﻿138 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  they 
  returned 
  with 
  their 
  supply 
  of 
  food, 
  as 
  one 
  enters 
  the 
  door 
  of 
  

   one's 
  home. 
  The 
  warriors 
  passed 
  hence 
  to 
  defend 
  the 
  tribe 
  from 
  its 
  

   foes, 
  and 
  here 
  they 
  were 
  welcomed 
  when 
  they 
  came 
  back." 
  The 
  

   entrance 
  was 
  therefore 
  the 
  door 
  through 
  which 
  one 
  entered 
  into 
  

   the 
  dwelling 
  place 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  in 
  which 
  each 
  gens 
  had 
  its 
  place 
  as 
  had 
  

   each 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  within 
  the 
  lodge. 
  There 
  are 
  indications 
  

   that 
  the 
  hu'thuga 
  embodies 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  union 
  of 
  the 
  forces 
  rep- 
  

   resented 
  in 
  the 
  fundamental 
  concept 
  upon 
  which 
  the 
  two 
  grand 
  divi- 
  

   sions 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  were 
  based. 
  The 
  opening 
  or 
  door 
  of 
  the 
  hu'thuga 
  

   was 
  always 
  symbolically 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  and 
  the 
  five 
  gentes 
  which 
  

   composed 
  the 
  I 
  n 
  shta'yu 
  n 
  da 
  division 
  (Sky 
  people) 
  always, 
  theoret- 
  

   ically, 
  formed 
  the 
  northern 
  half, 
  while 
  the 
  five 
  gentes 
  that 
  formed 
  

   the 
  IIo 
  n 
  'gashenu 
  division 
  (Earth 
  people) 
  in 
  theory 
  made 
  the 
  south- 
  

   ern 
  half. 
  . 
  The 
  literal 
  fact 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  opening 
  was 
  actually 
  toward 
  

   the 
  east 
  only 
  when 
  the 
  tribal 
  ceremonies 
  took 
  place; 
  at 
  all 
  other 
  

   times 
  it 
  faced 
  the 
  direction 
  toward 
  which 
  the 
  tribe 
  happened 
  

   to 
  be 
  traveling, 
  but 
  the 
  order 
  of 
  the 
  gentes 
  was 
  always 
  as 
  it 
  would 
  

   have 
  been 
  had 
  opening 
  faced 
  the 
  east. 
  This 
  was 
  effected 
  by 
  turn- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  tribal 
  circle 
  as 
  on 
  a 
  hinge 
  placed 
  opposite 
  the 
  eastern 
  opening, 
  

   so 
  that 
  no 
  matter 
  in 
  which 
  direction 
  the 
  opening 
  actually 
  was, 
  the 
  

   I 
  n 
  shta'eu 
  n 
  da 
  and 
  IIo 
  n 
  'gashenu 
  divisions 
  were 
  alwaj's 
  as 
  they 
  would 
  

   have 
  been 
  had 
  opening 
  faced 
  the 
  east. 
  This 
  interesting 
  fact, 
  of 
  the 
  

   canying 
  out 
  of 
  a 
  symbolism 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  pitching 
  the 
  tents 
  

   of 
  the 
  tribe 
  on 
  the 
  wide 
  unbroken 
  prairie, 
  indicates 
  how 
  deeply 
  

   rooted 
  in 
  the 
  minds 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  was 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  the 
  funda- 
  

   mental 
  ideas 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  hu'thuga 
  — 
  the 
  two 
  grand 
  divisions 
  

   and 
  the 
  orientation 
  of 
  the 
  dwelling. 
  In 
  view 
  of 
  these 
  and 
  kindred 
  

   ideas 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  hu'thuga, 
  it 
  seems 
  probable 
  that 
  in 
  this 
  

   form 
  we 
  are 
  dealing 
  with 
  a 
  symbol 
  rather 
  than 
  with 
  an 
  arrange- 
  

   ment 
  for 
  convenience 
  and 
  safety, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  stated 
  by 
  some 
  writers. 
  

   That 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  safety 
  was 
  involved 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  hu'thuga 
  is 
  

   probably 
  true, 
  but 
  the 
  dependence 
  for 
  safety 
  was 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  help 
  

   to 
  1"' 
  derived 
  through 
  the 
  recognition 
  of 
  cosmic 
  forces 
  and 
  religious 
  

   observances 
  rather 
  than 
  in 
  an 
  advantageous 
  arrangement 
  of 
  tents 
  

   made 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  protect 
  ponies 
  and 
  camp 
  equipage. 
  

  

  When 
  an 
  orator 
  addressed 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  ho 
  did 
  not 
  say: 
  

   Ho! 
  Omaha! 
  but 
  Ho! 
  I 
  n 
  shta'fu 
  n 
  da, 
  Ho"'gashenu 
  tl 
  agtho"'l-aho 
  n 
  ! 
  Ti 
  

   agtho 
  n 
  'kaho 
  11 
  means 
  " 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  house." 
  This 
  was 
  the 
  only 
  

   form 
  of 
  speech 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  could 
  be 
  addressed 
  

   collectively. 
  It 
  bears 
  out 
  the 
  meaning 
  of 
  the 
  hu'thuga 
  as 
  given 
  by 
  

   the 
  old 
  men. 
  

  

  The 
  hu'thuga 
  regarded 
  as 
  the 
  dwelling 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  tribe 
  presented 
  

   the 
  type 
  that 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  reproduced 
  in 
  the 
  dwelling 
  of 
  each 
  member 
  

   of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  wherein 
  were 
  to 
  be 
  united 
  the 
  masculine 
  and 
  feminine 
  

   forces 
  drawn 
  from 
  two 
  distinct 
  groups 
  or 
  regions, 
  a 
  union 
  symbolized 
  

  

  