noRSET.J l(/:A'E(pE. 393 



medicine. ]!fotwithstaudiiig this, there are certain buffalo songs, the 

 property of the order, and which tliey claim to be powerful charms 

 capable of working cures, when used by the surgeons of their order. 

 Said Two Crows to the author, "If they had sent for the doctors ot our 

 order we could have cured President Garfield." The author obtained 

 two of these Buffalo songs from an Omaha, but they are recorded only 

 in singing notation.' 



Among the Omaha societies are the Cange i(fa'e(|;e ma, the Horse 

 shanuiiis,- the Ca"4anga ifa'e^'e-ma, the l>ig Wolf shamans,^ and the 

 Ma"tcu i(J;a'e(f6-ma, the Grizzly Bear shamans.^ 



According to Francis La Fleche.'' 



"There are three (lei;rees of powers which come to meu through visions: First, 

 wheu the visiou talies the t'orui of au auiiual which addresses the mau, he will theu 

 have acquired a power which will stead liiui in danger, and give him success in life. 

 Second, if the vision assumes the appearance of a cloud, or a human shape having 

 wings like an eagle, and a voice addresses the man, he will have the additional 

 power of being able to foretell events. Third, when the vision comes without any 

 semblance and only a voice is heard, the man is given not only the power to achieve 

 success and foretell events, but he can foresee the coming of death. Should a man 

 endowed with the third degree so elect, he can in due form join the (ihost Society; 

 or, if he prefers, he can practice his powers individually." 



His father, the late Joseph La Fleche, told tlie author in 1.S82 that 

 the Ghost Dance formerly belonged to the Pouka tribe, from whom the 

 Omaha took it; thougli it has not been used by the Omaha since about 

 A. I). 18.50.'" Tlie only inference which tiie author can draw from this 

 statement of the father is that if tlie Ouialia obtained tlie Ghost Dance 

 from the Poiika, the Ghost Society or order of Ghost shamans is not 

 an original Omaha society. That the two are closely connected is 

 proved by the names, VVauaxe i^a'e(fe-ma, the (order of) Ghost shamans 

 (or. The Ghost Society), and Wauaxe if a'e^g watcigaxe. The dance of 

 those who have visions of gho.sts, or. The Ghost Dance. 



The Kansa have the Tee wactce, or Buffalo shaman, and an order of 

 such shamans. When a Kansa had a vision or dream (i-ya-k'e-ye) of 

 an animal, etc.',' he painted the mystery object on his shield. An old 

 woman used to "iyak'eye'' of a Hying serpent, the j^yets'a tdji licka. 

 The remains of sucli enormous serpents are found in the Black Hills, 

 "and if one finds such a reptile, he mnst die." For an account of the 

 Kansa "wakaiidagi" see § 66. 



The Kwapa or Ukaqpa Indians speak a dialect more closely allied t<j 

 that of the Omaha and Ponka than to those of the Kansa and Osage. 

 With them, to have sui)erhumau communications is called dfa-q'e-diji6; 

 shamans and doctors are nika quw6, mysterious men, and among their 



'See. Jour. Am. Folk-lore, vol. I, No. .1, p. 209; uud Om. Sociology, in 3d Ann. Kept. lUir. Ethn., pp. 

 347-8. 



■•'Om. Sociology, p. 348. 



^Ibid, pp. 348, 349. 



«Ibid. p. 349. 



^"Death and Funeral Customs among the OmaUas," in Jour. Amer. Folk-lore, vol. u. No. 4, p. 3. 



sQm. See, p. 353. 



