Goodbird the Indian: His Story

A Hidatsa man recounts his life and communal traditions, moving from birth and childhood through family roles, seasonal camps, and village organization. He explains spiritual beliefs, sacred bundles, medicine posts, and ritual practice, and describes subsistence activities such as farming, buffalo hunting, and the tools and social organization surrounding them. He also recalls school experiences and encounters with white settlers, tracing cultural change and adaptation. The narrative blends personal memory with detailed ethnographic description of material culture, social customs, and everyday practices.