Chapter III: The Gentile System (2)

_Birth-names of boys._--[P]a¢i^n-na^npajĭ gave the following: The first son is called Young Black bear. The second, Black bear. The third, Four Eyes, including the true eyes and the two spots like eyes that are above the eyes of a black bear. The fourth, Gray Foot. The fifth, Cries like a Raccoon. (La Flèche said that this is a Ponka name, but the Omahas now have it.) The sixth, Nídaha^n, Progressing toward maturity (_sic_). The seventh, He turns round and round suddenly (said of both kinds of bears).

§ 45. _Sections of the subgens._--The Wasabe-hit`ajĭ people are divided into sections. [P]a¢i^n-na^npajĭ and others told the writer that they consisted of four divisions: Black bear, Raccoon, Grizzly bear, and Porcupine people. The Black bear and Raccoon people are called brothers. And when a man kills a black bear he says, "I have killed a raccoon." The young black bear is said to cry like a raccoon, hence the birth-name Miʞa-xage. The writer is inclined to think that there is some foundation for these statements, though La Flèche and Two Crows seemed to doubt them. They gave but two divisions of the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ; and it may be that these two are the only ones now in existence, while there were four in ancient times. The two sections which are not doubted are the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ proper, and the Quʞa, _i. e._, the Raccoon people.

When they meet as a subgens, they sit thus in their circle: The Wasabe-hit`ajĭ people sit on the right of the entrance, and the Quʞa have their places on the left. But in the tribal circle the Quʞa people camp next to the Hañga Keepers of the Sacred Pole, as the former are the servants of the Hañga. The leader of the Quʞa or Singers was himself the only one who acted as quʞa, when called on to serve the Hañga. [P]a¢i^n-na^npajĭ's half-brother, Hupe¢a, commonly styled [T]e-da-u¢iqaga, used to be the leader. Since the Omahas have abandoned the hunt, to which this office pertained, no one has acted as quʞa; but if it were still in existence, the three brothers, Dangerous, Gihajĭ, and Ma^n-¢i`u-ke, are the only ones from whom the quʞa could be chosen.

Quʞa men.--Dried Buffalo Skull. Dangerous. Gihajĭ. Black bear. Paws the Ground as he Reclines. Young (black bear) Runs. Mandan. Hupe¢a. Laugher. Maqpiya-qaga. [T]añga-gaxe. Crow's Head. Gray Foot. J. La Flèche said that Hupe¢a, Laugher, Maqpiya-qaga, and [T]añga-gaxe were servants of the Elk gens; but [P]a¢i^n-na^npajĭ, their fellow-gentile, places them among the Quʞa. (See § 143.)

In the tribal circle the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ proper camp next to the Wajiñga-¢atajĭ. These Wasabe-hit`ajĭ are the servants of the Elk people, whom they assist in the worship of the thunder-god. When this ceremony takes place there are a few of the Quʞa people who accompany the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ and act as servants. These are probably the four men referred to above. Though all of the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ proper are reckoned as servants of the Weji^ncte, only two of them, [P]a¢i^n-na^npajĭ and Sida-ma^n¢i^n, take a prominent part in the ceremonies described in §§ 23, 24. Should these men die or refuse to act, other members of their Section must take their places.

Wasabe-hit`ajĭ men.--He who fears not the sight of a Pawnee. White Earth River. Four Eyes (of a black bear). Without Gall. Progressing toward maturity. Visible (object?). Gaxekati¢a.

Quʞa and Wasabe-hit`ajĭ women.--Da^nabi. Da^nama. Land Female. Mi^nhupeg¢e. Mi^n-ʇa^ni^nge. She who is Coming back in sight. Weta^nne. Wete wi^n.

THE WAJINGA ¢ATAJĬ SUBGENS.

§ 46. This name means, "They who do not eat (small) birds." They can eat wild turkeys, all birds of the mi^nxa or goose genus, including ducks and cranes. When sick, they are allowed to eat prairie chickens. When members of this subgens go on the warpath, the only sacred things which they have are the g¢eda^n (hawk) and nickucku (martin). (See § 196.)

_Style of wearing the hair._--They leave a little hair in front, over the forehead, for a bill, and some at the back of the head, for the bird's tail, with much over each ear, for the wings. La Flèche and Two Crows do not deny this; but they know nothing about it.

_Curious custom during harvest._--These Wajiñga-¢atajĭ call themselves "The Blackbird people." In harvest time, when the birds used to eat the corn, the men of this subgens proceeded thus: They took some corn, which they chewed and spit around over the field. They thought that such a procedure would deter the birds from making further inroads upon the crops.

Wacka^n-ma^n¢i^n of this subgens keeps one of the great wa¢ixabe, or sacred bags, used when a warrior's word is doubted. (See § 196.)

§ 47. _Sections and subsections of the subgens._--Waniʇa-waqě of the [T]a-da gens told me that the following were the divisions of the Wajiñga-¢atajĭ; but La Flèche and Two Crows deny it. It may be that these minor divisions no longer exist, or that they were not known to the two men.

I.--Hawk people, under Standing Hawk.

