Were gathered the bison-skin tees
of the chief tawny tribe of Dakotas;
For here, in the blast and the breeze,
flew the flag of the chief of Isantees, [86]
Up-raised on the stem of a lance
--the feathery flag of the eagle.
And here to the feast and the dance,
from the prairies remote and the forests,
Oft gathered the out-lying bands,
and honored the gods of the nation.
On the islands and murmuring strands
they danced to the god of the waters,
Unktehee, [69] who dwelt in the caves
deep under the flood of the Ha-Ha; [76]
And high o'er the eddies and waves
hung their offerings of fur and tobacco. [a]
And here to the Master of life
--Anpe-tu-wee, [70] god of the heavens,
Chief, warrior, and maiden, and wife,
burned the sacred green sprigs of the cedar.
And here to the Searcher-of-hearts
--fierce Ta-ku Skan-skan, [51] the avenger,
Who dwells in the uttermost parts
--in the earth and the blue, starry ether,
Ever watching, with all-seeing eyes,
the deeds of the wives and the warriors,
As an osprey afar in the skies,
sees the fish as they swim in the waters,
Oft spread they the bison-tongue feast,
and singing preferred their petitions,