion for his
share, indeed all are said to belong to him, but he does not take more
than the rest. All the tongues, however, are his, and he also receives
other payment for his services in presents, besides the standing of a
divining man. Plate 70 will perhaps exhibit the hunt more clearly if we
have not been sufficiently plain in the description.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account