II.--Mañg¢iqta, or Blackbird people, under Waji^na-gahige.
Subsections: (_a_) White heads. (_b_) Red heads. (_c_) Yellow heads.
(_d_) Red wings.

III.--Mañg¢iqta-qude, Gray Blackbird (the common starling), or
Thunder people, under Wa¢idaxe. Subsections: (_a_) Gray Blackbirds.
(_b_) Meadow larks. (_c_) Prairie-chickens; and, judging from the
analogy of the Ponka Hisada, (_d_) Martins.

IV.--Three subsections of the Owl and Magpie people are (_a_) Great
Owls. (_b_) Small Owls. (_c_) Magpies.

§ 48. _Birth-names of boys._--The first son was called, Mañg¢iqta, Blackbird. The second, Red feathers on the base of the wings. The third, White-eyed Blackbird. The fourth, Dried Wing. The fifth, Hawk (denied by La Flèche). The sixth, Gray Hawk. The seventh, White Wings. This last is a Ponka name, according to La Flèche and Two Crows.

Wajiñga-¢atajĭ _men_.--Red Wings. Chief who Watches over (any thing). Becomes Suddenly Motionless. Poor man. Standing Hawk. He from whom they flee. Rustling Horns. Scabby Horns. The one Moving towards the Dew (?). White or Jack Rabbit. Gray Blackbird. White Blackbird. Four Hands (or Paws). Ni-¢actage. Yellow Head (of a blackbird). Fire Chief. Coyote's Foot. Buffalo bull Talks like a chief. Bad temper of a Buffalo bull. White Buffalo in the distance. Hominy (a name of ridicule). He who continues Trying (commonly translated, "Hard Walker"). He who makes the crackling sound "Gh+!" in thundering. Bird Chief.

Wajiñga-¢atajĭ _women_.--(Female eagle) Is Moving On high. Moon in motion during the Day. Turning Moon Female. Mi^ndaca^n-¢i^n. Mi^ntena. Visible one that Has returned, and is in a Horizontal attitude.

THE [T]E-[P]A-IT`AJĬ SUBGENS.

§ 49. These are the Eagle people, and they are not allowed to touch a buffalo head. (See Iñke-sabě gens, §§ 30, 32.) The writer was told that their uju or head man in 1879 was Mañge-zi.

He who is the head of the Niniba t`a^n, Keepers of a (Sacred) Pipe, has duties to perform whenever the chiefs assemble in council. (See Sacred Pipes, § 18.)

The decoration of the tents in this subgens resemble those of the Iñke-sabě.

§ 50. _Birth names of boys._--The first was called Dried Eagle. [P]a¢i^n-na^npajĭ said that this really meant "Dried buffalo skull;" but La Flèche and Two Crows denied this, giving another meaning, "Dried Eagle skin." The second was Pipe. The third, Eaglet. The fourth, Real Bald Eagle. The sixth, Standing Bald Eagle. The seventh, He (an eagle) makes the ground Shake suddenly by Alighting on it.

§ 51. _Sections of the Subgens._--Lion gave the following, which were doubted by La Flèche and Two Crows. I. _Keepers of the Pipe_, or _Workers_, under Eaglet. II. _Under The-Only_-Hañga are Pidaiga, Wadjepa, and Ma^nze-guhe. III. _Under Real Eagle_ are his son, Eagle makes a Crackling sound by alighting on a limb of a tree, Wasaapa, Gakie-ma^n¢i^n, and Tcaza-¢iñge. IV. To the _Bald Eagle section_ belong Yellow Breast and Small Hill. The Omahas reckon three kinds of eagles, the white eagle, the young white eagle, and the spotted eagle. To these they add the bald eagle, which they say is not a real eagle. These probably correspond with the sections of the [T]e-[p]a-it`ajĭ.

THE [K]E-`I^n, OR TURTLE SUBGENS.

§ 52. This subgens camps between the [T]e-[p]a-it`ajĭ and the [K]a^nze, in the tribal circle. Its head man in 1879 was said to be [T]enuga-ja^n-¢iñke. [K]e`i^n means "to carry a turtle on one's back." The members of this subgens are allowed to touch or carry a turtle, but they cannot eat one.

_Style of wearing the hair._--They cut off all the hair from a boy's head, except six locks; two are left on each side, one over the forehead, and one hanging down the back, in imitation of the legs, head, and tail of a turtle. La Flèche and Two Crows did not know about this, but they said that it might be true.

_Decoration of the tents._--The figures of turtles were painted on the outside of the tents. (See the Iñke-sabě decorations, §§ 30-32.)

_Curious custom during a fog._--In the time of a fog the men of this subgens drew the figure of a turtle on the ground with its face to the south. On the head, tail, middle of the back, and on each leg were placed small pieces of a (red) breech-cloth with some tobacco. This they imagined would make the fog disappear very soon.

§ 53. _Birth names of boys._--The first son was called He who Passed by here on his way back to the Water; the second, He who runs very swiftly to get back to the Water; the third, He who floats down the stream; the fourth, Red Breast; the fifth, Big Turtle; the sixth, Young one who carries a turtle on his back; the seventh, Turtle that kicks out his legs and paws the ground when a person takes hold of him.

