Bison Dance of the Mandan (Man-dun), from Travels in the Interior of North America, 1839-43
Aquatint engraving
Ackermann & Co., London
Greenslade Special Collections and Archives
Olin and Chalmers Libraries
Kenyon College

Part of the Okipa ceremony, (used to rejuvenate the seasons and increase the likelihood of a good harvest) the bison dance was an important rite of passage. When a food shortage occurred, the Mandan dressed in bright costumes with buffalo masks to invoke the spirits of the earth that gave them sustenance. The dance continued for days or even weeks until a herd of buffalo were sighted. If during the dance, one of the dancers grew weak and fell to the ground with exhaustion, they were dragged out into the pasture, skinned and fell prey to animals. (Note the tired dancers in the foreground.)