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  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ann. 
  27 
  

  

  subgens 
  of 
  the 
  I 
  n 
  ke'cabe 
  gens 
  that 
  had 
  as 
  tabu 
  the 
  red 
  ear 
  of 
  corn. 
  

   This 
  fact 
  and 
  the 
  symbolism 
  of 
  the 
  ceremony 
  indicate 
  that 
  the 
  

   He'dewachi 
  was 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  corn 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  

   influence 
  of 
  the 
  care 
  of 
  the 
  fields 
  tended 
  to 
  develop 
  an 
  appreciation 
  

   of 
  peace 
  and 
  tribal 
  unity. 
  The 
  duties 
  of 
  this 
  I 
  n 
  ke'cabe 
  subgens 
  in 
  

   reference 
  to 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  the 
  sacred 
  corn 
  to 
  the 
  tribe 
  have 
  already 
  

   been 
  mentioned 
  (p. 
  147). 
  In 
  later 
  days 
  the 
  He'dewachi 
  took 
  place 
  

   at 
  the 
  conclusion 
  of 
  the 
  ceremony 
  of 
  Anointing 
  the. 
  Sacred 
  Pole 
  but 
  

   was 
  distinct 
  from 
  it 
  in 
  every 
  respect 
  except 
  that 
  permission 
  for 
  its 
  

   performance 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'ga 
  gens 
  as 
  a 
  matter 
  

   of 
  courtesy. 
  

  

  The 
  He'dewachi 
  was 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  cosmic 
  forces, 
  as 
  revealed 
  

   in 
  the 
  succession 
  of 
  night 
  and 
  day 
  and 
  the 
  life 
  and 
  growth 
  of 
  living 
  

   things. 
  When 
  the 
  time 
  came 
  for 
  the 
  ceremony, 
  some 
  man, 
  ambitious 
  

   to 
  have 
  the 
  honor 
  and 
  to 
  ''count" 
  it, 
  went 
  to 
  the 
  hereditary 
  keepers 
  

   of 
  this 
  rite 
  in 
  the 
  Nini'bato" 
  subgens 
  of 
  the 
  I 
  n 
  ke'cabe, 
  and 
  said: 
  

   "Let 
  the 
  people 
  waken 
  themselves 
  by 
  dancing." 
  This 
  form 
  of 
  speech 
  

   used 
  when 
  making 
  the 
  request 
  for 
  the 
  performance 
  of 
  the 
  ceremony 
  

   referred 
  to 
  the 
  passing 
  of 
  night 
  into 
  day. 
  On 
  receiving 
  this 
  formal 
  

   request, 
  which 
  was 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  gift, 
  the 
  keepers 
  returned 
  

   their 
  thanks. 
  That 
  night 
  those 
  who 
  had 
  hereditary 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  

   He'dewachi 
  held 
  a 
  council 
  and 
  chose 
  a 
  man 
  of 
  their 
  gens 
  who 
  had 
  

   won 
  many 
  war 
  honors 
  to 
  go 
  and 
  select 
  a 
  tree 
  to 
  be 
  cut 
  for 
  the 
  cere- 
  

   mony. 
  Early 
  the 
  next 
  morning 
  he 
  went 
  forth, 
  picked 
  out 
  a 
  tall, 
  

   straight 
  cottonwood 
  tree 
  and 
  then 
  came 
  back, 
  returning 
  as 
  would 
  a 
  

   victorious 
  warrior. 
  If 
  he 
  represented 
  one 
  who 
  had 
  secured 
  booty, 
  

   he 
  dragged 
  a 
  rope, 
  and 
  carried 
  a 
  long 
  stick 
  with 
  which 
  he 
  ran 
  from 
  

   side 
  to 
  side 
  as 
  though 
  he 
  were 
  driving 
  horses; 
  or 
  he 
  carried 
  a 
  

   pole 
  having 
  a 
  bunch 
  of 
  grass 
  tied 
  at 
  the 
  top, 
  to 
  picture 
  a 
  return 
  with 
  

   the 
  scalp 
  of 
  an 
  enemy. 
  On 
  entering 
  the 
  hu'thuga 
  he 
  went 
  at 
  once 
  

   to 
  the 
  lodge 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  hereditary 
  keepers 
  sat 
  awaiting 
  him. 
  At 
  

   the 
  door 
  he 
  thrust 
  his 
  stick 
  into 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  said, 
  "I 
  have 
  

   found 
  the 
  enemy." 
  The 
  keepers 
  then 
  arose, 
  put 
  on 
  their 
  robes 
  in 
  

   the 
  ceremonial 
  manner 
  — 
  the 
  hair 
  outside 
  — 
  and 
  prepared 
  to 
  make 
  

   their 
  ceremonial 
  thanks 
  to 
  the 
  people 
  and 
  to 
  indicate 
  to 
  the 
  tribe 
  

   that 
  the 
  ceremony 
  would 
  take 
  place 
  in 
  two 
  days. 
  They 
  were 
  

   accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  woman, 
  who 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  the 
  I 
  n 
  ke'cabe 
  gens 
  and 
  

   who 
  bore 
  on 
  her 
  the 
  tattooed 
  "mark 
  of 
  honor." 
  She 
  also 
  wore 
  her 
  

   robe 
  with 
  the 
  hair 
  side 
  out, 
  carried 
  an 
  ax 
  and 
  a 
  burden 
  strap, 
  and 
  

   followed 
  the 
  men 
  as 
  they 
  passed 
  around 
  the 
  hu'thuga 
  and 
  publicly 
  

   proclaimed 
  their 
  thanks 
  for 
  the 
  request 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  ceremony 
  take 
  

   place. 
  

  

  Meanwhile 
  the 
  warrior 
  who 
  had 
  selected 
  the 
  tree 
  gathered 
  the 
  men 
  

   of 
  the 
  gens 
  together 
  to 
  await 
  the 
  return 
  of 
  the 
  hereditary 
  keepers. 
  

  

  