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
ELK HUNTING.—This is done on foot, with the gun, but by parties of
men. Elk go in droves of from 100 to 300 each and are found in the
large timbered bottoms of the Missouri and Yellowstone. There is some
ceremony required in hunting this animal. In the first place some
divining woman who is said to be an “elk dreamer” states she has had
a favorable dream for hunting them. The woman is then stripped to the
waist and also barelegged, the body and face painted a bright yellow,
and a wreath of bushes with leaves on projecting two or three feet
on each side is placed on her head in imitation of the horns of the
elk. Thus decorated she starts at the head of a party of 15 to 25 men.
When in the vicinity of the place, where, according to her dream, the
elk are to be found, she stops and commences her incantation song,
while the others continue in quest of the game. As soon as the herd is
discovered the party separate, and outflanking them on either side,
commence firing and running toward them, loading and firing while
running, in quick succession, when the elk become confused, scatter and
turn in different directions, presenting at times a mark for each of
the hunters.
Every shot bewilders them the more, and instead of running in any one
direction they keep turning every way until a great many are killed.
They are then skinned, cut up, and the meat and hides packed home on
horses brought for the purpose, which having been left behind in charge
of some women and boys, are brought up during the fixing. The skins are
used for clothing and the meat, though eaten, is not relished much by
most of the Indians.
Elk are also approached singly and at those times the same precautions
are used as stated under the head of deer hunting, though they are not
so shy and timid an animal as deer.
GRIZZLY BEARS.—This animal is not hunted but often found when not
desired, and mostly passed by unmolested by a single Indian when
on foot, though on occasions they do kill them in this way, which
exploit ranks in bravery next to killing an enemy, but the thickets
and mauvaise terre which they inhabit makes the pursuit too dangerous
for ordinary hunters. They are more frequently killed in their dens in
winter.
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