The Buffalo Dance is most usually given in conjunction with the Buffalo Feast. The dance, which originated with Hodjánoka (Hodjanaga), can be given by anyone who has been blessed by the Buffalo Spirits. This is the story of its origin.

In the earliest times the Hotcâgara existed in the form of animals, as it was in this form that they had come together to found the clans that make up the nation. At that time they had all the power that they needed, but as they evolved into human form, they had to fast to obtain those powers necessary for life. When he had just reached puberty, Hodjánoka (Young Man Just Maturing) therefore began to fast, and went off to seek blessings from the spirits. After he nearly fasted to death, a spirit came to him in his dream, and said, "Mortal, I bless you. I bless you with a victorious warpath, and with a long life." He made it known that he was one of the Buffalo Spirits. "Remember us in your offerings," he said, "and from time to time pour tobacco for us and give us Dog Feasts. When you make offerings, present eagle feathers, tobacco, and food. Indeed, we bless you mortal, for you have made yourself very pitiable. We shall soon come for you and bring you to our camp that you may obtain what you truly long for." Then one day he dreamed again, and the Buffalo Spirits came to him and took him to Spiritland where they had their village. There in the village of the Buffalo Spirits, he saw an old man and a child. The child had heard his prayers, and it was he who had taken pity on him by blessing him. The child gave him an herb and told him, "This is what we give you. With this you may cure the sick; but since it will also increase your strength when you run, you may also use it in war." They gave him a holy buffalo tail, and flutes. Then they taught him four songs:

Let him walk in the road;
Let him walk in the road.

Walk by, Hodjánoka;
Walk by, Hodjánoka.

Say, 'Walk by Hodjánoka'.

Hodjánoka, go towards;
'It is coming, it is coming';
Say it to them, say it to them.

Then they showed him the Buffalo Dance. After all this instruction, he retuned to earth.

It is said that when the dance is announced they do not go about with invitation sticks, but invite people through the use of an emissary. In the appointed lodge they prepare for the dance by creating a loose mound of dirt which is called the "buffalo mound." On top of the mound, or Mânuserek, they place a plate of maple sugar. The host appoints someone from the Buffalo Clan to be the leader of the dance. This man puts upon his own head the head of a buffalo and attaches to himself a buffalo tail. He then leads the dancers in line to the dish of maple sugar and licks some of it up just as a buffalo would without using his hands. Each in turn does this, and as they dance towards the earth mound, they bellow like buffaloes. As each dance is completed the drummer passes the drum to the next person. Once everyone has been the drummer, they are ready to eat. Each person has his own plate; however, there is a special plate in the center of the lodge with wild rice on it. The host tells the dance leader that this plate is intended for him and anyone else he chooses to share it with. When they have done eating, the ones in the center of the lodge then take their heads and flip the plate in the air as if they were buffalo goring it. Only when they have caused it to land upside down using only their heads, is the ritual over. Then the host rises and sings a dancing song, and everyone dances out of the lodge each with his own plate in hand. Thus ends the Buffalo Dance.

Commentary. For the Buffalo Feast, to which the Buffalo Dance is regularly a part, see the Buffalo Clan Origin Myth.

Links: Buffalo Spirits, The Creation Council.

