﻿118 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [BTH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  well 
  up 
  and 
  the 
  birds 
  were 
  singing, 
  "particularly 
  the 
  meadow 
  lark,'' 
  

   the 
  tribal 
  herald 
  proclaimed 
  that 
  the 
  time 
  for 
  these 
  ceremonies 
  had 
  

   come. 
  A 
  tent 
  was 
  set 
  up 
  for 
  the 
  purpose, 
  made 
  xube, 
  or 
  sacred, 
  

   and 
  the 
  keeper 
  of 
  these 
  rites, 
  who 
  belonged 
  to 
  the 
  Washe'to" 
  subgens 
  

   of 
  the 
  I 
  n 
  shta'cu 
  n 
  da 
  gens, 
  made 
  himself 
  ready 
  and 
  entered 
  the 
  tent. 
  

   Meanwhile 
  the 
  parents 
  whose 
  children 
  had 
  arrived 
  at 
  the 
  proper 
  

   age, 
  that 
  is, 
  could 
  walk 
  steadily 
  unassisted, 
  took 
  their 
  little 
  ones 
  

   and 
  proceeded 
  to 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent. 
  The 
  only 
  requisite 
  for 
  the 
  child 
  

   was 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  new 
  moccasins, 
  but 
  large 
  fees 
  were 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  priest 
  

   for 
  his 
  services. 
  

  

  Only 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  ritual 
  belonging 
  to 
  this 
  ceremony 
  have 
  been 
  

   obtained. 
  Those 
  whose 
  prerogative 
  it 
  was 
  to 
  conduct 
  the 
  rites 
  are 
  all 
  

   dead, 
  and 
  with 
  them 
  knowledge 
  of 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  ceremon\ 
  T 
  passed 
  

   away. 
  The 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  fragments 
  here 
  given 
  came 
  about 
  thus 
  : 
  

   An 
  old 
  and 
  trusted 
  friend 
  of 
  Joseph 
  La 
  Flesche, 
  a 
  former 
  principal 
  

   chief 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  was 
  greatly 
  interested 
  when 
  a 
  boy, 
  in 
  the 
  tribal 
  

   rites. 
  One 
  of 
  his 
  near 
  kinsmen 
  was 
  a 
  priest 
  of 
  this 
  rite. 
  When 
  the 
  

   Sacred 
  Tent 
  was 
  set 
  up 
  this 
  boy 
  more 
  than 
  once 
  succeeded 
  in 
  secreting 
  

   himself 
  behind 
  packs 
  within 
  and 
  from 
  his 
  hiding 
  place 
  was 
  able 
  

   to 
  observe 
  what 
  took 
  place. 
  Having 
  a 
  retentive 
  memory 
  and 
  a 
  

   quick 
  ear 
  for 
  song, 
  he 
  was 
  able 
  to 
  learn 
  and 
  remember 
  the 
  sL\ 
  songs 
  

   here 
  given. 
  Subsequent 
  inquiries 
  have 
  added 
  somewhat 
  to 
  the 
  

   knowledge 
  secured 
  from 
  this 
  informant, 
  although, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  

   writers 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  ascertain, 
  no 
  one 
  seems 
  ever 
  to 
  have 
  

   obtained 
  quite 
  so 
  close 
  an 
  inside 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  ceremony 
  as 
  this 
  

   inquisitive 
  boy. 
  Of 
  course 
  no 
  one 
  who 
  had 
  passed 
  through 
  the 
  cere- 
  

   mony 
  could 
  accurately 
  remember 
  it, 
  as 
  the 
  child 
  was 
  generally 
  only 
  

   3 
  or 
  4 
  years 
  of 
  age 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  it 
  had 
  a 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  rite. 
  

  

  The 
  tent 
  was 
  always 
  a 
  large 
  one, 
  set 
  facing 
  the 
  east, 
  and 
  open 
  at 
  the 
  

   entrance, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  bystanders, 
  who 
  kept 
  at 
  a 
  respectful 
  distance, 
  

   could 
  see 
  something 
  of 
  what 
  was 
  going 
  on 
  within. 
  As 
  the 
  ceremony 
  

   was 
  one 
  of 
  tribal 
  interest, 
  many 
  flocked 
  to 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent 
  to 
  watch 
  the 
  

   proceedings. 
  In 
  the 
  center 
  was 
  a 
  fire. 
  On 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  fire 
  was 
  

   placed 
  a 
  stone. 
  There 
  was 
  also 
  a 
  ball 
  of 
  grass, 
  placed 
  at 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  

   the 
  fire-place 
  near 
  its 
  edge. 
  It 
  was 
  the 
  mother 
  who 
  led 
  the 
  child 
  to 
  the 
  

   tent. 
  At 
  the 
  door 
  she 
  paused, 
  and 
  addressed 
  the 
  priest 
  within, 
  saying: 
  

   "Venerable 
  man! 
  I 
  desire 
  my 
  child 
  to 
  wear 
  moccasins." 
  Then 
  she 
  

   dropped 
  the 
  hand 
  of 
  the 
  child, 
  and 
  the 
  little 
  one, 
  carrying 
  his 
  new 
  moc- 
  

   casins, 
  entered 
  the 
  tent 
  alone. 
  He 
  was 
  met 
  by 
  the 
  priest, 
  who 
  advanced 
  

   to 
  the 
  door 
  to 
  receive 
  the 
  gifts 
  brought 
  by 
  the 
  mother 
  as 
  fees. 
  Here 
  

   she 
  again 
  addressed 
  him, 
  saying: 
  " 
  I 
  desire 
  my 
  child 
  to 
  walk 
  long 
  upon 
  

   the 
  earth; 
  I 
  desire 
  him 
  to 
  be 
  content 
  with 
  the 
  light 
  of 
  many 
  days. 
  

   We 
  seek 
  your 
  protection; 
  we 
  hold 
  to 
  you 
  for 
  strength.'' 
  The 
  priest 
  

   replied, 
  addressing 
  the 
  child: 
  "You 
  shall 
  reach 
  the 
  fourth 
  hill 
  sighing; 
  

   you 
  shall 
  be 
  bowed 
  over; 
  you 
  shall 
  have 
  wrinkles: 
  your 
  staff 
  shall 
  

  

  