Alloisseuss Crop Eared Wolf Tells The Story Of Two Medicine River

The Bloods used to live by the Two Medicine River in the past. This was a time when the buffalo was scarce and could not be found. The Bloods were starving because of this and had to constantly hunt for different types of game.

A holy woman who was a lodge maker (Okaan) had a dream that their chief was supposed to go fast and sleep at Chief Mountain, so that the spirit helpers would help him find food. Prior to going to the sacred site, the war chief made preparations of cleansing and purifying himself, by performing different ceremonies. He made offerings of tobacco to get acceptance and guidance by the spirit helpers. The war chief went to Chief Mountain and started his fast. During his fast he had a vision. The vision showed the war chief where he was supposed to build an Okaan (Sundance Lodge). He was also ordered to use one-hundred buffalo tongues as offerings to the spirit helpers and Creator. When he awoke he immediately left back home to tell his people of his vision of building the Okaan and using the one-hundred tongues as offerings.

The war chief was worried. Where were they going to get one-hundred buffalo tongues to use for the Okaan? There were no buffalo for many miles around them. So he decided to substitute the buffalo tongues for deer tongues. They completed the Sundance Lodge, after they got one-hundred deer tongues and began their ceremonies. That night the Holy Woman, who was a virgin, had another dream where the spirit helpers complained that they were not satisfied with the substitution of deer tongues. The war chief was given specific instructions of how to build the lodge, where to build the lodge, and what was suppose to be used to make their ceremony successful. The spirits also ordered the war chief to go back to Chief Mountain to fast so he would get new instructions and guidance in building the Sundance Lodge, so that they could find food.

During his vision the war chief was scolded for not following their directions and that he didn’t satisfy them with the lodge that he made. He was supposed to use buffalo tongues and not deer tongues. The war chief was given specific instructions of the Sundance Lodge and what he was supposed to use, which was one-hundred buffalo tongues.

He immediately went back to his tribe and told them that they didn’t satisfy the spirits with the first Sundance and that they were suppose to make another Sundance Lodge with the proper procedures, followed as show to him in his vision while he was fasting at the Chief Mountain. Again, the chief had to resort to using deer tongues, because they couldn’t find any buffalo to use. The sacred Okaan-maker had another dream that the old people had come to her to tell her that they weren’t satisfied with the lodge and the tongues that were used. They also told her to tell the war chief to go sleep at Chief Mountain again to get guidance of how he was to make a successful Sundance Lodge.

When the Sacred Woman told the war chief of the message given to her by the spirits, he immediately followed their instructions and left for Chief Mountain. The war chief was scolded again for his deliberate mistake, but this time the spirits showed him where to get the one-hundred buffalo tongues. He had to move to the Cypress Hills, this was the place where he was going to find an abundance of buffalo meat. The war chief went back to his people and told them of his vision. The people followed the chief's instructions and moved to the Cypress Hills. There they came across many buffalo and had a successful hunt, which provided the one-hundred tongues for the Sundance Lodge, which was completed shortly after the hunt. The Sacred Woman had another dream and was shown that the spirits were satisfied. This is how the Two Medicine River got its name.