﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCHE 
  ] 
  

  

  TRIBAL, 
  ORGAN 
  IZATION 
  

  

  197 
  

  

  I 
  I 
  

  

  G04L 
  

  

  words 
  and 
  acts 
  of 
  the 
  council 
  of 
  chiefs. 
  Although 
  the 
  rites 
  and 
  duties 
  

   of 
  the 
  I 
  n 
  shta'cu 
  n 
  da 
  division 
  pertained 
  distinctively 
  to 
  the 
  super- 
  

   natural, 
  to 
  the 
  creative 
  and 
  directive 
  forces 
  as 
  related 
  to 
  man's 
  social 
  

   and 
  individual 
  life, 
  yet 
  they 
  were 
  necessary 
  and 
  essential 
  to 
  the 
  rites 
  

   and 
  duties 
  of 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'gashenu 
  division, 
  in 
  whose 
  charge 
  was 
  the 
  

   physical 
  well-being 
  of 
  the 
  people. 
  The 
  former 
  gave 
  a 
  supernatural 
  

   sanction 
  and 
  authority 
  to 
  the 
  latter, 
  and 
  made 
  them 
  effective 
  not 
  

   only 
  over 
  the 
  animals 
  and 
  the 
  fruits 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  but 
  exercised 
  an 
  

   equally 
  potent 
  control 
  over 
  the 
  governing 
  power 
  and 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  every 
  

   member 
  of 
  the 
  tribe. 
  Thus 
  the 
  belief 
  that 
  by 
  union 
  of 
  the 
  Sky 
  people 
  

   and 
  the 
  Earth 
  people 
  the 
  human 
  race 
  and 
  all 
  other 
  living 
  forms 
  

   were 
  created 
  and 
  perpetuated 
  was 
  not 
  only 
  sym- 
  

   bolized 
  in 
  the 
  organization 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  but 
  this 
  

   belief 
  was 
  kept 
  vital 
  and 
  continually 
  present 
  to 
  the 
  

   minds 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  by 
  the 
  rites, 
  the 
  grouping 
  and 
  

   interrelation 
  of 
  the 
  gentes, 
  and 
  the 
  share 
  given 
  

   the 
  two 
  great 
  divisions 
  in 
  tribal 
  affairs 
  and 
  

   ceremonies. 
  No 
  tribal 
  ceremony, 
  negotiation, 
  or 
  

   consultation 
  could 
  take 
  place 
  without 
  both 
  divi- 
  

   sions 
  being 
  represented; 
  no 
  council 
  could 
  act 
  

   unless 
  there 
  were 
  present 
  one 
  chief 
  from 
  the 
  

   I 
  n 
  shta'cu 
  n 
  da 
  division 
  and 
  two 
  from 
  the 
  Ho"'- 
  

   gashenu. 
  In 
  this 
  connection, 
  the 
  saying 
  of 
  an 
  

   old 
  Omaha 
  man 
  may 
  throw 
  light 
  on 
  how 
  this 
  

   representation 
  from 
  the 
  two 
  divisions 
  was 
  re- 
  

   garded 
  by 
  the 
  people. 
  He 
  said: 
  "The 
  I 
  n 
  shta'- 
  

   c,u 
  D 
  da 
  represented 
  the 
  great 
  power, 
  so 
  that 
  one 
  

   chief 
  from 
  that 
  side 
  was 
  enough, 
  while 
  two 
  were 
  

   necessary 
  from 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'gashenu." 
  This 
  native 
  

   estimate 
  of 
  the 
  reason 
  for 
  the 
  unequal 
  represen- 
  

   tation 
  of 
  chiefs 
  is 
  the 
  reverse 
  of 
  what 
  a 
  member 
  

   of 
  the 
  white 
  race 
  would 
  naturally 
  conclude 
  — 
  that 
  

   the 
  more 
  important 
  division 
  should 
  be 
  represented 
  

   by 
  the 
  two 
  chiefs. 
  

  

  In 
  former 
  times 
  a 
  ball 
  game 
  used 
  to 
  be 
  ceremonially 
  played 
  between 
  

   the 
  young 
  men 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  divisions. 
  At 
  such 
  times 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  duty 
  

   of 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  Tade'ata, 
  or 
  Wind, 
  subgens 
  of 
  the 
  Ko 
  n 
  'ce 
  gens, 
  to 
  

   start 
  the 
  ball. 
  A 
  circle 
  with 
  two 
  lines 
  crossing 
  each 
  other 
  at 
  right 
  

   angles 
  was 
  drawn 
  on 
  the 
  cleared 
  ground, 
  and 
  the 
  ball 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  

   center 
  (fig. 
  45). 
  The 
  ball 
  was 
  first 
  rolled 
  toward 
  the 
  north 
  along 
  the 
  

   line 
  drawn 
  to 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  circle, 
  and 
  then 
  back 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  line 
  to 
  

   the 
  center. 
  It 
  was 
  then 
  rolled 
  on 
  the 
  line 
  toward 
  the 
  east 
  to 
  the 
  

   edge 
  of 
  the 
  circle 
  and 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  center. 
  Xext 
  it 
  was 
  rolled 
  to 
  the 
  

   south 
  and 
  returned 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  line 
  to 
  the 
  center. 
  Finally 
  it 
  was 
  

   rolled 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  on 
  its 
  line, 
  and 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  center, 
  and 
  then 
  it 
  was 
  

  

  Fig. 
  45. 
  

  

  I 
  I 
  

   GOAL 
  

  

  Diagram 
  of 
  ball 
  

   game. 
  

  

  