Grammar and dictionary of the language of the Hidatsa : (Minnetarees, Grosventres of the Missouri) : with an introductory sketch of the tribe / by Washington Matthews.

Matthews, Washington, 1843-1905.

Date:: 1873-1874

Credit: Grammar and dictionary of the language of the Hidatsa : (Minnetarees, Grosventres of the Missouri) : with an introductory sketch of the tribe / by Washington Matthews. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$mi da tsa pi a zis, fr. midatsapi and azi; Powder Rimr or Dust River; the branch of the Yellowstone now known as Powder river. mi di ho pa [bidi-], fr. midi and hopa ; Sacred., Medicine, or Mys- terious Water ; the Minnewakan or Devil’s Lake, in northern Dakota. mi di Q da mu a zis [bidio- nawuazi], fr. midi, odamu and azi; River with Deep Spot or Channel. Some say that this name signifies the River that Rises, or River that Deepens, and such may be liberal translations of the word; hence the English name of Risjng-w^ater and the French Deau-qui-mont. This stream enters the Missouri from the north, about twenty-five miles west ot the Grosventre village. mi di' M a zis, fr. midi, isia and azi; Bad Water River; the Muddy, a stream flowing from the north and entering the Missouri about twenty- five miles east of Fort Buford. mi di to hi a zis, fr. midi, tohi and azi; Blue Water River ; a creek near Fort Berthold to the west. mi te a ta di ke a zis, fr. mi- teatadike and azi; Box Elder River; a stream entering the Missouri from the south, about thirty miles below the mouth of the Yellowstone. mi tsi a da zi [mitsianazi], prob. fr. mi’, tsi or tsidi, and azi; the Yellowstone river. mi tsx i ta mi da ksis,/r. mitsi, ita and midaksi; Palisade of the Wedge; a high conical hill in the valley of the Little Missouri, some eighty miles south-east of the mouth of the Yellowstone, a prominent landmark. P- patskas,/f. patska; the Coteau thebottom-land in the neighborhood of the Missouri. of Dry Fork, on the road between pe de tski' hi i ta a ma si's. Forts Buford and Stevenson.* Eagle-trap of Crow-{Grop) Breast; * A great many places are named by these Indians, as somebody’s amasi', eagle-trap or earth-trap. An explanation of this seems advisable. Late in the autumn or early in the winter, when they go out on their winter hunt, a few families seek some quiet spot in the timber and make a camp with a view to catching eagles. After pitching iheir tents they first build a small, roundish, wooden lodge, w’here the ceremonies, supposed to be indis- pensable, are performed; and then make several traps on high places among the neighbor- ing hills. Each trap consists of a hole dug in the earth and covered with sticks, sods, etc.: a small opening is left in the covering; a dead rabbit, grouse, or other animal is tied on top; and an Indian is secreted in the excavation below. The eagle, seeing the bait, sweeps down and fastens his claw^s in it; but, the bait being secured, he is unable to remove it. When his claws are stuck, the Indian puts his hand out through the opening, and, catching the eagle by both legs, draws him into the hole and ties him firmly. The trapper then rearranges the top of his trap and w^aits for another eagle. In this way many eagles are caught; they are then brought alive into camp, the tails are plucked out and the bird is set at liberty, to suffer, perhaps, a similar imprisonment and mutilation at some future time. The religious ceremonies connected with the trapping, are interesting, but too numerous to be described in this place. When the trapping season is over they break up the camp; and, if the locality is not already provided with a name, they call it Ihe amasi’, or earth-trap, of whoever was master of ceremonies during the season. Only two instances of this manner of naming are given above.$