﻿226 
  the 
  omaha 
  tribe 
  [bth. 
  ann. 
  27 
  

  

  Sacred 
  Packs 
  and 
  Contents 
  

  

  The 
  pack 
  (fig. 
  52; 
  Peabody 
  Museum 
  no. 
  47S34) 
  accompanying 
  

   the 
  Pole 
  contained 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  articles 
  which 
  were 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  cere- 
  

   monies 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole. 
  It 
  is 
  an 
  oblong 
  piece 
  of 
  buffalo 
  hide 
  

   which, 
  when 
  wrapped 
  around 
  its 
  contents, 
  makes 
  a 
  round 
  bundle 
  

   about 
  SO 
  cm. 
  long 
  and 
  60 
  cm. 
  in 
  circumference, 
  bound 
  together 
  by 
  

   bands 
  of 
  rawhide. 
  The 
  pack 
  was 
  called 
  waihi'xabe, 
  meaning 
  literally 
  

   "things 
  flayed," 
  referring 
  to 
  the 
  scalps 
  stored 
  within 
  the 
  pack. 
  

   Nine 
  scalps 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  it 
  when 
  opened 
  at 
  the 
  Museum. 
  Some 
  

   show 
  signs 
  of 
  considerable 
  wear; 
  they 
  are 
  all 
  very 
  large 
  and 
  on 
  one 
  

   are 
  the 
  remains 
  of 
  a 
  feather, 
  worn 
  away 
  all 
  but 
  the 
  quill. 
  

  

  The 
  pipe 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  Pole 
  and 
  used 
  in 
  its 
  rites 
  was 
  kept 
  in 
  this 
  

   pack 
  (fig. 
  53; 
  Peabody 
  Museum 
  no. 
  47S3S). 
  The 
  stem 
  is 
  round 
  

   and 
  89 
  cm. 
  in 
  length. 
  It 
  is 
  probably 
  of 
  ash 
  and 
  shows 
  marks 
  of 
  long 
  

   usage. 
  The 
  bowl 
  is 
  of 
  red 
  catlinite, 
  \'2 
  cm. 
  5 
  mm. 
  at 
  its 
  greatest 
  

  

  Fig 
  5^. 
  Pack 
  belonging 
  to 
  Sacred 
  Pole- 
  

   length, 
  and 
  7 
  cm. 
  2 
  mm. 
  in 
  height. 
  The 
  bowl 
  proper 
  rises 
  -4 
  cm. 
  5 
  

   mm. 
  from 
  the 
  base. 
  Upon 
  the 
  sides 
  and 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  stone 
  certain 
  

   figures 
  are 
  incised, 
  which 
  are 
  difficult 
  to 
  identify; 
  they 
  may 
  

   represent 
  a 
  conventionalized 
  bird 
  grasping 
  the 
  pipe. 
  The 
  lines 
  of 
  

   the 
  figures 
  are 
  filled 
  with 
  a 
  semilustrous 
  black 
  substance 
  composed 
  

   of 
  vegetable 
  matter, 
  which 
  brings 
  the 
  design 
  into 
  full 
  relief; 
  tins 
  

   substance 
  is 
  also 
  painted 
  on 
  the 
  front 
  and 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  bowl, 
  leav- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  band 
  of 
  red 
  showing 
  at 
  the 
  sides. 
  The 
  effect 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  black 
  

   and 
  red 
  inlaid 
  pipe. 
  When 
  this 
  pipe 
  was 
  smoked 
  the 
  stone 
  end 
  rested 
  

   on 
  the 
  ground; 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  lifted 
  but 
  dragged 
  by 
  the 
  stem 
  as 
  it 
  

   passed 
  from 
  man 
  to 
  man 
  while 
  they 
  sat 
  in 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent 
  or 
  inclosure. 
  

   To 
  prevent 
  the 
  bowl 
  falling 
  off, 
  a 
  mishap 
  which 
  would 
  be 
  disas- 
  

   trous, 
  a 
  hole 
  was 
  drilled 
  through 
  a 
  little 
  flange 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   stone 
  pipe 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  fitted 
  to 
  the 
  wooden 
  stem, 
  and 
  through 
  this 
  

   hole 
  one 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  sinew 
  cord 
  was 
  passed 
  and 
  fastened, 
  the 
  other 
  end 
  

  

  