woman said, but at something the chief said.”
Soon all the Minnetarees were chanting,
“Eeeech, eeeech, aaaagch,”
in disapproval.
“What is he saying now?” ventured Grass Child.
“He is explaining that he does not need another woman as long as he has the young one, Sunflower, and his other women to keep his lodge neat and cook his meals. He is shaking his head no. He is glaring at the young woman, Sunflower. He says his word is law and final in this matter.”
“That’s how it should be,” snorted Pine Woman.
“Wait,” continued Moon Woman. “He raises his hand for silence. The woman called Sunflower is smiling; she holds Blue Feather gently so he can see the chief. The chief is now holding Blue Feather.”
“That’s enough to make that baby cry,” sniffed Fish Woman.
“He cradles the baby and sways to and fro. He is talking. He says he wants a woman. No, it is not he, but the baby who needs a woman. His woman, Sunflower, is not able to nurse her new baby, and so in order to please this Sunflower and his new son, he wants to take in his tepee the mother of the baby.”
“Me be one of his women!” Water Woman stood up. “Oh, no! I’d rather have death.”
A warrior motioned for Water Woman to follow him to the chief. She went, cowed. Not another word was heard from her lips as she stood beside the chief, her face still as stone.
The young wife, Sunflower, smiled as she placed Blue Feather in Water Woman’s arms and pushed Drummer close beside his own mother.
A cheer went up from the crowd.
“She is to be a slave in his household, taking care of all the children,” said Moon Woman. “I think she will soon find her darkest moment to be her brightest.”
Another cheer went up from the crowd. They couldunderstand that. A slave to take care of the children. Yes, their chief had good use for that now.
“A slave!” sobbed Pine Woman. “How horrible!”
“Wonderful,” said Moon Woman, with tears spilling down her cheeks. “She will not mind being a slave when she can raise her own children. Her work has just begun. These people do not like to see young children separated from their mother. A child needs his own mother’s milk to make him strong.” Quickly she wiped her face dry with her fingers and stared stoically into the flames.
“Their own mother to care for them,” Grass Child repeated.
CHAPTER
4
Bird Woman
The five river villages, two Mandan, two Minnetaree (Hidatsa), and one Wetersoon (Amahami) at the head of the Missouri River used a round boat, built like a tub, of raw hide stretched under a frame of willow. Women carried the boats on their head from the lodge or storage place to the water and back again. They stood in front and propelled the tub by dipping a paddle forward and drawing it to them instead of paddling by the side.
This is exactly the technique employed by the men in Wales today who use a small round boat, called a coracle, made in the same manner, for fishing. The paddle made by the American Indians of the river villages had a claw at the top of its loom, which was identical with the type of paddle used on the River Teifi in Wales today.
With this sort of navigation, both men and women of the upper Missouri were very expert. In summer they killed buffalo, made round boats of the hide, put the meat inside and paddled their boats home. Fifty, sixty, or a hundred tubs could be seen, all loaded, each manned by a single paddler, plying its way, even in a high wind, against the rapid, dangerous current of the Missouri.
RICHARD DEACON ,
Madoc and the Discovery of America.
New York: George Braziller, 1966, pp. 224-26.
I t was evening in the Minnetaree big Hidatsa village. Moon Woman, Pine Woman, and Fish Woman had each stood before the old chief and then been led off to an empty lodge that had once belonged to a family that had all died of dysentery. The women had not been given to any specific family, but would serve as general servants to the entire
Soon all the Minnetarees were chanting,
“Eeeech, eeeech, aaaagch,”
in disapproval.
“What is he saying now?” ventured Grass Child.
“He is explaining that he does not need another woman as long as he has the young one, Sunflower, and his other women to keep his lodge neat and cook his meals. He is shaking his head no. He is glaring at the young woman, Sunflower. He says his word is law and final in this matter.”
“That’s how it should be,” snorted Pine Woman.
“Wait,” continued Moon Woman. “He raises his hand for silence. The woman called Sunflower is smiling; she holds Blue Feather gently so he can see the chief. The chief is now holding Blue Feather.”
“That’s enough to make that baby cry,” sniffed Fish Woman.
“He cradles the baby and sways to and fro. He is talking. He says he wants a woman. No, it is not he, but the baby who needs a woman. His woman, Sunflower, is not able to nurse her new baby, and so in order to please this Sunflower and his new son, he wants to take in his tepee the mother of the baby.”
“Me be one of his women!” Water Woman stood up. “Oh, no! I’d rather have death.”
A warrior motioned for Water Woman to follow him to the chief. She went, cowed. Not another word was heard from her lips as she stood beside the chief, her face still as stone.
The young wife, Sunflower, smiled as she placed Blue Feather in Water Woman’s arms and pushed Drummer close beside his own mother.
A cheer went up from the crowd.
“She is to be a slave in his household, taking care of all the children,” said Moon Woman. “I think she will soon find her darkest moment to be her brightest.”
Another cheer went up from the crowd. They couldunderstand that. A slave to take care of the children. Yes, their chief had good use for that now.
“A slave!” sobbed Pine Woman. “How horrible!”
“Wonderful,” said Moon Woman, with tears spilling down her cheeks. “She will not mind being a slave when she can raise her own children. Her work has just begun. These people do not like to see young children separated from their mother. A child needs his own mother’s milk to make him strong.” Quickly she wiped her face dry with her fingers and stared stoically into the flames.
“Their own mother to care for them,” Grass Child repeated.
CHAPTER
4
Bird Woman
The five river villages, two Mandan, two Minnetaree (Hidatsa), and one Wetersoon (Amahami) at the head of the Missouri River used a round boat, built like a tub, of raw hide stretched under a frame of willow. Women carried the boats on their head from the lodge or storage place to the water and back again. They stood in front and propelled the tub by dipping a paddle forward and drawing it to them instead of paddling by the side.
This is exactly the technique employed by the men in Wales today who use a small round boat, called a coracle, made in the same manner, for fishing. The paddle made by the American Indians of the river villages had a claw at the top of its loom, which was identical with the type of paddle used on the River Teifi in Wales today.
With this sort of navigation, both men and women of the upper Missouri were very expert. In summer they killed buffalo, made round boats of the hide, put the meat inside and paddled their boats home. Fifty, sixty, or a hundred tubs could be seen, all loaded, each manned by a single paddler, plying its way, even in a high wind, against the rapid, dangerous current of the Missouri.
RICHARD DEACON ,
Madoc and the Discovery of America.
New York: George Braziller, 1966, pp. 224-26.
I t was evening in the Minnetaree big Hidatsa village. Moon Woman, Pine Woman, and Fish Woman had each stood before the old chief and then been led off to an empty lodge that had once belonged to a family that had all died of dysentery. The women had not been given to any specific family, but would serve as general servants to the entire
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