_Sections of the subgens._--Lion gave the following as sections of the [K]e-`i^n, though the statement was denied by La Flèche and Two Crows. "The first section is Big Turtle, under [P]ahe-ʇa[p]`ě, in 1878. The second is Turtle that does not flee, under Cage-skă or Nistu-ma^n¢i^n. The third is Red-breasted Turtle, under [T]enuga-ja^n-¢iñke. The fourth is Spotted Turtle with Red Eyes, under Ehna^n-juwag¢e."

_Turtle men._--Heat makes (a turtle) Emerge from the mud. (Turtle) Walks Backward. He Walks (or continues) Seeking something. Ancestral Turtle. Turtle that Flees not. (Turtle that) Has gone into the Lodge (or Shell). He alone is with them. He Continues to Tread on them. Turtle Maker. Spotted Turtle with Red Eyes. Young Turtle-carrier. Buzzard. He who Starts up a Turtle.

One of the women is Egg Female.

THE [K]A^nZE GENS.

§ 54. The place of the [K]a^nze or Kansas gens is between the [K]e-`i^n and the Ma^n¢iñka-gaxe in the tribal circle. The head man of the gens who was recognized as such in 1879 was Za^nzi-mande.

_Taboo._--The [K]a^nze people cannot touch verdigris, which they call "wase-ʇu," green clay, or "wase-ʇu-qude," gray-green clay.

Being Wind people, they flap their blankets to start a breeze which will drive off the musquitoes.

_Subgentes._--La Flèche and Two Crows recognize but two of these: Keepers of a Pipe and Wind People. They assign to the former Maja^nha¢i^n, Maja^n-kide, &c., and to the latter Waji^n-¢icage, Za^nzi-mandě, and their near kindred. But Lion said that there were four subgentes, and that Maja^nha¢i^n was the head man of the first, or Niniba t`a^n, which has another name, Those who Make the Sacred tent. He gave Waji^n-¢icage as the head man of the Wind people, Za^nzi-mandě as the head of the third subgens, and Maja^n-kide of the fourth; but he could not give the exact order in which they sat in their gentile circle.

A member of the gens told the writer that Four Peaks, whom Lion assigned to Za^nzi-mandě's subgens, was the owner of the sacred tent; but he did not say to what sacred tent he referred.

Some say that Maja^nha¢i^n was the keeper of the sacred pipe of his gens till his death in 1879. Others, including Frank La Flèche, say that Four Peaks was then, and still is, the keeper of the pipe.

According to La Flèche and Two Crows, a member of this gens was chosen as crier when the brave young men were ordered to take part in the sham fight. (See § 152.) "This was Maja^nha-¢i^n" (_Frank La Flèche_).

§ 55. _Names of Kansas men._--Thick Hoofs. Something Wanting. Not worn from long use. He only is great in his own estimation. Boy who talks like a chief. Young one that Flies [?]. He Lay down On the way. Young Beaver. Two Thighs. Brave Boy. Kansas Chief. Young Kansas. Making a Hollow sound. Gray Cottonwood. The one Moving toward the Land. He who shot at the Land. Young Grizzly bear. White Grizzly bear near at hand. He started suddenly to his feet. Heartless. Chief. Four Peaks. Hair on the legs (of a buffalo calf takes) a withered appearance. Swift Wind. Wind pulls to pieces. He Walks In the Wind. Buffalo that has become Lean again. Lies at the end. Young animal Feeding with the herd. He who makes an object Fall to pieces by Punching it. Blood. He who makes them weep. Bow-wood Bow.

_Names of Kansas women._--Kansas Female. Moon that Is traveling. Ancestral or Foremost Moon. Moon Moving On high. Last [?] Wind. Wind Female. Coming back Gray.

THE MA^n₵IÑKA-GAXE GENS.

§ 56. This gens, which is the first of the Ictasanda gentes, camps next to the [K]a^nze, but on the opposite side of the road.

The chief of the gens is Cañge-skă, or White Horse, a grandson of the celebrated Black Bird.

The name Ma^n¢iñka-gaxe means "the earth-lodge makers," but the members of this gens call themselves the Wolf (and Prairie Wolf) People.

_Tradition._--The principal nikie of the Ma^n¢iñka-gaxe are the coyote, the wolf, and the sacred stones. La Flèche and Two Crows say that these are all together. Some say that there are two sacred stones, one of which is red, the other black; others say that both stones have been reddened. (See § 16.) La Flèche and Two Crows have heard that there were four of these stones; one being black, one red, one yellow, and one blue. (See the colors of the lightning on the tent of Agaha-wacuce, § 43.) One tradition is that the stones were made by the Coyote in ancient days to be used for conjuring enemies. The Osage tradition mentions four stones of different colors, white, black, red, and blue.

_Style of wearing the hair._--Boys have two locks of hair left on their heads, one over the forehead and another at the parting of the hair on the crown. Female children have four locks left, one at the front, one at the back, and one over each ear. La Flèche and Two Crows do not know this, but they say that it may be true.

