Traditions of the Arikara

One time the Arikara went hunting on the Missouri River. They made their camp in the timber. Every evening the men used to go across the river and kill Elk. One evening, after the men had come home from their hunt, they heard the Elk whistling across the river. There was a fine-looking young woman in the camp, and as soon as she heard the Elk whistling she jumped up as if something had struck her, and she said: “Oh! I like that whistling; I must go and find out what it is.” The people got hold of this woman. Every time the Elk whistled it was hard for the girl to stay away from him. For many days the Elk walked on the other side of the river, and the husband of the girl began to get jealous of the animal, for every time the Elk whistled the girl would jump up as if to run after it.

One day as they heard the Whistling of the Elk they all agreed that it was time to kill it. As they were getting ready to go across the river to kill the Elk they heard the whistling on their side of the river. There was the Elk going slowly through the timber. The men shot and shot and shot at it, but they could not kill it. The girl had to be tied up, because she wanted to go to the Elk. Finally one of the men took one of his cartridges and put in it some medicine, and said, “Now I will see if we can kill you.” This man shot at the Elk, and his bullet was effective. While the Elk was whistling through the timber the girl was being held down. She had almost gotten away from three or four strong men. After the Elk was dead they had to give the girl some medicine to keep her from running away. She was put in a sweat-lodge many times, until she got over this crazy spell.