Barbara Walters once visited a large Indian reservation to do a story. While she walked around talking to the inhabitants she spotted a young Brave with a single eagle feather sticking up in his headband. Barbara approached the man and asked him, "Excuse me, but what does your eagle's feather represent in your culture?"
The Brave looked at her a moment before thumping his fist against he chest and replying,
"Mmgh, it mean me have one wife!"
"Thank you," she replied and continued her walk through the village. A short time later she spotted another Brave, but this one had three eagle feathers sticking out from his headband. Curious she approached this Brave and asked, "Excuse me, but I've been told that the number of eagle's feathers you wear indicates the number of wives you have, is that true?"
The Brave looked at her for a moment before proudly thumping his chest and answered, "Mmgh, me wear three feathers because me have three wives!"
Somewhat astonished she thanked the Brave and continued on her way. Sometime later she eventually came across the Chief. This man had eagle feathers all over his body. From his impressive headdress, with feathers fanning out around his head and trailing down his back in two separate tails, to individual feathers sown onto the front of his deer-skin vest and down the sides of his deer-skin pants. Barbara couldn't begin to count them all. As she approached this imposing figure the Chief observed her with great intent.
"Excuse me, Chief. But I've come to understand that the number of eagle's feathers a Brave wears indicates the number of wives he has." Gesturing towards the Chief's outfit she says, "Surely these are ceremonial and don't actually represent the number of wives you have."
The Chief thumps his chest loudly before saying, "Mmgh, me have wives on this side of the mountain, me have wives on that side of the mountain, have one hundred wives right here in camp!" Again he thumped his chest loudly.
"Well," Barbara replied, "from a feminist point of view you should be hung."
Thumping his chest again the Chief leaned toward's Barbara and stated, "Mmgh, hung like buffalo!"
Barbara took an involuntary step back before saying, "Now wait a minute Chief, lets not get hostile!"
"Mmgh, hostile, dog style, any style!" The Chief replied as he took a menacing step towards her.
Barbara, frightened by this time took another step back and as she brought her hands up to her face she exclaimed, "Oh dear!"
At this point the Chief stopped, stood back for a second and then said, "Mmgh, no deer! Run too fast, ass too high."
