﻿IV 
  

  

  TRIBAL 
  ORGANIZATION 
  

  

  Basic 
  Principles 
  

  

  The 
  tribal 
  organization 
  of 
  the 
  Omaha 
  was 
  based 
  on 
  certain 
  funda- 
  

   mental 
  religious 
  ideas, 
  cosmic 
  in 
  significance; 
  these 
  had 
  reference 
  to 
  

   conceptions 
  as 
  to 
  how 
  the 
  visible 
  universe 
  came 
  into 
  being 
  and 
  how 
  

   it 
  is 
  maintained. 
  

  

  An 
  invisible 
  and 
  continuous 
  life 
  was 
  believed 
  to 
  permeate 
  all 
  things, 
  

   seen 
  and 
  unseen. 
  This 
  life 
  manifests 
  itself 
  in 
  two 
  ways: 
  First, 
  by 
  

   causing 
  to 
  move 
  — 
  all 
  motion, 
  all 
  actions 
  of 
  mind 
  or 
  body 
  are 
  because 
  

   of 
  this 
  invisible 
  life; 
  second, 
  by 
  causing 
  permanency 
  of 
  structure 
  and 
  

   form, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  rock, 
  the 
  physical 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  landscape, 
  mountains, 
  

   plains, 
  streams, 
  rivers, 
  lakes, 
  the 
  animals 
  and 
  man. 
  This 
  invisible 
  

   life 
  was 
  also 
  conceived 
  of 
  as 
  being 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  will 
  power 
  of 
  which 
  

   man 
  is 
  conscious 
  within 
  himself 
  — 
  a 
  power 
  by 
  which 
  things 
  are 
  brought 
  

   to 
  pass. 
  Through 
  this 
  mysterious 
  life 
  and 
  power 
  all 
  things 
  are 
  

   related 
  to 
  one 
  another 
  and 
  to 
  man, 
  the 
  seen 
  to 
  the 
  unseen, 
  the 
  

   dead 
  to 
  the 
  living, 
  a 
  fragment 
  of 
  anytliing 
  to 
  its 
  entirety. 
  This 
  

   invisible 
  life 
  and 
  power 
  was 
  called 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  (see 
  p. 
  597). 
  While 
  it 
  

   was 
  a 
  vague 
  entity, 
  yet 
  there 
  was 
  an 
  anthropomorphic 
  coloring 
  to 
  the 
  

   conception, 
  as 
  is 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  prayers 
  offered 
  and 
  the 
  manner 
  in 
  

   which 
  appeals 
  for 
  compassion 
  and 
  help 
  were 
  made, 
  also 
  in 
  the 
  ethical 
  

   quality 
  attributed 
  to 
  certain 
  natural 
  phenomena 
  — 
  the 
  regularity 
  of 
  

   night 
  following 
  day, 
  of 
  summer 
  winter 
  (these 
  were 
  recognized 
  as 
  

   emphasizing 
  truthfulness 
  as 
  a 
  dependable 
  quality 
  and 
  set 
  forth 
  for 
  

   man's 
  guidance) 
  — 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  approval 
  by 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  of 
  certain 
  ethical 
  

   actions 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  mankind. 
  

  

  Human 
  conditions 
  were 
  projected 
  upon 
  nature, 
  and 
  male 
  ami 
  female 
  

   forces 
  recognized. 
  The 
  Above 
  was 
  regarded 
  as 
  masculine, 
  the 
  Below 
  

   feminine; 
  so 
  the 
  sky 
  was 
  father, 
  the 
  earth, 
  mother. 
  The 
  heavenly 
  

   bodies 
  were 
  conceived 
  of 
  as 
  having 
  sex; 
  the 
  sun 
  was 
  masculine, 
  the 
  

   moon 
  feminine, 
  consequently 
  day 
  was 
  male 
  and 
  night 
  female. 
  The 
  

   union 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  forces 
  was 
  regarded 
  as 
  necessary 
  to 
  the 
  perpetuation 
  

   of 
  all 
  living 
  forms, 
  and 
  to 
  man's 
  life 
  by 
  maintaining 
  his 
  food 
  supply. 
  

   This 
  order 
  or 
  method 
  for 
  the 
  continuation 
  of 
  life 
  was 
  believed 
  to 
  have 
  

   been 
  arranged 
  by 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  and 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  obeyed 
  if 
  the 
  race 
  was 
  to 
  

   continue 
  to 
  exist. 
  In 
  order 
  to 
  keep 
  this 
  belief 
  alive 
  in 
  the 
  minds 
  of 
  

   the 
  people, 
  it 
  was 
  symbolized 
  in 
  religious 
  rites 
  and 
  in 
  social 
  usages 
  and 
  

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