§ 57. _Subgentes._--La Flèche and Two Crows gave but two of these: Keepers of the Pipe and Sacred Persons. This is evidently the classification for marriage purposes, referred to in § 78; and the writer is confident that La Flèche and Two Crows always mean this when they speak of the divisions of each gens. This should be borne in mind, as it will be helpful in solving certain seeming contradictions. That these two are not the only divisions of the gens will appear from the statements of Lion and Cañge-skă, the latter being the chief of the gens. Cañge-skă said that there were three subgentes, as follows: 1. Qube (including the Wolf people?). 2. Niniba t`a^n. 3. Mi^n´xa-sa^n wet`ájĭ. Lion gave the following: 1. Mi´ʞasi (Coyote and Wolf people). 2. I^n´`ě waqúbe, Keepers of the Sacred Stones. 3. Niníba t`a^n. 4. Mi^n´xa-sa^n wet`ájĭ. According to Cañge-skă, Qube was the name given to his part of the gens after the death of Black Bird; therefore it is a modern name, not a hundred years old. But I^n´`ě-waqúbe points to the mythical origin of the gens; hence the writer is inclined to accept the fourfold division as the ancient one. The present head of the Coyote people is [T]aqie-tig¢e, whose predecessor was Hu-¢agebe. Cañge-skă, of the second subgens, is the successor of his father, who bore the same name. Uckadajĭ is the rightful keeper of the Sacred Pipe, but as he is very old Ca^nta^n-jiñga has superseded him, according to [P]a¢i^n-na^npajĭ. Mi^nxa-skă was the head of the Mi^nxa-sa^n wet`ajĭ, but Mañga`ajĭ has succeeded him. The name of this last subgens means "Those who do not touch swans," but this is only a name, not a taboo, according to some of the Omahas.

Among the Kansas Indians, the Ma^nyiñka-gaxe people used to include the Elk gens, and part of the latter is called, Mi^n´xa únikaci^nga, Swan people. As these were originally a subgens of the Kansas Ma^nyiñka-gaxe, it furnishes another reason for accepting the statement of Lion about the Omaha Mi^nxa-sa^n-wet`ajĭ.

§ 58. _Birth-names of boys._--[P]a¢i^n-na^npajĭ gave the following, but he did not know their exact order: He who Continues to Travel (denied by the La Flèche and Two Crows). Little Tail (of a coyote). Sudden Crunching sound (made by a coyote or wolf when gnawing bones). (Coyote) Wheels around suddenly. (Coyote) Stands erect very suddenly. Surly Wolf.

_Names of men._ I. _Wolf subgens._--Sudden crunching sound. Wacicka. Continues Running. Wheels around suddenly. The Standing one who is Traveling. (Wolf) Makes a sudden Crackling sound (by alighting on twigs or branches). Ghost of a Grizzly bear. Stands erect Very suddenly. Little Tail. Young Traveler. He who Continues to Travel, or Standing Traveler. Standing Elk. Young animal Feeding or grazing with a herd. II. I^n`ě-waqube _subgens_.--White Horse. Ancestral Kansas. Thunder-god. Village-maker. Brave Second-son. Black Bird (_not_ Blackbird). Big Black bear. White Swan. Night Walker. He whom they Reverence. Big Chief. Walking Stone. Red Stone. [P]a¢i^n-na^npajĭ said that the last two names were birth-names in this subgens. III. Niniba-t`a^n _subgens_.--He who Rushes into battle. Young Wolf. Saucy Chief. IV. _Swan subgens._--He whom an Arrow Fails to wound. Willing to be employed. A member of this gens, Tailless Grizzly bear, has been with the Ponkas for many years. His name is not an Omaha name.

_Names of women._--Hawk-Female. New Hawk-Female. Miacte-cta^n, or Miate-cta^n. Mi^n-miʇega. Visible Moon. (Wolf) Stands erect. White Ponka in the distance. Ponka Female. She who is Ever Coming back Visible. Eagle Circling around. Wate wi^n.

THE [T]E-SĬNDE GENS.

§ 59. The [T]e-sĭnde, or Buffalo-tail gens, camps between the Ma^n¢iñka-gaxe and the [T]a-[p]a gentes in the tribal circle. Its present chief is Waha^n-¢iñge, son of Takunaki¢abi.

_Taboos._--The members of this gens cannot eat a calf while it is red, but they can do so when it becomes black. This applies to the calf of the domestic cow, as well as to that of the buffalo. They cannot touch a buffalo head.--_Frank La Flèche._ (See §§ 31, 37, and 49.) They cannot eat the meat on the lowest rib, ʇe¢iʇ-ucag¢e, because the head of the calf before birth touches the mother near that rib.

e-sĭnde style of wearing the hair.]

_Style of wearing the hair._--It is called "[T]áihi^n-múxa-gáxai," _Mane made muxa_, _i. e._, to stand up and hang over a little on each side. La Flèche and Two Crows do not know this style.

