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  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  Ann. 
  27 
  

  

  Through 
  the 
  father 
  the 
  child 
  inherited 
  his 
  name, 
  his 
  place, 
  and 
  his 
  

   share 
  in 
  the 
  rites 
  of 
  his 
  gens; 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  through 
  his 
  mother 
  that 
  

   his 
  kinship 
  relations 
  were 
  extended 
  beyond 
  his 
  birth 
  gens 
  and 
  that 
  he 
  

   thus 
  became 
  conscious 
  of 
  being 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  kinship 
  community. 
  

   (Fig. 
  19.) 
  

  

  The 
  Ponca 
  tribe 
  does 
  not 
  present 
  a 
  clear 
  picture 
  of 
  those 
  ideas 
  

   which 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  fundamental 
  to 
  the 
  tribal 
  organization 
  of 
  

   their 
  kindred, 
  the 
  Omaha; 
  and 
  yet 
  these 
  ideas 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   present 
  in 
  the 
  mind 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  when 
  they 
  organized 
  as 
  a 
  distinct 
  

   tribe. 
  This 
  imperfect 
  form 
  may 
  have 
  given 
  rise 
  to 
  the 
  custom 
  of 
  

   the 
  Omaha 
  of 
  designating 
  the 
  Ponca 
  as 
  "orphans." 
  

  

  The 
  Ponca 
  camped 
  in 
  a 
  circle 
  with 
  the 
  opening 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  when 
  

   the 
  gentes 
  were 
  in 
  ceremonial 
  order, 
  and 
  gave 
  to 
  this 
  form 
  the 
  same 
  

   name 
  as 
  that 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  Omaha, 
  hu'thuga 
  (see 
  p. 
  42). 
  Each 
  gens 
  

   of 
  the 
  Ponca 
  had 
  its 
  ni'lcie 
  rites 
  and 
  its 
  ni'Jcie 
  names; 
  the 
  latter 
  were 
  

   bestowed 
  during 
  ceremonies 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  observed 
  among 
  the 
  

   Omaha. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Ponca 
  tribal 
  circle 
  the 
  gentes 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  grouped 
  according 
  to 
  

   their 
  duties: 
  Those 
  to 
  the 
  south, 
  or 
  left, 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  opening, 
  were 
  

   charged 
  with 
  the 
  care 
  of 
  rites 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  Thunder 
  and 
  with 
  

   warfare. 
  The 
  next 
  group 
  to 
  the 
  left 
  administered 
  the 
  rites 
  and 
  

   ceremonies 
  which 
  pertained 
  to 
  the 
  government 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  and 
  to 
  

   the 
  securing 
  of 
  food 
  and 
  clothing 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  the 
  annual 
  hunt. 
  The 
  

   group 
  to 
  the 
  north, 
  or 
  right 
  of 
  the 
  entrance, 
  controlled 
  the 
  rites 
  

   relating 
  to 
  ice 
  or 
  hail 
  (both 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  symbolically 
  connected 
  

   with 
  the 
  upper 
  world) 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  serpent, 
  generally 
  symbolic 
  of 
  the 
  

   lightning. 
  In 
  this 
  order, 
  as 
  in 
  a 
  shattered 
  mirror, 
  one 
  can 
  discern 
  

   the 
  outlines 
  of 
  the 
  symbolic 
  picture 
  which 
  the 
  Omaha 
  organization 
  

   also 
  so 
  distinctly 
  presents. 
  From 
  the 
  Ponca 
  tribe 
  taken 
  by 
  itself 
  

   it 
  would 
  be 
  difficult 
  to 
  discern 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  those 
  ideas 
  which 
  we 
  

   have 
  seen 
  definitely 
  expressed 
  in 
  the 
  Omaha 
  tribe; 
  but 
  turning 
  from 
  

   the 
  contemplation 
  of 
  the 
  Omaha 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Ponca, 
  one 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  

   recognize 
  these 
  ideas 
  in 
  the 
  fragmentary 
  order 
  which 
  obtained 
  among 
  

   the 
  latter. 
  

  

  The 
  Ponca 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  Omaha 
  regarded 
  all 
  life 
  and 
  the 
  preser- 
  

   vation 
  of 
  all 
  forms 
  as 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  union 
  of 
  the 
  sky 
  and 
  the 
  earth 
  

   forces, 
  and 
  believed 
  the 
  combining 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  opposite 
  and 
  differen- 
  

   tiated 
  cosmic 
  powers 
  symbolically 
  set 
  forth 
  to 
  man 
  a 
  law 
  he 
  must 
  

   obey, 
  a 
  course 
  he 
  must 
  follow, 
  if 
  he 
  would 
  secure 
  the 
  continuation 
  of 
  

   Tiis 
  own 
  life 
  and 
  the 
  perpetuation 
  of 
  his 
  tribe 
  — 
  a 
  law 
  which 
  made 
  

   exogamy 
  a 
  practical 
  expression 
  of 
  this 
  belief. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Osage 
  tribe, 
  which 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  agglomeration, 
  we 
  find 
  

   the 
  same 
  ideas 
  fundamental 
  to 
  the 
  tribal 
  organization, 
  but 
  certain 
  

   conditions 
  have 
  tended 
  to 
  modify 
  their 
  expression. 
  

  

  The 
  Osage 
  were 
  divided 
  into 
  two 
  great 
  divisions. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  

   was 
  composed 
  of 
  three 
  kinship 
  groups 
  which 
  shifted 
  their 
  relative 
  

   positions 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  the 
  rite 
  or 
  duties 
  to 
  be 
  performed. 
  The 
  

  

  