﻿172 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [bth.ann.27 
  

  

  ancient 
  rites 
  pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  stones 
  water 
  or 
  rain 
  was 
  represented. 
  

   This 
  tradition 
  is 
  borne 
  out 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  down 
  of 
  the 
  swan, 
  a 
  water 
  

   bird, 
  to 
  cover 
  ceremonially 
  the 
  stones. 
  The 
  connection 
  with 
  water 
  

   rites 
  is 
  probably 
  also 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  statement 
  that 
  the 
  old 
  keeper 
  

   of 
  the 
  stones 
  could 
  take 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  Pebble 
  society, 
  whose 
  rites 
  per- 
  

   tained 
  to 
  the 
  element 
  water. 
  All 
  fo\ir 
  stones 
  are 
  now 
  lost. 
  The 
  last 
  

   one 
  was 
  probably 
  buried 
  with 
  To 
  n 
  'wo 
  n 
  gaxe. 
  The 
  connection 
  of 
  the 
  

   stones 
  with 
  the 
  water 
  adds 
  to 
  the 
  probability 
  that 
  the 
  lost 
  rites 
  of 
  

   this 
  gens 
  dealt 
  with 
  the 
  Creation. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  no 
  subgentes 
  in 
  this 
  gens. 
  Within 
  the 
  last 
  century 
  the 
  

   groups 
  of 
  families 
  to 
  whom 
  were 
  formerly 
  assigned 
  certain 
  duties 
  

   connected 
  with 
  the 
  ancient 
  rites 
  have 
  taken 
  names 
  referring 
  to 
  

   their 
  ancient 
  hereditary 
  oflice, 
  and 
  as 
  a 
  result 
  these 
  groups 
  have 
  

   been 
  mistaken 
  for 
  subgentes. 
  The 
  Xu'be 
  (sacred) 
  group 
  had 
  direct 
  

   charge 
  of 
  the 
  sacred 
  stones. 
  Another 
  group, 
  whose 
  office 
  pertained 
  

   to 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  rites 
  which 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  wolf, 
  called 
  themselves 
  

   the 
  Mi'kaci 
  (wolf). 
  Still 
  another, 
  to 
  whom 
  belonged 
  the 
  duties 
  

   relating 
  to 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  the 
  swan, 
  called 
  themselves 
  Mi'xaco" 
  

   (swan). 
  

  

  All 
  of 
  the 
  above-mentioned 
  groups 
  had 
  the 
  same 
  tabus 
  as 
  the 
  gens, 
  

   namely 
  : 
  The 
  swan, 
  the 
  clay 
  used 
  for 
  making 
  the 
  colors 
  with 
  which 
  to 
  

   paint 
  the 
  stones, 
  and 
  the 
  soot 
  from 
  the 
  kettle 
  em- 
  

   ployed 
  in 
  preparing 
  the 
  black 
  paint 
  used 
  on 
  the 
  

   ^t 
  J?. 
  . 
  stones. 
  

  

  I 
  The 
  cut 
  of 
  the 
  hair 
  of 
  the 
  children 
  of 
  these 
  groups 
  

  

  was 
  peculiar. 
  The 
  hair 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  head 
  was 
  shaved 
  off, 
  while 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  side 
  was 
  

  

  allowed 
  to 
  grow 
  (fig. 
  36). 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  impossible 
  

  

  __ 
  i 
  to 
  obtain 
  a 
  general 
  explanation 
  of 
  this 
  symbolic 
  

  

  fig.36 
  cut 
  of 
  hair. 
  Mo-'- 
  style 
  of 
  cutting 
  the 
  hair. 
  Some 
  have 
  said 
  it 
  rep- 
  

   resented 
  the 
  bare 
  rock 
  and 
  the 
  falling 
  rain. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  organization 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  in 
  its 
  present 
  form 
  a 
  group 
  of 
  

   families 
  was 
  set 
  apart 
  in 
  the 
  gens 
  as 
  Nini'bato", 
  keepers 
  of 
  the 
  pipes, 
  

   and 
  a 
  chief 
  from 
  this 
  group 
  was 
  given 
  a 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  Council 
  of 
  Seven 
  

   Chiefs. 
  In 
  this 
  group 
  occurs 
  a 
  name 
  found 
  nowhere 
  else 
  in 
  the 
  tribe: 
  

   Nini'ushi, 
  filler 
  of 
  the 
  pipes; 
  this 
  may 
  refer 
  in 
  some 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  

   rites 
  which 
  once 
  belonged 
  to 
  this 
  gens, 
  and 
  which, 
  as 
  they 
  probably 
  

   pertained 
  to 
  the 
  Creation, 
  may 
  have 
  had 
  a 
  significance 
  in 
  the 
  Council 
  

   of 
  Seven 
  Chiefs, 
  that 
  ruled 
  the 
  tribe. 
  

  

  The 
  cut 
  of 
  the' 
  hair 
  of 
  the 
  children 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  Nini'bato" 
  

   group 
  was 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  that 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  other 
  Nini'bato" 
  subdivisions 
  

   in 
  the 
  gentes 
  of 
  the 
  tribe. 
  

  

  In 
  camping, 
  the 
  Xu'be 
  (a) 
  pitched 
  their 
  tents 
  immediately 
  on 
  the 
  

   left 
  of 
  the 
  Ko 
  n 
  'ce; 
  then 
  came 
  the 
  Mi'kaci 
  (b) 
  ; 
  next, 
  the 
  Mi'xaco" 
  (r) 
  ; 
  

   and 
  on 
  their 
  left 
  the 
  Nini'bato" 
  subdivision 
  (</). 
  

  

  