§ 60. _Birth-names of boys._--[P]a¢i^n-na^npajĭ was uncertain about them. He thought that six of them were as follows: Gray Horns (of a buffalo). Uma-abi, refers to cutting up a buffalo. (A buffalo that is almost grown) Raises his Tail in the air. Dark Eyes (A buffalo calf when it sheds its reddish-yellow hair, has a coat of black, which commences at the eyes). (Buffalo Calf) Unable to Run. Little one (buffalo calf) with reddish-yellow hair.

§ 61. _Subgentes._--For marriage purposes, the gens is undivided, according to La Flèche and Two Crows; but they admitted that there were at present two parts of the gens, one of which was The Keepers of the Pipe. Lion said that he knew of but two subgentes, which were The Keepers of the Pipe, or, Those who do not Eat the Lowest buffalo rib, under Wild sage; and Those who Touch no Calves, or, Keepers of the Sweet Medicine, under Orphan. J. La Flèche said that all of the [T]e-sĭnde had the sweet medicine, and that none were allowed to eat calves.

§ 62. _Names of men._--Wild Sage. Stands in a High and marshy place. Smoke Coming back Regularly. Big ax. (Buffalo) Bristling with Arrows. Ancestral Feather. Orphan, or, (Buffalo bull) Raises a Dust by Pawing the Ground. Unable to run. (Body of a buffalo) Divided with a knife. Playful (?) or Skittish Buffalo. Little one with reddish-yellow hair. Dark Eyes. Lies Bottom-upwards. Stands on a Level. Young Buffalo bull. Raises his Tail in the air. Lover. Crow Necklace. Big Mane. Buffalo Head. He who is to be blamed for evil.

_Names of women._--Mi^n-akanda. Sacred Moon. White Buffalo-Female in the distance. Walks in order to Seek (for something).

THE [T]A-[P]A OR DEER-HEAD GENS.

§ 63. The place of this gens in the tribal circle is after that of the [T]e-sĭnde. The chief of the gens is Sĭnde-xa^nxa^n.

_Taboo._--The members of this gens cannot touch the skin of any animal of the deer family; they cannot use moccasins of deer-skin; nor can they use the fat of the deer for hair-oil, as the other Omahas can do; but they can eat the flesh of the deer.

_Subgentes._--La Flèche and Two Crows recognized three divisions of the gens for marriage purposes, and said that the Keepers of the Sacred Pipe were "uʞa^nha jiñga," _a little apart from the rest_. Waniʇa-waqě, who is himself the keeper of the Sacred Pipe of this gens, gave four subgentes. These sat in the gentile circle in the following order: On the first or left side of the "fire-place" were the Niniba t`a^n, _Keepers of the Pipe_, and Jiñga-gahige's subgens. On the other side were the Thunder people and the real Deer people. The Keepers of the Pipe and Jiñga-gahige's subgens seem to form one of the three divisions recognized by La Flèche. Waniʇa-waqě said that his own subgens were Eagle people, and that they had a special taboo, being forbidden to touch verdigris (see [K]a^nze gens), charcoal, and the skin of the wild-cat. He said that the members of the second subgens could not touch charcoal, in addition to the general taboo of the gens. But La Flèche and Two Crows said that none of the [T]a-[p]a could touch charcoal.

The head of the Niniba t`a^n took the name Waniʇa-waqě, The Animal that excels others, or Lion, after a visit to the East; but his real Omaha name is Disobedient. [P]a¢i^n-gahige is the head of the Thunder subgens, and Sĭnde-xa^nxa^n, of the Deer subgens.

§ 64. _Birth-names for boys._--Lion said that the following were some of the Eagle birth-names of his subgens (see Iñke-sabě birth-names, § 32): The thunder-god makes the sound "ʇide" as he walks. Eagle who is a chief (keeping a Sacred Pipe). Eagle that excels. White Eagle (Golden Eagle). Akida-gahige, Chief who Watches over something (being the keeper of a Sacred Pipe).

He gave the following as the Deer birth-names: He who Wags his Tail. The Black Hair on the Abdomen of a Buck. Horns like phalanges. Deer Paws the Ground, making parallel or diverging indentations. Deer in the distance Shows its Tail White Suddenly. Little Hoof of a deer. Dark Chin of a deer.

§ 65. _Ceremony on the fifth day after a birth._--According to Lion, there is a peculiar ceremony observed in his gens when an infant is named. All the members of the gens assemble on the fifth day after the birth of a child. Those belonging to the subgens of the infant cannot eat anything cooked for the feast, but the men of the other subgentes are at liberty to partake of the food. The infant is placed within the gentile circle and the privileged decoration is made on the face of the child with "wase-jide-nika," or Indian red. Then with the tips of the index, middle, and the next finger, are red spots made down the child's back, at short intervals, in imitation of a fawn. The child's breech-cloth (_sic_) is also marked in a similar way. With the tips of three fingers are rubbed stripes as long as a hand on the arms and chest of the infant. All the [T]a-[p]a people, even the servants, decorate themselves. Rubbing the rest of the Indian red on the palms of their hands, they pass their hands backwards over their hair; and they finally make red spots on their chests, about the size of a hand. The members of the Pipe subgens, and those persons in the other subgentes who are related to the infant's father through the calumet dance, are the only ones who are allowed to use the privileged decoration, and to wear hi^nqpe (_down_) in their hair. If the infant belongs to the Pipe subgens, charcoal, verdigris, and the skin of a wild-cat are placed beside him, as the articles not to be touched by him in after-life. Then he is addressed thus: "This you must not touch; this, too, you must not touch; and this you must not touch." The verdigris symbolizes the blue sky.

