﻿160 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth.ann. 
  27 
  

  

  The 
  Tha'tada 
  gens 
  camped 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  of 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'ga. 
  The 
  word 
  

   Tha'tada 
  is 
  probably 
  a 
  contraction 
  of 
  the 
  phrase 
  tha'ta 
  tathisho"- 
  

   tho 
  n 
  Tca 
  (tha'ta, 
  "left 
  hand;" 
  tathishd", 
  "toward;" 
  tho 
  n 
  Tca, 
  " 
  those 
  

   sitting 
  ") 
  — 
  that 
  is, 
  "those 
  whose 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  hu'thugaw&s 
  to 
  the 
  left 
  

   of 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'ga." 
  The 
  name 
  is 
  not 
  an 
  ancient 
  one, 
  probably 
  having 
  

   been 
  given 
  when 
  the 
  tribe 
  was 
  organized 
  in 
  its 
  present 
  form. 
  

  

  There 
  were 
  four 
  subgentes 
  in 
  the 
  Tha'tada: 
  Waca'be 
  itazlii, 
  

   Wazlii 
  n 
  'ga 
  itazhi, 
  Ke'i 
  n 
  , 
  and 
  Te'pa 
  itazhi. 
  

  

  ■ 
  . 
  Wara'be 
  itazhi 
  subgens 
  (a) 
  

  

  (Waca'be, 
  "black 
  bear;" 
  itazhi, 
  "do 
  not 
  touch.") 
  The 
  rites 
  con- 
  

   nected 
  with 
  the 
  black 
  bear, 
  which 
  were 
  formerly 
  observed 
  in 
  this 
  

   subgens, 
  have 
  been 
  lost. 
  Only 
  the 
  memory 
  remains 
  that 
  this 
  sub- 
  

   gens 
  used 
  to 
  join 
  with 
  the 
  We'zhi 
  n 
  shte 
  gens 
  in 
  rites 
  observed 
  when 
  

   the 
  first 
  thunder 
  was 
  heard 
  in 
  the 
  spring. 
  

  

  Xu'ka 
  subdivision 
  (a') 
  

  

  Xu'ka 
  means 
  teacher 
  or 
  instructor 
  in 
  mystic 
  rites. 
  The 
  name 
  was 
  

   given 
  to 
  a 
  group 
  of 
  families 
  who 
  were 
  designated 
  to 
  act 
  as 
  hereditary 
  

   prompters 
  to 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'ga 
  gens 
  during 
  the 
  singing 
  of 
  the 
  rituals 
  per- 
  

   taining 
  to 
  the 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole, 
  to 
  insure 
  

  

  against 
  mistakes 
  when 
  the 
  sacred 
  ritual 
  songs 
  

  

  were 
  given. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  hu'thuga 
  the 
  Xu'ka 
  subdivision 
  camped 
  

  

  next 
  to 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'ga 
  on 
  the 
  left, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  Xu'ka 
  camped 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  Waca'be 
  subgens. 
  

  

  The 
  tabu 
  of 
  the 
  Waca'be 
  subgens 
  was 
  the 
  

   black 
  bear. 
  Its 
  flesh 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  eaten 
  nor 
  its 
  

  

  Fig. 
  30. 
  Cut 
  of 
  hair, 
  skin 
  touched. 
  

  

  The 
  symbolic 
  cut 
  of 
  the 
  hair 
  of 
  the 
  children 
  

   of 
  this 
  subgens 
  consisted 
  in 
  the 
  removal 
  of 
  all 
  except 
  a 
  broad 
  lock 
  

   over 
  the 
  forehead, 
  to 
  represent 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  bear 
  (fig. 
  30). 
  

  

  Wazhi 
  n 
  'ga 
  itazhi 
  subgens 
  (6) 
  

  

  The 
  name 
  of 
  this 
  subgens 
  is 
  derived 
  from 
  wazhi 
  n 
  'ga, 
  "bird;" 
  itazhi, 
  

   "do 
  not 
  touch." 
  The 
  rites 
  that 
  once 
  were 
  practised 
  by 
  the 
  subgens 
  

   pertained 
  to 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  crops 
  from 
  the 
  depredation 
  of 
  

   the 
  birds. 
  These 
  rites 
  have 
  long 
  been 
  disused 
  and 
  are 
  traditional 
  

   only. 
  It 
  was 
  said 
  that 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  acts 
  was 
  to 
  scatter 
  partially 
  mas- 
  

   ticated 
  corn 
  over 
  the 
  fields 
  — 
  a 
  symbolic 
  appeal 
  to 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  to 
  

   prevent 
  the 
  small 
  birds 
  from 
  attacking 
  the 
  corn 
  and 
  thus 
  depriving 
  

   the 
  people 
  of 
  food. 
  The 
  rites 
  of 
  this 
  subgens 
  evidently 
  referred 
  to 
  

  

  