Chapter X: Introduction: OF THE CHILD TO THE COSMOS (Omaha)

I

Ho! Ye Sun, Moon, Stars, all ye that move in the heavens,
I bid you hear me!
Into your midst has come a new life.
Consent ye, I implore!
Make its path smooth, that it may reach the brow of the first hill!

II

Ho! Ye Winds, Clouds, Rain, Mist, all ye that move in the air,
I bid ye hear me!
Into your midst has come a new life.
Consent ye, I implore!
Make its path smooth, that it may reach the brow of the second hill!

III

Ho! Ye Hills, Valleys, Rivers, Lakes, Trees, Grasses, all ye of the
earth,
I bid you hear me!
Into your midst has come a new life.
Consent ye, I implore!
Make its path smooth, that it may reach the brow of the third hill!

IV

Ho! Ye Birds, great and small, that fly in the air,
Ho! Ye Animals, great and small, that dwell in the forest,
Ho! Ye Insects that creep among the grasses and burrow in the ground,
I bid you hear me!
Into your midst has come a new life.
Consent ye, I implore!
Make its path smooth, that it may reach the brow of the fourth hill!

V

Ho! All ye of the heavens, all ye of the air, all ye of the earth,
I bid you all to hear me.
Into your midst has come a new life.
Consent ye, consent ye all, I implore!
Make its path smooth—then shall it travel beyond the four hills!

SONG OF TURNING THE CHILD (_Omaha_)

I

Ye four, come hither and stand, near shall ye stand;
In four groups shall ye stand;
Here shall ye stand, in this place stand.

II

Turned by the winds goes the one I send yonder;
Yonder he goes who is whirled by the winds;
Goes, where the four hills of life and the four winds are standing;
There, in the midst of the winds do I send him,
Into the midst of the winds, standing there.

III

Here unto you has been spoken the truth;
Because of this truth you shall stand.
Here, declared is the truth.
Here in this place has been shown you the truth.
Therefore, arise! Go forth in its strength!

SUPPLICATION OF THE TSÍZHU WASHTÁGE (_Osage_)

Wakonda will cause the coming days to be calm and peaceful,
The Tsízhu have called upon Wakonda to make the days calm and peaceful,
That little ones may come to us in unbroken succession and we become
a people.
Wakonda will make the days beautiful.
Toward the winds of the rising of the sun the days will surely be calm
and peaceful.
Toward the winds of the south Wakonda will make the days to be calm
and peaceful.
Toward the winds of the setting sun Wakonda will make the days to be
calm and peaceful.
Toward the winds of the land of cedars (the north) Wakonda will make
the days to be calm and peaceful.

THE TRIBAL PRAYER (_Omaha_)

Father, a needy one before Thee stands.
I am he!

WAWAN SONG (_Omaha_)

The clear sky,
The green fruitful earth is good;
But peace among men is better.

THE MORNING SONG (_Cheyenne_)

He, our Father,
He hath shown His mercy unto me.
In peace I walk the straight road.