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  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ann. 
  27 
  

  

  the 
  village 
  or 
  to 
  continue 
  to 
  hunt. 
  All 
  rules 
  and 
  regulations 
  as 
  to 
  

   hunting 
  the 
  buffalo 
  were 
  now 
  at 
  an 
  end 
  for 
  the 
  season. 
  

  

  The 
  visitor 
  to 
  the 
  Peabody 
  Museum, 
  Harvard 
  University, 
  will 
  notice 
  

   upon 
  the 
  upper 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Pole 
  an 
  encrustation 
  resembling 
  

   pieces 
  of 
  thick 
  bark; 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  dried 
  paint 
  that 
  remains 
  from 
  the 
  

   numerous 
  anointings 
  of 
  the 
  Pole. 
  (Fig. 
  51.) 
  The 
  old 
  chief 
  told 
  the 
  

   writers 
  in 
  1888 
  that 
  long 
  ago, 
  beyond 
  the 
  memory 
  of 
  the 
  eldest, 
  it 
  

   was 
  the 
  custom 
  to 
  anoint 
  the 
  Pole 
  twice 
  a 
  year 
  — 
  after 
  the 
  summer 
  

   hunt 
  and 
  after 
  the 
  winter 
  hunt 
  ; 
  but 
  within 
  his 
  own 
  memory 
  and 
  that 
  

   of 
  his 
  father 
  the 
  anointing 
  had 
  taken 
  place 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  summer. 
  

  

  The 
  rapid 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  herds 
  of 
  buffalo 
  in 
  the 
  decade 
  follow- 
  

   ing 
  1S70 
  caused 
  the 
  Indian 
  not 
  only 
  sore 
  physical 
  discomfort 
  but 
  also 
  

   great 
  mental 
  distress. 
  His 
  religious 
  ceremonies 
  needed 
  the 
  buffalo 
  

   for 
  their 
  observance, 
  and 
  its 
  disappearance, 
  which 
  in 
  its 
  suddenness 
  

   seemed 
  to 
  him 
  supernatural, 
  had 
  done 
  much 
  to 
  demoralize 
  him 
  mor- 
  

   ally 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  socially. 
  

  

  After 
  several 
  unsuccessful 
  buffalo 
  hunts 
  poverty 
  took 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  

   former 
  plenty 
  and 
  in 
  distress 
  of 
  mind 
  and 
  of 
  body, 
  seeing 
  no 
  other 
  

   way 
  of 
  relief, 
  the 
  people 
  urged 
  on 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'ga 
  the 
  performance 
  of 
  

   the 
  ceremony 
  of 
  Anointing 
  the 
  Pole, 
  although 
  misfortune 
  in 
  hunting 
  

   through 
  the 
  diminution 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo 
  made 
  it 
  impossible 
  to 
  perform 
  

   this 
  act 
  in 
  its 
  integrity. 
  A 
  plan 
  was 
  suggested 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  cere- 
  

   mony 
  could 
  be 
  accomplished 
  and, 
  as 
  they 
  fondly 
  hoped, 
  the 
  blessing 
  

   of 
  plenty 
  be 
  restored 
  to 
  the 
  people. 
  The 
  tribe 
  had 
  certain 
  moneys 
  

   due 
  from 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  in 
  payment 
  for 
  ceded 
  lands, 
  and 
  through 
  

   their 
  Agent 
  they 
  asked 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  sum 
  as 
  was 
  needful 
  to 
  purchase 
  

   30 
  head 
  of 
  cattle 
  should 
  be 
  paid 
  them. 
  Little 
  understanding 
  the 
  

   trouble 
  of 
  mind 
  among 
  the 
  Indians 
  under 
  his 
  charge 
  or 
  the 
  motive 
  of 
  

   their 
  request, 
  the 
  Agent 
  wrote 
  to 
  the 
  Interior 
  Department, 
  at 
  Wash- 
  

   ington, 
  that 
  "The 
  Omahas 
  have 
  a 
  tradition 
  that 
  when 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  

   go 
  on 
  the 
  buffalo 
  hunt 
  they 
  should 
  at 
  least 
  once 
  a 
  year 
  take 
  the 
  lives 
  

   of 
  some 
  cattle 
  and 
  make 
  a 
  feast." 
  This 
  interpretation 
  of 
  the 
  Indian's 
  

   desire 
  to 
  spend 
  his 
  money 
  for 
  the 
  purchase 
  of 
  the 
  means 
  by 
  which 
  

   he 
  hoped 
  to 
  perform 
  rites 
  that 
  might 
  bring 
  back 
  the 
  buffalo 
  and 
  

   save 
  him 
  from 
  an 
  unknown 
  ami 
  dreaded 
  future 
  is 
  a 
  significant 
  gauge 
  

   of 
  the 
  extent 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  Indian's 
  real 
  life 
  had 
  been 
  comprehended 
  

   by 
  those 
  appointed 
  to 
  lead 
  him 
  along 
  new 
  lines 
  of 
  living 
  and 
  thinking. 
  

   The 
  cattle 
  were 
  bought 
  at 
  a 
  cost 
  of 
  about 
  a 
  thousand 
  dollars. 
  The 
  

   ceremony 
  took 
  place; 
  but, 
  alas! 
  conditions 
  did 
  not 
  change. 
  A 
  second 
  

   and 
  third 
  time 
  the 
  tribe 
  spent 
  its 
  money, 
  but 
  to 
  no 
  avail. 
  New 
  

   influences 
  and 
  interests 
  grew 
  stronger 
  every 
  year. 
  The 
  old 
  customs 
  

   could 
  not 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  bend 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  ways 
  forced 
  on 
  the 
  people. 
  

   Opposition 
  to 
  further 
  outlay 
  for 
  cattle 
  to 
  hold 
  the 
  old 
  ceremony 
  

   arose 
  from 
  the 
  Government 
  and 
  also 
  from 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  tribe; 
  so 
  years 
  

  

  