A STUDY OF SIOUAN CULTS. 



By James Owen Doesey. 



CHAPTBE I. 



INTRODUCTION. 

 DEFINITIONS OF "CI'LT" AND "SIOUAN." 



§ 1. Cult, as used in this article, means a system of religious belief 

 and worship, especially the rites and ceremonies employed in such wor- 

 ship. The present article treats of the cults of a few of the Siouau 

 tribes — that is, with two exceptions, of such tribes as have been visited 

 by the author. 



"Siouan"is a term originated by the Bureau of Ethnology. It is 

 derived from "Sioux," the popular name for those Indians who call 

 themselves "Dakota" or "Lakota." the latter being the Teton appella- 

 tion. "Siouau" is used as an adjective, but, unlike its primitive, it 

 refers not only to the Dakota tribes, l)ut also to the entire linguistic 

 stock or family. 



SIOUAN FAMILY. 



The Siouau family includes the Dakota, Assiniboiu, Omaha, Ponka, 

 Osage, Kansa, Kwapa, Iowa, Oto, Missouri, Winnebago, Mandan, 

 Hidatsa, Crow, Tutelo, Biloxi, Catawba, and other Indians. The 

 Sapona, who are now extinct, probably belonged to this family. 



The author was missioiuiry to the Ponka Indians, in what is now 

 part of Nebraska, from 1871 to 1S73. Since 1878 he has acquired 

 native texts and other information from the Omaha, Ponka, Osage, 

 Kansa, Winnebago, Iowa, Oto, Missouri, and Dakota. 



In seeking information respecting the ancient beliefs of the Indians 

 the author has always found it expedient to question the Indian when 

 no interpreter was present. 



AUTHORITIES. 



§ 2. This study is based for the most part upon statements made by 

 Indians, though several publications were consulted during the prepa- 

 ration of the fifth and sixth chapters. 



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