Stories: about buffaloes and Buffalo Spirits: Buffalo Clan Origin Myth, He Who Eats the Stinking Part of the Deer Ankle, The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits, Bluehorn Rescues His Sister, Bluehorn's Nephews, Redhorn's Father, The Woman who became an Ant, The Blessing of Cokeboka, The Creation of the World (v. 3), The Annihilation of the Hotcâgara I, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, The Red Feather, Wazûka, Holy One and His Brother, Old Man and White Feathers, The Orphan who was Blessed with a Horse; in which dancing plays a role: Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, Ghost Dance Origin Myth II, Midjistéga, The Four Slumbers Origin Myth, Îtcorúcika and His Brothers, Trickster and the Dancers, Wolves and Humans, The Shell Anklets Origin Myth, Bluehorn Rescues His Sister, The Blessing of Kerexûsak; about fasting blessings: Earthmaker Blesses Wagícega (Wecgícega), The Difficult Blessing, The Boy Who Became a Robin, The Boy who would be Immortal, The Woman Who Fought the Bear, The Girl who Refused a Blessing from the Wood Spirits, The Seer, The Woman who Loved Her Half-Brother, The Nightspirits Bless Djobenâgiwíñxga, Disease Giver Blesses Djobenâgiwíñxga, The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits, The Boy who was Blessed by a Mountain Lion, Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, The Blessing of a Bear Clansman, Aratcgéga's Blessings, Great Walker's Medicine, Thunderbird and White Horse, The Man who was Blessed by the Sun, Holy Song, Paint Medicine Origin Myth, The Plant Blessing of Earth, The Blessing of Cokeboka, The Tap the Head Medicine, The Sweetened Drink Song, Ancient Blessing; about the Creation Council: Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth, Tobacco Origin Myth, Wonághire Wâkcik Clan Origin Myth, Bear Clan Origin Myth, Elk Clan Origin Myth, Waterspirit Clan Origin Myth, Buffalo Clan Origin Myth, Deer Clan Origin Myth, Wolf Clan Origin Myth, Origin of the Winnebago Chief, Hotcâk Clans Origin Myth, Snake Clan Origins; about journeys to and from Spiritland: The Four Slumbers Origin Myth, Ghost Dance Origin Myth II, The Resurrection of the Chief's Daughter, The Journey to Spiritland, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, The Lame Friend, Holy One and His Brother, Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, The Foolish Hunter, Warughápara, The Thunderbird, The Boy who was Captured by the Bad Thunderbirds, White Wolf, The Twins Get into Hot Water, The Two Brothers, The Lost Blanket, Earthmaker Sends Rucewe to the Twins, The Man who went to the Upper and Lower Worlds, The Petition to Earthmaker, Wears White Feathers on His Head, Thunder Cloud Marries Again, The Shawnee Prophet -- What He Told the Hotcâgara, Aratcgéga's Blessings, The Blessing of a Bear Clansman, The Man Whose Wife was Captured; mentioning a small, sacred, earthen mound in the center of a lodge: How Little Priest went out as a Soldier, Tobacco Origin Myth (v. 5); mentioning drums: The Descent of the Drum, The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits, The Spirit of Maple Bluff, Tobacco Origin Myth (v. 5), Young Man Gambles Often, Trickster and the Dancers, Redhorn's Father, Ghost Dance Origin Myth II, The Elk's Skull, Ghosts, The Four Slumbers Origin Myth, Great Walker's Medicine, Redhorn Contests the Giants, Soft Shelled Turtle Gets Married, The Medicine Rite Foundation Myth, The Journey to Spiritland (v. 1b), Wolf Clan Origin Myth, Trickster's Anus Guards the Ducks, Trickster and the Geese, Turtle's Warparty, Snowshoe Strings, Ocean Duck, Îtcorúcika and His Brothers, Hog's Adventures; mentioning feasts: Thunderbird Clan Origin Myth (Chief Feast), The Creation Council (Eagle Feast), Wonághire Wâkcik Clan Origin Myth (Eagle Feast), Waterspirit Clan Origin Myth (Waterspirit Feast), Bear Clan Origin Myth (Bear Feast), The Woman Who Fought the Bear (Bear Feast), Grandfather's Two Families (Bear Feast), Wolf Clan Origin Myth (Wolf Feast), Buffalo Clan Origin Myth (Buffalo Feast), The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits (Buffalo Feast), He Who Eats the Stinking Part of the Deer Ankle (Buffalo Feast), The Blessing of Cokeboka (Feast to the Buffalo Tail), Snake Clan Origins (Snake Feast), Blessing of the Yellow Snake Chief (Snake Feast), The Thunderbird (for the granting of a war weapon), Turtle's Warparty (War Weapons Feast, Warpath Feast), Porcupine and His Brothers (War Weapons Feast), Earthmaker Blesses Wagícega (Wecgícega) (Winter Feast = Warbundle Feast), Big Thunder Teaches Tcap'ósgaga the Warpath (Winter Feast = Warbundle Feast), The Boy who was Blessed by a Mountain Lion (Winter Feast = Warbundle Feast), White Thunder's Warpath (Winter Feast = Warbundle Feast), The Fox-Hotcâk War (Winter Feast = Warbundle Feast), Baldheaded Warclub Origin Myth (Warpath Feast), Kunu's Warpath (Warpath Feast), Trickster's Warpath (Warpath Feast), The Masaxe War (Warpath Feast), Redhorn's Sons (Warpath Feast, Fast-Breaking Feast), The Girl who Refused a Blessing from the Wood Spirits (Fast-Breaking Feast), The Chief of the Herok'a (Sick Offering Feast), The Dipper (Sick Offering Feast, Warclub Feast), The Four Slumbers Origin Myth (Four Slumbers Feast), The Journey to Spiritland (Four Slumbers Feast), Spear Shaft and Lacrosse (unspecified).

