162 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 195 



illustrated in the traditional remark of the Indian host to his mealtime 

 guests: "We don't have much; we're just Indians." 



In this connection it should be noted that the oil-wealthy Osage, 

 although geographically in the vortex of Pan-Indianism, participate 

 in it much less than their poorer neighbors. In their version of the 

 Heduska or War dance, the long prayers and other religious features 

 which have been discarded by other groups are retained. The Pan- 

 Indian "feathers" costume is viewed with disapproval by most Osage, 

 and the more traditional "Straight dance" costume is worn, even by 

 the younger men. Some of these younger dancers, however, have now 

 adopted the "feathers" style of dancing and costume, but use it only 

 when they attend the more Pan-Indian powwows of the Ponca, 

 Quapaw, and other tribes. In the same vein, it should be noted, the 

 Osage are also resistant to the Pan-Indian "half-moon" Peyote ritual, 

 preferring the older (with them) "big moon" variant. Apparently the 

 relative wealth of the Osage, which automatically distinguishes them 

 from neighboring tribes and gives them a greater opportunity to 

 identify themselves successfully with the non-Indian community, re- 

 moves their incentive to sacrifice tribal distinctiveness for the sake of 

 solidarity with the larger minority society of Indians at large. 



The use of the English language as a lingua franca has likewise 

 been instrumental in the growth of Pan-Indianism. Indeed, many 

 younger Indians do not understand an Indian language. At all Okla- 

 homa powwows that I attended, except those of the Osage, English 

 was used by the announcer. In 1954 a young Pawnee dancer admitted 

 to me that he could not tell a Pawnee song from a Ponca song by its 

 text. He was, in fact, observed dancing vigorously to a Ponca tune 

 which told of the killing of a Pawnee horsethief , much to the amuse- 

 ment of certain Ponca present. Recently many "Stomp" dance and 

 Round dance songs have been composed which have English words. 

 These are great favorites among the younger people. Likewise, Eng- 

 lish is now the language spoken at Peyote meetings, although now 

 and then a worshiper, after first excusing himself to the members 

 of other tribes present, will pray in his native tongue. 



Intermarriage between members of different tribes may be regarded 

 as both a cause and an effect of Pan-Indianism. The announcer at 

 a "Stomp" dance "sheU shaker" contest held in connection with the 

 annual Quapaw powwow in 1954, was often hard put to identify, by 

 tribe, the girls participating, although he was obviously acquainted 

 with them or with their famiUes. One contestant was identified as 

 a Shawnee-Delaware- Wyandot. The winner of the War dance con- 

 test at this same gathering was part Osage and part Quapaw, and the 

 winner of the "Straight dance" contest was a Creek-Osage. 



Increased geographic mobility is another prominent factor facili- 

 tating the intertribal exchange of ideas and promoting a feeling of 



