﻿142 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  Teth. 
  ass. 
  27 
  

  

  Gentes 
  of 
  the 
  Omaha 
  Tribe 
  

  

  HO 
  N 
  'GASHEXU 
  DIVISION 
  (A)" 
  

  

  We'zhi 
  n 
  shte 
  Gens 
  (1)« 
  

  

  The 
  We'zhi 
  n 
  shte 
  gens 
  camped 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  of 
  the 
  entrance 
  into 
  the 
  

   Jiu'thuga. 
  The 
  name 
  is 
  descriptive, 
  being 
  composed 
  of 
  we, 
  "by 
  

   whom," 
  and 
  zhi 
  n 
  shte, 
  an 
  abbreviation 
  of 
  wazhi 
  71 
  ' 
  shte 
  , 
  "to 
  become 
  

   angry." 
  The 
  meaning 
  of 
  the 
  term 
  We'zhi 
  n 
  shte 
  may 
  be 
  defined 
  as 
  

   those 
  through 
  whom 
  the 
  tribe 
  made 
  known 
  its 
  displeasure 
  or 
  anger, 
  

   because 
  of 
  some 
  injurious 
  act 
  by 
  another 
  tribe. 
  The 
  Sacred 
  Tent 
  of 
  

   War(l 
  1) 
  was 
  set 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  tents 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  We'zhi 
  n 
  shte 
  

   gens 
  and 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  keeping 
  of 
  this 
  gens, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  parapher- 
  

   nalia 
  of 
  the 
  rites 
  pertaining 
  to 
  war 
  and 
  to 
  Thunder. 
  When 
  any 
  ques- 
  

   tion 
  arose 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  policy 
  to 
  be 
  pursued 
  in 
  dealing 
  with 
  another 
  tribe 
  

   the 
  members 
  of 
  which 
  had 
  committed 
  acts 
  of 
  hostility, 
  such 
  as 
  killing 
  

   Omaha 
  or 
  stealing 
  their 
  horses 
  or 
  carrying 
  away 
  by 
  force 
  women 
  of 
  

   the 
  tribe, 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  duty 
  of 
  the 
  keeper 
  of 
  the 
  Tent 
  of 
  War 
  to 
  call 
  the 
  

   Seven 
  Chiefs 
  and 
  the 
  leading 
  men 
  of 
  the 
  gens 
  to 
  a 
  council. 
  At 
  this 
  

   council 
  the 
  We'zhi 
  n 
  shte 
  presided. 
  The 
  Sacred 
  Pipe 
  of 
  the 
  Tent 
  of 
  War 
  

   was 
  filled 
  by 
  the 
  keeper 
  of 
  the 
  Tent 
  and 
  when, 
  after 
  due 
  deliberation 
  

   on 
  the 
  action 
  to 
  be 
  taken, 
  a 
  decision 
  was 
  reached, 
  the 
  Seven 
  Chiefs 
  

   smoked 
  this 
  Pipe. 
  This 
  was 
  a 
  religious 
  act 
  and 
  through 
  it 
  the 
  

   decision 
  became 
  sanctified. 
  Then 
  the 
  herald 
  of 
  the 
  We'zhi 
  n 
  shte 
  pro- 
  

   claimed 
  to 
  the 
  tribe 
  the 
  decision 
  of 
  the 
  chiefs. 
  If 
  war 
  was 
  deter- 
  

   mined 
  upon, 
  the 
  organization 
  of 
  volunteer 
  war 
  parties 
  generally 
  

   followed 
  this 
  authorization. 
  

  

  The 
  keeper 
  of 
  the 
  Tent 
  of 
  War 
  and 
  the 
  leaders 
  of 
  this 
  gens 
  officiated 
  

   at 
  the 
  ceremony 
  of 
  Wate'gictu, 
  when 
  certain 
  prescribed 
  honors 
  were 
  

   publicly 
  bestowed 
  on 
  successful 
  warriors 
  for 
  acts 
  performed 
  in 
  

   authorized 
  offensive 
  warfare 
  or 
  in 
  battles 
  fought 
  in 
  defense 
  of 
  the 
  

   camp 
  or 
  permanent 
  village. 
  It 
  was 
  also 
  the 
  duty 
  of 
  this 
  gens 
  when 
  

   the 
  tribe 
  was 
  on 
  its 
  annual 
  buffalo 
  hunt, 
  to 
  organize 
  in 
  response 
  to 
  an 
  

   order 
  from 
  the 
  Seven 
  Chiefs 
  a 
  corps 
  of 
  scouts 
  to 
  spy 
  the 
  country 
  on 
  

   the 
  discovery 
  of 
  signs 
  of 
  danger. 
  

  

  Rites 
  pertaining 
  to 
  Thunder 
  were 
  also 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  this 
  gens. 
  

   These 
  were 
  observed 
  when 
  the 
  first 
  thunder 
  was 
  heard 
  in 
  the 
  spring. 
  

   This 
  thunder-peal 
  was 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  signal 
  of 
  the 
  awakening 
  of 
  

   certain 
  life-giving 
  forces 
  after 
  the 
  sleep 
  of 
  the 
  winter. 
  In 
  former 
  days 
  

   a 
  ceremony 
  took 
  place 
  at 
  this 
  time 
  with 
  song 
  and 
  ritual 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  

   Waca'be 
  itazhi 
  (black 
  bear) 
  subgens 
  of 
  the 
  Tha'tada 
  gens 
  joined 
  

   with 
  the 
  We'zhi 
  D 
  shte 
  gens. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  impossible 
  to 
  obtain 
  a 
  trust- 
  

   worthy 
  account 
  of 
  this 
  ancient 
  ceremony, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  a 
  This 
  and 
  similar 
  references 
  throughout 
  this 
  section 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  read 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  figure 
  20. 
  

  

  