(^ m. (MU/u^- j^^o-t^j^yhj 



THE 



AMERICAN NATURALIST. 



Vol. xxin.— FEBRUARY, 1884.— No. 2. 



AN ACCOUNT OF THE WAR CUSTOMS OF THE 



OSAGES, 



GIVEN BY RED' CORN (hAPA DUXSe), OF THE/TSIDU PEACE-MAKING 

 GENS, TO THE REV. jroWENMDORSEY. 



Introduction. 



JN order to obtain a better understanding of the subject, it will 

 be necessary for the writer to describe the order in which the 

 Osages encamped in their tribal circle. When they went on their 

 buffalo hunt in the summer they always pitched their tents in a 

 certain order, according to the clans or gentes of which the tribe 

 was composed. In tli£ first diagram seven gentes camp on the 

 left, and fourteen, considered as seven at present, on the right. 

 Those on the left are the Tsi'ou or Chee'-zhoo gentes, forming 

 the peace element of the tribe; those on the right are the Hafi'-ka 

 and Wa-Da'oe (War-shar'-shay)^ gentes, constituting the war ele- 

 ment. The former could not take animal life of any sort, but 

 were obliged to content themselves with vegetable food, till they 

 made an agreement with those on the right to supply them with 

 vegetable food in exchange for meat, which the Hah-ka and 

 Wa-oa-oe could obtain. 



The Tsi-Du (Chec-zhoo) gentes are as follows : i. Those who 

 wear tails or locks of hair on the head. 2. Buffalo bull face. 3. 

 Chee-zhoo peace-makers or red eagle. 4. Those who carry the 

 sun on their backs, sun carriers. 5. Night people, or the 



' Wa-oa-oe or Wa-zha-zhe, means Csagc, The exact pronunciation cannot ])e 

 shown by ordinary English characters. Hence the "c" = "sh'' is inverted to 

 sliow a sound between " sh " and " zn." 



VOL. XVIII. — NO. II. 



ANTHROPOLOGiCAL SOCIETY 

 OP WASHINGTON, D. C. 