Themes: blessings from Buffalo Spirits: The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits, He Who Eats the Stinking Part of the Deer Ankle, The Blessing of Cokeboka; a person who fasts receives blessings from the spirits: The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits, The Boy who was Blessed by a Mountain Lion, The Nightspirits Bless Djobenagiwíñxga, Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, Redhorn's Sons, The Boy Who Became a Robin, The Woman Who Fought the Bear, The Seer, Maize Comes to the Hotcâgara, The Warbundle of the Eight Generations, The Woman who Loved Her Half-Brother, The Boy who would be Immortal, The Thunderbird, Lake Wâkcikhomîgra (Mendota): the Origin of Its Name, Great Walker's Medicine, Cûgepaga, Earthmaker Blesses Wagícega (Wecgícega), A Man's Revenge, Aratcgéga's Blessings, The Blessing of a Bear Clansman, The Man who was Blessed by the Sun, The Girl who Refused a Blessing from the Wood Spirits, The Man who Defied Disease Giver, White Thunder's Warpath, A Man and His Three Dogs, The Diving Contest, The Plant Blessing of Earth, Holy Song, The Tap the Head Medicine, The Blessing of Cokeboka, The Completion Song Origin, Paint Medicine Origin Myth, The Nightspirits Bless Tciwoit'éhiga, The Horse Spirit of Eagle Heights; a spirit is quoted as he gives someone a blessing: Earthmaker Blesses Wagícega (Wecgícega), Traveler and the Thunderbird War, The Nightspirits Bless Djobenagiwíñxga, Disease Giver Blesses Djobenâgiwíñxga, He Who Eats the Stinking Part of the Deer Ankle, The Man Whose Wife was Captured, The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits, The Boy who was Blessed by a Mountain Lion, Ghost Dance Origin Myth I, The Woman Who Fought the Bear, The Blessing of a Bear Clansman, Aratcgéga's Blessings, The Girl who Refused a Blessing from the Wood Spirits, Great Walker's Medicine, Thunderbird and White Horse, The Plant Blessing of Earth, The Completion Song Origin, The Man who was Blessed by the Sun, Thunder Cloud is Blessed, The Difficult Blessing, The Blessing of Cokeboka; a human being physically travels to Spiritland without having died: The Resurrection of the Chief's Daughter, Ghost Dance Origin Myth II, Snowshoe Strings, The Thunderbird, The Boy who was Captured by the Bad Thunderbirds, Warughápara, How the Thunders Met the Nights, The Shaggy Man, He Who Eats the Stinking Part of the Deer Ankle, Aratcgéga's Blessings, The Blessing of a Bear Clansman, The Lost Blanket, The Twins Get into Hot Water, The Daughter-in-Law's Jealousy, The Petition to Earthmaker, The Boy who would be Immortal, Thunder Cloud Marries Again, Rainbow and the Stone Arch, v. 2, Trickster Concludes His Mission; someone is blessed with a medicine: Fourth Universe, Great Walker's Medicine, The Seven Maidens, The Blessings of the Buffalo Spirits, The Tap the Head Medicine, The Seer, A Snake Song Origin Myth, Young Man Gambles Often, The Elk's Skull, The Sweetened Drink Song; a spirit blesses a man with knowledge of a sacred dance: Ghost Dance Origin Myth I; a spirit blesses a man with knowledge of sacred songs: Earthmaker Blesses Wagícega (Wecgícega), Holy Song, The Island Weight Songs, A Snake Song Origin Myth, The Completion Song Origin, The Sweetened Drink Song, The Blessing of a Bear Clansman; a mortal is returned to earth from the spirit village that he is visiting: Warughápara, The Thunderbird, The Shaggy Man, He Who Eats the Stinking Part of the Deer Ankle, Snowshoe Strings, The Daughter-in-Law's Jealousy, White Wolf, The Foolish Hunter, The Boy who was Captured by the Bad Thunderbirds, The Petition to Earthmaker; a man wears a buffalo head: Wazûka, Bluehorn Rescues His Sister.

Notes:

[1] Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 296-297, 299. Informant: a member of the Bear Clan.