La Flèche and Two Crows said that the custom is different from the above. When a child is named on the fifth day after birth, all of the gentiles are not invited, the only person who is called is an old man who belongs to the subgens of the infant.[5] He puts the spots on the child, and gives it its name; but there is no breech-cloth.

§ 66. _Names of men._ I. _Pipe subgens._--Chief that Watches over something. Eagle Chief. Eagle that excels, or Eagle-maker (?). Wags his Tail. Standing Moose or Deer. (Lightning) Dazzles the Eyes, making them Blink. Shows Iron. Horns Pulled around (?). Forked Horns. (Fawn that) Does not Flee to a place of refuge. (Deer) Alights, making the sound "stapi." Pawnee Tempter, a war name. White Tail. Gray Face. Like a Buffalo Horn (?). Walks Near. Not ashamed to ask for anything. (Fawn) Is not Shot at (by the hunter). White Breast. Goes to the Hill. Elk.

II._ Boy Chief's subgens._--Human-male Eagle (a Dakota name, J. La Flèche). Heart Bone (of a deer; some say it refers to the thunder; J. La Flèche says that it has been recently brought from the Kansas). Fawn gives a sudden cry. Small Hoofs. Dark Chin. Forked Horns. (Deer) Leaps and raises a sudden Dust by Alighting on the ground. He who Wishes to be Sacred (or a doctor). Flees not. Forked Horns of a Fawn.

III. _Thunder subgens._--Spotted Back (of a fawn). Small Hoofs. Like a Buffalo Horn. Wet Moccasins (that is, the feet of a deer. A female name among the Osages, etc.). Young Male-animal. White Tail. Dazzles the Eyes. Spoken to (by the thunder-god). Young Thunder-god. Dark Chin. Forked Horns. Distant Sitting one with White Horns. Fawn. Paws the Ground, making parallel or diverging indentations. Black Hair on a buck's Abdomen. Two Buffalo bulls. Red Leaf (a Dakota name). Skittish. Black Crow. Weasel. Young Elk. Pawnee Chief.

IV. _Deer subgens._--(Deer's) Tail shows red, now and then, in the distance. White-horned animal Walking Near by. White Neck. Tail Shows White Suddenly in the distance. (Deer) Stands Red. (Deer) Starts up, beginning to move. Big Deer Walks. (Deer that) Excels others as he stands, or, Stands ahead of others. Small Forked Horns (of a fawn). Four Deer. Back drawn up (as of an enraged deer or buffalo), making the hair stand erect. Four Hoofs. He who Carves an animal. Shows a Turtle. Runs in the Trail (of the female). (Fawn) Despised (by the hunter, who prefers to shoot the full-grown deer). Feared when not seen. White Elk.

Lion said that White Neck was the only servant in his gens at present. When the gens assembled in its circle, the servants had to sit by the door, as it was their place to bring in wood and water, and to wait on the guests. La Flèche and Two Crows said that there were no servants of this sort in any of the gentes.

Yet, among the Osages and Kansas, there are still two kinds of servants, kettle-tenders and water-bringers. But these can be promoted to the rank of brave men.

_Names of women in the gens._--Eᴐna-maha. Habitual-Hawk Female. Hawk Female. Precious Hawk Female. Horn used for cutting or chopping (?). Ax Female. Moon-Hawk Female. Moon that is Flying. Moon that Is moving On high. Na^nzéi^nze. White Ponka in the distance. Ponka Female.

[5] This agrees substantially with the Osage custom.

THE IÑG¢E-JIDE GENS.

§ 67. The meaning of this name has been explained in several ways. In Dougherty's Account of the Omahas (_Long's Expedition to the Rocky Mountains_, I, 327) we read that "This name is said to have originated from the circumstance of this band having formerly quarreled and separated themselves from the nation, until, being nearly starved, they were compelled to eat the fruit of the wild cherry tree, until their excrement became red". (They must have eaten buffalo berries, not wild cherries. La Flèche.) A^nba-hebe did not know the exact meaning of the name, but said that it referred to the bloody body of the buffalo seen when the seven old men visited this gens with the sacred pipes. (See § 16). Two Crows said that the Iñg¢ejide men give the following explanation: "[T]éjiñga ídai tědi, iñg¢é zí-jide éga^n": _i. e._, "When a buffalo calf is born, its dung is a yellowish red."

The place of the Iñg¢e-jide in the tribal circle is next to that of the [T]a-[p]a. Their head man is He-mu[s]nade.

_Taboo._--They do not eat a buffalo calf. (See [T]e-sĭnde gens.) It appears that the two Ictasanda buffalo gentes are buffalo calf gentes, and that the two Hañgacenu buffalo gentes are connected with the grown buffalo.

