538 A STUDY OF SIOUAN CULTS. 



TJ-twa'-jie of the j^oiwere myth. The name utwa^e is now given to the 

 muskrat. The male Water powers inhabit streams, and the females 

 dwell under the ground, pi-esumably in subterranean streams. Accord- 

 ing to Winnebago belief, they support the weight of the hills. Some of 

 the Omaha thought that these powers dwelt under the hills (§§ 77, 107). 

 The monsters supposed to inhabit bogs were probably a species of 

 water spirits (§ 25i). Streams were invoked as " Wakanda " by the 

 Omaha (§ 23). Though the natural habitat of the buffalo is the surface 

 of the earth, and the Dakota believe the animal to be of subterranean 

 origin, he is of subaquatic origin according to the traditions of the 

 Inke-sabe and Hanga gentes of the Omaha.' But no traces of such a 

 belief have been found among the buffalo gentes of cognate tribes. 

 " One day, when the principal man of the people not known as the Wa- 

 ^igije subgens of the IQke-sabe, was fasting and praying to the suu- 

 god,^ he saw the ghost of a buffalo, visible from the flank up, arising 

 from a spring.'" 



WATER PEOPLE. 



The Water people among the Omaha are the Turtle subgens, parts 

 (if not all) of the Inke-sabe and Hanga (Buffalo) gentes, and perhaps a 

 part of the Ictasauda gens. Those among the Pouka have not yetbeeu 

 ascertained; but they may be the Wajaje and part of the Hisada. 

 Among the Kausa they are the Turtle people. In the Osage tribe are 

 the Turtle Carriers, Ke jjatsii (said to be a turtle, but probably a Water- 

 monster), Fish, Beaver, and, perhaps, theTsewafe or Poud Lily jjeople. 

 Among the Iowa and Oto are the Beaver gentes. And the Winnebago 

 have the Water-monster gens. 



CAUTIONS AND QUERIES. 



§ 387. There are many gentes and subgentes which can not be assigned 

 to any of the four categories of elemental powers for want of evidence. 

 It is unsafe to argue that, because two buffalo gentes of the Omaha 

 claim a subaquatic origin, all buffalo gentes should be regarded as 

 Water people. Certain cautions should be kept in mind. 



§ 388. The power of each of the four classes of elemental gods extends 

 beyond its special element. For instance, the Unktehi, who rules in 

 the water, has for his servants or allies, the black owl in the forest 

 (Query: Has this any connection with the fire or thunder?), eagles in 

 the air, and seri)ents in the earth. And the Thunder-beings have as 

 their servants, the bear, whose abode is in the ground, the beaver, who 

 is associated with the water, the butterfly, who lives in the air; and 

 the deer. 



§ 389. The servants of a class of elemental gods do not necessarily 

 belong to that element which those gods regulate. Thus, the Black 



'Oni. Soc, in 3d. An. Eept. Bur. Ethn., pp. 229, 233. 



^ Symbolizing the fire. 



*This seems to point to a sub.iqu.itic origin. .See Oru. Soc, p. 231. 



