98 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL, 77 
OSAGE. 
From the earliest historical times the habitat of the Osage was 
among the hills and valleys of the Ozarks, south of the Missouri, in 
the present State of Missouri, and here they continued to dwell areal 
their removal during the early part of the last century. : 
When Pére Marquette passed down the Mississippi, late in the 
month of June, 1673, he learned of the Osage, and on his map, 
prepared soon afterwards, indicated the villages of that tribe near a 
stream which was evidently the river bearing their tribal name. 
They continued to occupy rather permanent villages until the begin- 
ning of the nineteenth century. 
The tribe included three bands, two of which may be rather old; 
the third more recently created. These are: (1) Pahatsi or Great 
Osage, (2) Utsehta or Little Osage, (3) Santsukhdhi or Arkansas 
band. The latter dates from the year 1802 or thereabouts, when a 
large part of the Great Osage, under the leadership of the chief Big 
Track, removed to the vicinity of the Arkansas. 
The Osage, unlike certain other members of the Siouan group to 
which they belong, continued to erect and occupy the mat or bark 
covered habitations so characteristic of the forest tribes. Their v2l- 
lages which stood among the Ozarks were probably similar in ap- 
pearance to the ancient settlements of their ancestors which once 
occupied a part of the upper valley of the Ohio, whence they mi- 
grated to the region beyond the Mississippi. But the country which 
served as their new home was one well suited to the wants and re- 
quirements of the tribe. Game was plentiful, the streams teemed 
with fish, and wild fruits were to be had in vast quantities. Thus 
‘food was easily obtained. 
The expedition under the command of Captains Lewis and Clark 
began ascending the Missouri May 14, 1804, and just one month later, 
on June 15, arrived at the site of an earlier settlement of the Little 
Osage. In the journal the entry for that day states that: “We 
passed several islands and one creek on the south side, and en- 
camped on the north opposite a beautiful plain, which extends as 
far back as the Osage river, and some miles up the Missouri. In 
front of our encampment are the remains of an old village of the 
Little Osage, situated at some distance from the river, and at the 
foot of a smal] hill. About three miles above them, in view of our 
camp is the situation of the old village of the Missouris after they 
fled from the Sauks. The inroads of the same tribe compelled the 
Little Osage to retire from the Missouri a few years ago, and estab- 
lish themselves near the Great Osages.” And two days later, at a 
place about 20 miles above their camp, on the 15th, they reached 
“the crossing place for the Sauks, Ayauways, and Sioux, in their 
excursions against the Osage.” (Lewis and Clark, (1), I, p. 15.) 
