﻿VI 
  

  

  THE 
  SACKED 
  POLE 
  

  

  Origin. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  governmental 
  development 
  it 
  became 
  expedient 
  to 
  

   have 
  something 
  which 
  should 
  symbolize 
  the 
  unity 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  and 
  of 
  

   its 
  governing 
  power 
  — 
  something 
  which 
  should 
  appeal 
  to 
  the 
  people, 
  an 
  

   object 
  they 
  could 
  all 
  behold 
  and 
  around 
  which 
  they 
  could 
  gather 
  to 
  

   manifest 
  their 
  loyalty 
  to 
  the 
  idea 
  it 
  represented. 
  The 
  two 
  Tribal 
  

   Pipes, 
  which 
  hitherto 
  had 
  been 
  the 
  only 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  govern- 
  

   ing 
  authority, 
  were 
  not 
  only 
  complex 
  in 
  their 
  symbolism, 
  but 
  they 
  

   were 
  not 
  easily 
  visible 
  to 
  the 
  entire 
  tribe 
  and 
  did 
  not 
  meet 
  the 
  need 
  

   for 
  a 
  central 
  object 
  at 
  great 
  tribal 
  gatherings. 
  The 
  ceremony 
  of 
  the 
  

   He'dewachi 
  had 
  familiarized 
  the 
  people 
  with 
  the 
  symbol 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  

   as 
  a 
  type 
  of 
  unity. 
  A 
  similar 
  idea 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  expressed 
  

   in 
  the 
  ancient 
  Cedar 
  Pole, 
  which 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  stood 
  as 
  a 
  cosmic 
  

   symbol 
  representative 
  of 
  supernatural 
  authority; 
  its 
  name 
  was 
  

   taken 
  and 
  the 
  ceremonies 
  formerly 
  connected 
  with 
  it 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  

   been 
  preserved 
  in 
  part, 
  at 
  least, 
  in 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole. 
  

  

  Tradition 
  states 
  that 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole 
  was 
  cut 
  before 
  the 
  "Ponca 
  

   gens 
  broke 
  away 
  [from 
  the 
  Omaha] 
  and 
  became 
  the 
  Ponca 
  tribe. 
  " 
  

   Other 
  evidence 
  indicates 
  that 
  the 
  tribes 
  had 
  already 
  become 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  distinct 
  when 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole 
  was 
  cut. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  two 
  versions 
  of 
  the 
  story 
  of 
  the 
  finding 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  

   Pole. 
  Both 
  have 
  points 
  in 
  common. 
  One 
  runs 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  A 
  great 
  council 
  was 
  being 
  held 
  to 
  devise 
  some 
  means 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  bands 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  

   might 
  be 
  kept 
  together 
  and 
  the 
  tribe 
  itself 
  saved 
  from 
  extinction. 
  This 
  council 
  lasted 
  

   many 
  days. 
  Meanwhile 
  the 
  son 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  ruling 
  men 
  was 
  off 
  on 
  a 
  hunt. 
  On 
  his 
  

   way 
  home 
  he 
  came 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  forest 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  night 
  lost 
  his 
  way. 
  He 
  walked 
  and 
  

   walked 
  until 
  he 
  was 
  exhausted 
  with 
  pushing 
  his 
  way 
  through 
  the 
  underbrush. 
  He 
  

   stopped 
  to 
  rest 
  and 
  to 
  find 
  the 
  "motionless 
  star" 
  for 
  his 
  guide 
  when 
  he 
  was 
  suddenly 
  

   attracted 
  by 
  a 
  light. 
  Believing 
  that 
  it 
  came 
  from 
  a 
  tent 
  the 
  young 
  hunter 
  went 
  

   toward 
  it, 
  but 
  on 
  coming 
  to 
  the 
  place 
  whence 
  the 
  welcome 
  light 
  came 
  he 
  was 
  amazed 
  

   to 
  find 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  tree 
  that 
  sent 
  forth 
  the 
  light. 
  He 
  went 
  up 
  to 
  it 
  and 
  found 
  that 
  

   the 
  whole 
  tree, 
  its 
  trunk, 
  branches, 
  and 
  leaves, 
  were 
  alight, 
  yet 
  remained 
  unconsumed. 
  

   He 
  touched 
  the 
  tree 
  but 
  no 
  heat 
  came 
  from 
  it. 
  This 
  mystified 
  him 
  and 
  he 
  stood 
  

   watching 
  the 
  strange 
  tree, 
  for 
  how 
  long 
  he 
  did 
  not 
  know. 
  At 
  last 
  day 
  approached, 
  

   the 
  brightness 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  began 
  to 
  fade, 
  until 
  with 
  the 
  rising 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  the 
  tree 
  with 
  

   its 
  foliage 
  resumed 
  its 
  natural 
  appearance. 
  The 
  man 
  remained 
  there 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  

   watch 
  the 
  tree 
  another 
  night. 
  As 
  twilight 
  came 
  on 
  it 
  began 
  to 
  be 
  luminous 
  and 
  

  

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