OSAGE TRADITIONS. 



By Rev. J. Owen Dorsey. 



INTRODUCTION. 



When the author visited the Osage, in the Indian Territory, in 

 January, 1883, he learned of the existence of a secret society of seven 

 degrees, in which, it was alleged, the traditions of the people have been 

 preserved to the present time. Owing to the shortness of his visit, 

 one month and eleven days, he was unable to gain more than frag- 

 mentary accounts of the society, including parts of two traditions, 

 from several Osage who had been initiated. 



The version of the first tradition was dictated to the author by 

 Hada-oii^^se (Eed Corn), a half breed Osage of the Tsiou wacta^ie 

 gens. He obtained it from Sadeki^e. Hada-oil^se was adopted in 

 childhood by a white man named Matthews, who sent him to a Jesuit 

 college in Missouri(?) to be educated for the priesthood. But the 

 boy left the institution after he had been taught to read and write, as 

 he did not wish to become a priest. He took the name of William P. 

 Matthews, but among his white associates he is known as Bill Nix. 

 He has tried several occupations and is now an Indian doctor. The 

 author was inclined at first to underrate Mr. Matthews's accom- 

 plishments and stock of information, but subsequently changed his 

 opinion of him, as he obtained much that agreed with what had been 

 furnished by members of other tribes in former years. Besides, the 

 aiithor obtained partial accounts of similar traditions from other 

 Osage, who used the same chant which Hada-oii!^se had sung. None 

 of the younger Osage men "knew about these matters and the author 

 was urged not to speak to them on this subject. He observed that 

 several of the elder men, members of the secret order in which these 

 traditions are preserved, had parts of- the accompanying symbolic 

 chart (Fig. 389) tattooed on their throats and chests. This chart is 

 a f ac simile of one that was drawn for the author by Hada-oi^se. At 

 the top we see a tree near a river. The tree is a cedar, called the tree 

 of life. It has six roots, three on each side. Nothing is said about 

 this tree till the sjieaker nearly reaches tlie end of the tradition. Thou 



