﻿fletchee 
  la 
  fi.ks.-hk1 
  TRIBAL 
  ORGANIZATION 
  195 
  

  

  Buffalo 
  Hide. 
  Its 
  keeper 
  conducted 
  the 
  rites 
  attending 
  the 
  planting 
  

   of 
  maize 
  and 
  the 
  hunting 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo. 
  The 
  other 
  tent 
  held 
  the 
  

   Sacred 
  Pole. 
  Its 
  keepers 
  were 
  the 
  custodians 
  of 
  the 
  rites 
  concerned 
  

   with 
  the 
  maintaining 
  of 
  the 
  authority 
  of 
  the 
  chiefs 
  in 
  the 
  govern- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  tribe. 
  Protection 
  from 
  without, 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  

   peace 
  within 
  the 
  tribe, 
  the 
  obtaining 
  of 
  food 
  and 
  clothing, 
  devolved 
  

   upon 
  the 
  rites 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  gentes 
  composing 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'gaslienu 
  

   half 
  of 
  the 
  hu'tlmga. 
  

  

  The 
  five 
  gentes 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  tribal 
  circle 
  were 
  custodians 
  

   of 
  rites 
  that 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  creation, 
  the 
  stars, 
  the 
  manifestation 
  of 
  

   the 
  cosmic 
  forces 
  that 
  pertain 
  to 
  life. 
  Nearly 
  all 
  of 
  these 
  rites 
  have 
  

   become 
  obsolete, 
  except 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  last-named 
  class, 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  

   the 
  I"shta'cu 
  n 
  da 
  gens. 
  These 
  constituted 
  the 
  ritual 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  

   child 
  was 
  introduced 
  to 
  the 
  Cosmos 
  (see 
  p. 
  115), 
  the 
  ceremony 
  through 
  

   which 
  the 
  child 
  was 
  inducted 
  into 
  its 
  place 
  anil 
  duty 
  in 
  the 
  tribe 
  

   (see 
  p. 
  117), 
  and 
  the 
  ritual 
  required 
  when 
  the 
  two 
  Sacred 
  Tribal 
  

   Pipes 
  were 
  filled 
  for 
  use 
  on 
  solemn 
  tribal 
  occasions. 
  

  

  In 
  view 
  of 
  what 
  has 
  been 
  discerned 
  of 
  the 
  practical 
  character 
  of 
  

   the 
  Omaha, 
  it 
  is 
  interesting 
  to 
  note 
  that 
  only 
  those 
  rites 
  directly 
  

   concerned 
  with 
  the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  the 
  tribal 
  organization 
  and 
  gov- 
  

   ernment 
  were 
  kept 
  active 
  and 
  vital, 
  while 
  other 
  rites, 
  kindred 
  hut 
  

   not 
  so 
  closely 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  tribal 
  organization, 
  were 
  suffered 
  

   to 
  fall 
  into 
  neglect. 
  

  

  The 
  Omaha 
  (Jens 
  not 
  a 
  Political 
  Organization 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  foregoing 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  gentes 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  it 
  is 
  apparent 
  

   that 
  the 
  Omaha 
  gens 
  was 
  not 
  a 
  political 
  organization. 
  It 
  differed 
  

   from 
  the 
  Latin 
  gens 
  in 
  that 
  the 
  people 
  composing 
  it 
  did 
  not 
  claim 
  to 
  

   be 
  descended 
  from 
  a 
  common 
  ancestor 
  from 
  whom 
  the 
  group 
  took 
  

   its 
  name 
  anil 
  crest. 
  There 
  was, 
  however, 
  one 
  point 
  of 
  resemblance, 
  

   and 
  because 
  of 
  this 
  one 
  point 
  of 
  resemblance 
  the 
  name 
  gens 
  is 
  applied 
  

   to 
  the 
  Omaha 
  group; 
  namely, 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  a 
  common 
  rite 
  the 
  

   title 
  to 
  share 
  in 
  which 
  descended 
  solely 
  through 
  the 
  father. 
  Beyond 
  

   this 
  one 
  point 
  all 
  resemblance 
  ends. 
  The 
  rights 
  and 
  duties 
  of 
  the 
  

   Omaha 
  father 
  in 
  no 
  way 
  corresponded 
  to 
  those 
  devolving 
  on 
  the 
  

   head 
  of 
  a 
  Roman 
  family. 
  Nor 
  was 
  the 
  Omaha 
  group 
  a 
  clan, 
  for 
  the 
  

   bond 
  between 
  the 
  people 
  was 
  not 
  because 
  of 
  a 
  common 
  ancestor 
  

   whose 
  name 
  and 
  crest 
  were 
  the 
  clan 
  designation 
  and 
  from 
  whom 
  were 
  

   descended 
  the 
  hereditary 
  rulers 
  of 
  the 
  clan. 
  The 
  Omaha 
  gens 
  was 
  a 
  

   group 
  of 
  exogamous 
  kindred 
  who 
  practised 
  a 
  particular 
  rite, 
  the 
  

   child's 
  birthright 
  to 
  which 
  descended 
  solely 
  through 
  the 
  father; 
  and 
  

   the 
  symbol 
  characteristic 
  of 
  that 
  rite 
  became 
  the 
  symbol, 
  crest, 
  or 
  

   "totem,'' 
  of 
  the 
  gens. 
  There 
  was 
  no 
  political 
  or 
  governing 
  chief 
  oi 
  

   an 
  Omaha 
  gens 
  or 
  subgens, 
  hut 
  there 
  were 
  persons 
  to 
  whom 
  belonged 
  

  

  