Women of the Mandan White Buffalo Cow Society

Description

The Mandans and Hidatsas were divided into a series of age-graded societies into which a person purchased memberships successively as he or she grew older. Each age society had distinctive dances, songs, and insignia. There were four women's societies among the Mandans, and the individuals in this sketch are wearing the regalia of the White Buffalo Cow Society. The White Buffalo Cows had special hats made of rectangular pieces of hide from the rare and sacred white buffalo. These were wrapped around the head and laced at the back with a plume of owl or raven feathers at the front. On December 25, 1833, fifteen of these women came to Fort Clark and performed their dance for the factor and his guests. Maximilian gives a vivid account of the scene, and Bodmer produced an equally vivid portrayal for the aquatint atlas (Vignette XXVIII) which incorporates the figures shown here.