Age-Grade Societies

    The age-grade societies of Hidatsa men and women were organized and named groups comprised of persons of the same age and sex. Both young men and women had to buy their way into age-grade societies, offering gifts to the group of slightly older members they would be replacing. The only point in a Hidatsa's life when he or she would not be part of a formal society was before the age of 12, and after they had achieved old age and passed through the age-grade system. The system for men was slightly more complex, based primarily on increasing military stature and hunting success. The women's societies, although less documented, performed important rituals designed to prevent loss of life in warfare, celebrate victories, ensure and give thanks for a successful harvest, and call the buffalo.

    The first Hidatsa group for girls was the Skunk society, consisting of young women from around 12 to 20 years of age and a male singer selected by the society. The Skunk societies primary role was to perform dances after war victories, although they had other responsibilities involving social occasions and society purchases. Their "friends," or brother group, were the Stone Hammer society; they assisted each other with their respective tasks. The women of the Skunk society were entitled to presents from the men who returned from successful battle, although this was not a privilege exclusive to them, for other societies often received presents from the victorious warriors as well.

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    Young married Hidatsa women joined the Enemy society, the second group of the age-grade system. They were "friends" with the Foolish Dog society, and their main activity was to meet whenever the men returned from a successful war expedition and participate in the war parades. The Hidatsa believed the Enemy society to be a direct creation of the First Creator, who organized the group for the purpose of dancing during victory celebrations. Singers for the Enemy society were invited by the women and were always men from "friendly" societies.

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    Between the ages of 30 and 40, women usually joined the Goose society, which was concerned with the rites for insuring good crops and a successful harvest. Its principal singers were men who held rites in corn ceremonies. Membership in the Goose society commanded a great deal of prestige among the Hidatsa, and enough presents were given to a woman at this stage to more than equal the amount of gifts she had given in the process of climbing the age-society ladder.
The most important function of the Goose Society came in the spring with the coming of the waterbirds. Usually one or more women dreamed during the winter of the return of the waterbirds, and then asked permission of the society to provide a feast for the geese when they returned. The geese, whose return from the South signaled the beginning of the planting season, were held in sacred regard by the Hidatsa, and were worshipped by the Goose society women. At planting time, to ensure good crops, members of the Goose Society were often requested to come with a singer and perform the "fertility" rites on peoples lodges and gardens.
Members of the Goose Society frequently received supernatural experiences in which the individual was instructed to make feasts or perform tasks associated with the corn rites. Women gained the power to perform these miracles by owning rights in certain sacred bundles (collections of symbolic items that related to the story of a deity or cultural hero). Some women even bought the right to have "corn spirits" come out of their mouths at public occasions. When the corn appeared in the mouth of a woman, those around her would give her presents to force the corn back down again. Having performed these miracles, women of the Goose society were often highly esteemed and greatly rewarded for their efforts.

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    The final age-grade group for women, the White Buffalo Cow Society, was comprised of women who had passed through all of the previous groups. Women in this group were responsible for bringing the winter buffaloes to the village. The Hidatsa believed that menstrual blood drove away the buffalo, so only women who had gone through menopause were able to be a member of the White Buffalo Cow Society.
    Women who were members of the White Buffalo Bow Society enjoyed the respect of the entire village because they were now of an age where they performed important roles in tribal ceremonies. For example, in some ceremonies they were the medium through which bundles were transmitted to male heirs. Also, some of the women who had formerly acted as midwives were now allowed to substitute for men as doctors.

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    Many rewards were offered for women through age-grade societies in the form of social advancement and personal relationships. The friendships offered by a women's group "sisters" (fellow members), "mothers" (women they bought membership from), and "daughters" (girls who bought membership from them), provided a network of support that would last throughout her entire life. Older women passed on their sacred acquired knowledge and guided younger women through the daily and ritual tasks that shaped their lives. In turn, as women grew older, they would teach their own girls and provide for their aging mothers. Buffalo Bird Woman described an element of this complex support system to Wilson: "If a woman was sick, or for some reason was unable to attend to her planting, she sometimes cooked a feast, to which she invited the members of her age society and asked them to plant her field for her. The members of her society would come upon an appointed day and plant her field in a short time; sometimes a half day was enough" (Wilson, 24). Thus, women could depend on their age-grade societies in times of need as well, because they always knew they could call on their fellow members for help.
    The age-grade societies also advanced women's social status in the tribe as they gradually acquired more prestige and financial gain. Women who participated in ceremonies on behalf of their brothers' and husbands' accumulated respect and brought honor to their clans and immediate families. Although many contemporary Euro American observers failed to notice, the village Indians' age-grade societies formed a system that provided both opportunity and advancement for both males and females.

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