﻿254 
  

  

  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TEIBE 
  

  

  [ETH. 
  AXX. 
  27 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  warrior 
  societies. 
  So 
  the 
  tree 
  that 
  had 
  been 
  struck 
  as 
  a 
  war- 
  

   rior 
  foe 
  fell 
  because 
  Thunder 
  had 
  so 
  decreed. 
  

  

  The 
  leader 
  now 
  approached 
  the 
  fallen 
  tree 
  and 
  said: 
  "I 
  have 
  

   come 
  for 
  you 
  that 
  you 
  may 
  see 
  the 
  people, 
  who 
  are 
  beautiful 
  to 
  

   behold!" 
  The 
  young 
  men 
  cut 
  the 
  branches 
  from 
  the 
  trees, 
  leaving 
  

   a 
  tuft 
  of 
  twigs 
  and 
  leaves 
  at 
  the 
  top, 
  stripped 
  off 
  the 
  bark, 
  then 
  

   tied 
  the 
  tuft 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  together 
  with 
  a 
  black 
  covering. 
  Latterly 
  

   a 
  black 
  silk 
  handkerchief 
  was 
  used, 
  but 
  formerly 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  soft 
  

  

  dressed 
  skin, 
  dyed 
  black, 
  was 
  employed. 
  

   All 
  the 
  branches, 
  bark, 
  and 
  chips 
  were 
  

   made 
  into 
  a 
  pile 
  and 
  deposited 
  at 
  the 
  

   stump 
  of 
  the 
  tree. 
  

  

  In 
  early 
  days 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  duty 
  of 
  the 
  

   woman 
  to 
  carry 
  the 
  pole; 
  but 
  in 
  recent 
  

   times 
  she 
  walked, 
  with 
  her 
  burden 
  strap, 
  

   beside 
  the 
  young 
  men, 
  who 
  bore 
  it 
  on 
  

   their 
  left 
  shoulders, 
  care 
  being 
  taken 
  

   to 
  choose 
  men 
  of 
  equal 
  height 
  so 
  that 
  

   the 
  pole 
  would 
  be 
  carried 
  in 
  a 
  level 
  

   position. 
  Four 
  halts 
  were 
  made 
  on 
  the 
  

   way 
  to 
  the 
  hu'thuga. 
  On 
  reaching 
  the 
  

   camp, 
  the 
  pole 
  was 
  taken 
  to 
  the 
  tent 
  

   of 
  the 
  leader 
  and 
  the 
  butt 
  end 
  was 
  

   thrust 
  in 
  the 
  door 
  until 
  it 
  reached 
  the 
  

   fireplace. 
  

  

  Two 
  men 
  from 
  the 
  No 
  n 
  xthe'bitube 
  

   subdivision 
  now 
  performed 
  their 
  heredi- 
  

   tary 
  duty 
  of 
  mixing 
  the 
  red 
  and 
  black 
  

   paint 
  with 
  which 
  they 
  were 
  to 
  decorate 
  

   the 
  pole. 
  This 
  group 
  had, 
  besides 
  the 
  

   red 
  corn, 
  a 
  tabu 
  of 
  charcoal, 
  as 
  this 
  sub- 
  

   stance 
  was 
  used 
  in 
  making 
  the 
  black 
  

   paint. 
  The 
  painting 
  was 
  done 
  in 
  bands 
  

   of 
  red 
  and 
  black; 
  one 
  man 
  painted 
  the 
  

   black 
  bands, 
  the 
  other 
  the 
  red. 
  (Fig. 
  

   62.) 
  These 
  bands 
  signified 
  night 
  and 
  day; 
  they 
  also 
  referred 
  to 
  

   thunder 
  and 
  death 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  earth 
  and 
  sky, 
  the 
  vivifying 
  and 
  con- 
  

   serving 
  powers. 
  

  

  Young 
  men 
  dug 
  the 
  hole 
  for 
  the 
  pole, 
  which 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  

   of 
  a 
  level 
  place. 
  Sometimes 
  the 
  hole 
  was 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  

   hu'thuga; 
  at 
  other 
  times 
  it 
  was 
  outside 
  the 
  camp. 
  The 
  dirt 
  taken 
  

   from 
  the 
  excavation 
  was 
  heaped 
  at 
  the 
  east, 
  and 
  between 
  this 
  heap 
  

   and 
  the 
  hole 
  the 
  symbolic 
  figure 
  {uzhi 
  n 
  'eti; 
  see 
  fig. 
  59) 
  was 
  incised 
  on 
  

   the 
  earth. 
  

  

  He'dewachi 
  pole 
  (native 
  

   drawing). 
  

  

  