_Decoration of skin tents._--This consists of a circle painted on each side of the entrance, within which is sketched the body of a buffalo calf, visible from the flanks up. A similar sketch is made on the back of the tent.

§ 68. _Birth names of boys._--These are as follows, but their exact order has not been gained: Buffalo calf. Seeks its Mother. Stands at the End. Horn Erect with the sharp end toward the spectator. Buffalo (calf?) Rolls over. Made dark by heat very suddenly. Ma^nzeda^n, meaning unknown.

_Subgentes._--The Iñg¢e-jide are not divided for marriage purposes. Lion, however, gave four subgentes; but he could not give the names and taboos. He said that _Horn Erect_ was the head of the first. The present head of the second is _Little Star_. _Rolls over_ is the head of the third; and _Singer_ of the fourth.

_Names of men._--Walking Buffalo. Buffalo Walks a little. (Buffaloes) Continue Approaching. Tent-poles stuck Obliquely in the ground. Becomes Cold suddenly. Hawk Temper. Bad Buffalo. (Buffalo calf) Seeks its Mother. (Buffalo bull) Rolls over. Stands at the End. Singer. Crow Skin. Small Bank. Kansas Head. Rapid (as a river). Sacred Crow that speaks in Visions. White Feather. Walks at the End.

_Names of women._--Moon-Hawk Female. Moon Horn Female. (Buffaloes) Make the ground Striped as they run. Walks, seeking her own.

THE ICTASANDA GENS.

§ 69. The meaning of "Ictasanda" is uncertain; though Say was told by Dougherty that it signifies "gray eyes." It probably has some reference to the effect of lightning on the eyes. The place of the Ictasanda is at the end of the tribal circle, after the Iñg¢e-jide, and opposite to the Weji^ncte. The head of the gens is Ibaha^nbi, son of Wanuʞige, and grandson of Wacka^nhi.

_Taboo._--The Ictasanda people do not touch worms, snakes, toads, frogs, or any other kinds of reptiles. Hence they are sometimes called the "Wag¢ícka níkaci^n´ga," or Reptile people. But there are occasions when they seem to violate this custom. If worms trouble the corn after it has been planted, these people catch some of them. They pound them up with a small quantity of grains of corn that have been heated. They make a soup of the mixture and eat it, thinking that the corn will not be troubled again--at least for the remainder of that season.

§ 70. _Birth names of boys._--Ibaha^nbi said that the first son was called Gaagig¢e-hna^n, which probably refers to thunder that is passing by. The second is, The Thunder-god is Roaring as he Stands. The third, Big Shoulder. The fourth, Walking Forked-lightning. The fifth, The thunder-god Walks Roaring. The sixth, Sheet-lightning Makes a Glare inside the Lodge. The seventh, The Thunder-god that Walks After others at the close of a storm.

_Birth names of girls._--The first is called The Visible (Moon) in Motion. The second, The Visible one that has Come back and is in a Horizontal attitude. The third, Zizika-wate, meaning uncertain; refers to wild turkeys. The fourth, Female (thunder?) who Roars. The fifth, She who is Ever Coming back Visibly (referring to the moon?). The sixth, White Eyed Female in the distance. The seventh, Visible ones in different places.

§ 71. _Subgentes._--For marriage purposes the gens is divided into three parts, according to La Flèche and Two Crows. I. Niniba-t`a^n, Keepers of the Pipe, and Real Ictasanda, of which [T]e-uʞa^nha, [K]awaha, Waji^n-a^nba, and Si-¢ede-jiñga are the only survivors. II. Waceta^n, or Reptile people, under Ibaha^nbi. III. Ing¢a^n, Thunder people, among who are Ui¢a^nbe-a^nsa and Wanace-jiñga.

Lion divided the gens into four parts. I. Niniba-t`a^n, under [T]e-uʞa^nha. II. Real Ictasanda people, under Waji^n-a^nba. III. Waceta^n (referring to the thunder, according to Lion, but denied by Two Crows), Reptile people, under Ibaha^nbi. These are sometimes called Keepers of the Claws of the Wild-cat, because they bind these claws to the waist of a new-born infant, putting them on the left side. IV. The Real Thunder people are called, Those who do not touch the Clam shell, or, Keepers of the Clam shell, or, Keepers of the Clam shell and the Tooth of a Black bear. These bind a clam shell to the waist of a child belonging to this subgens, when he is forward in learning to walk. (See §§ 24, 43, 45, and 63.)

At the time that Waniʇa-waqě gave this information, March, 1880, he said that there were but two men left in the Niniba-t`a^n, [T]e-uʞa^nha, and [K]awaha. Now it appears that they have united with Waji^n-a^nba and Si¢ede-jiñga, the survivors of the Ictasandaqti. [T]e-uʞa^nha, being the keeper of the Ictasanda sacred pipe, holds what was a very important office, that of being the person who has the right to fill the sacred pipes for the chiefs. (See §§ 17 and 18.) [T]e-uʞa^nha, does not, however, know the sacred words used on such occasions, as his father, Mahi^nzi, died without communicating them to him.

But some say that there is another duty devolving on this keeper. There has been a custom in the tribe not to cut the hair of children when they were small, even after they began to walk. But before a child reached the age of four years, it was necessary for it to be taken, with such other children as had not had their hair cut, to the man who filled the sacred pipes. Two or three old men of the Ictasanda gens sat together on that occasion. They sent a crier around the camp or village, saying, "You who wish to have your children's hair cut bring them." Then the father, or else the mother, would take the child, with a pair of good moccasins for the child to put on, also a present for the keeper of the sacred pipe, which might consist of a pair of moccasins, some arrows, or a dress, etc. When the parents had arrived with their children each one addressed the keeper of the pipe, saying, "Venerable man, you will please cut my child's hair," handing him the present at the same time. Then the old man would take a child, cut off one lock about the length of a finger, tie it up, and put it with the rest in a sacred buffalo hide. Then the old man put the little moccasins on the child, who had not worn any previously, and after turning him around four times he addressed him thus: "[T]ucpáha, Wakan´da ¢a`é¢i¢é-de ʞáci ma^n¢iñ´ka si á¢ag¢é taté--_Grandchild, may Wakanda pity you, and may your feet rest for a long time on the ground!_" Another form of the address was this: "Wakan´da ¢a`é¢i¢e taté! Ma^n¢iñ´ka si á¢ag¢é taté. Gúdihéga^n hné taté!--_May Wakanda pity you! May your feet tread the ground! May you go ahead_ (_i. e._, may you live hereafter)!" At the conclusion of the ceremony the parent took the child home, and on arriving there the father cut off the rest of the child's hair, according to the style of the gens. La Flèche told the following, in 1879: "If it was desired, horns were left, and a circle of hair around the head, with one lock at each side, over the ear. Some say that they cut off more of the hair, leaving none on top and only a circle around the head." But the writer has not been able to ascertain whether this referred to any particular gens, as the Ictasanda or to the whole tribe. "It is the duty of Waji^n-a^nba, of the Real Ictasanda, to cut the children's hair. The Keepers of the Pipe and the Real Ictasanda were distinct subgentes, each having special duties." (_Frank La Flèche._)

§ 72. _Names of men._--[T]e-uʞa^nha (Sentinel Buffalo Apart from the herd) and his brother, [K]awaha, are the only survivors of the _Keepers of the Pipe_. Hañga-cenu and Mahi^n-zi (Yellow Rock) are dead.

II. _Real Ictasanda people._--Waji^n-a^nba and Small Heel are the only survivors. The following used to belong to this subgens: Reptile Catcher. (Thunder-god) Threatens to strike. Wishes to Love. Frog. (Thunder) Makes a Roar as it Passes along. Night Walker. Runs (on) the Land. Sacred Mouth. Soles of (gophers') Paws turned Outward. The Reclining Beaver. Snake. Touched the distant foe. Rusty-yellow Corn-husk (an Oto name). Young Black bear. He who Boiled a Little (a nickname for a stingy man). Small Fireplace. He who Hesitates about asking a favor. Maker of a Lowland forest. Stomach Fat.

III. Waceta^n _subgens_.--Roar of approaching thunder. He who made the foe stir. He who tried to anticipate the rest in reaching the body of a foe. Cedar Shooter. Flat Water (the Platte or Nebraska). He is Known. (Thunder-god) Roars as he Stands. Sharp Stone. (Thunder that) Walks after the others at the close of a storm. Big Shoulder. (Thunder) Walks On high. Wace-jiñga (Small Reptile?) Wace-ta^n (Standing Reptile?). Wace-ta^n-jiñga (Small Standing Reptile?). (Snake) Makes himself Round. Sheet-lightning Flashes Suddenly. Forked-lightning Walks. Thunder makes the sound "z+!" Black cloud in the horizon. Walks during the Night. White Disposition (or, Sensible). Sole of the foot. He got the better of the Lodges (of the foe by stealing their horses). Ibaha^nbi (He is Known) gave the following as names of Ictasanda men, but J. La Flèche and Two Crows doubt them. Large Spotted Snake. (Snake) Makes (a frog) Cry out (by biting him).[6] Small Snake.[6] (Snake) Lies Stiff. Big Mouth. Black Rattlesnake. (Snake that) Puffs up itself.

IV. _Thunder subgens._--Sheet-lightning Flashes inside the Lodge. Swift at Running up a hill. Young Policeman. Cloud. He Walks with them. He who Is envied because he has a pretty wife, a good horse, etc., though he is poor or homely.

_Names of women._--Da^nama. She Alone is Visible. Skin Dress. She who Is returning Roaring or Bellowing. She who is made Muddy as she Moves. Moon has Returned Visible. Moon is Moving On high.[7]

[6] These names are found in the corresponding Ponka gens, the Wajaje or Osage, a reptile gens.

[7] Many names have been omitted because an exact translation could not be given, though the references to certain animals or mythical ancestors are apparent. It is the wish of the writer to publish hereafter a comparative list of personal names of the cognate tribes, Omahas, Ponkas, Osages, Kansas, and Kwapas, for which considerable material has been collected.