﻿276 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  The 
  Watho 
  n 
  ' 
  

  

  The 
  office 
  of 
  watho 
  n 
  ' 
  , 
  or 
  director 
  of 
  the 
  hunt, 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  grave 
  

   responsibility 
  and 
  high 
  honor. 
  The 
  man 
  who 
  aspired 
  to 
  fill 
  it 
  needed 
  

   to 
  possess 
  courage 
  and 
  ability 
  to 
  lead 
  men 
  and 
  command 
  their 
  respect 
  

   and 
  obedience. 
  During 
  the 
  term 
  of 
  his 
  office 
  the 
  entire 
  tribe 
  was 
  

   placed 
  under 
  his 
  direction 
  and 
  control; 
  the 
  Council 
  of 
  Seven 
  Chiefs 
  

   acted 
  only 
  as 
  his 
  counselors 
  and, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  people, 
  obeyed 
  

   his 
  instructions. 
  He 
  directed 
  the 
  march 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  selected 
  its 
  

   camping 
  places, 
  chose 
  and 
  dispatched 
  the 
  runners 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  buffalo 
  

   herds, 
  and 
  directed 
  the 
  hunt 
  when 
  the 
  game 
  had 
  been 
  found. 
  He 
  

   became 
  responsible 
  for 
  all 
  occurrences, 
  from 
  the 
  pursuit 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo 
  

   and 
  the 
  health 
  and 
  welfare 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  quarreling 
  of 
  

   children 
  and 
  dogs. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  time 
  drew 
  near 
  for 
  the 
  tribe 
  to 
  go 
  forth 
  on 
  the 
  hunt, 
  

   the 
  aspirant 
  to 
  the 
  office 
  of 
  watho 
  n 
  ' 
  took 
  or 
  sent 
  the 
  prescribed 
  

   articles 
  he 
  had 
  secured 
  for 
  making 
  the 
  washa'be, 
  or 
  ceremonial 
  staff 
  

   of 
  the 
  director, 
  to 
  the 
  Washa'be 
  subgens 
  of 
  the 
  Ho"'ga 
  gens, 
  to 
  which 
  

   belonged 
  the 
  hereditary 
  right 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  staff. 
  It 
  was 
  a 
  pole 
  of 
  

   ash 
  more 
  than 
  8 
  feet 
  high, 
  the 
  end 
  bent 
  like 
  a 
  shepherd's 
  crook. 
  

   The 
  buffalo 
  skin 
  furnished 
  by 
  the 
  aspirant 
  was 
  cut 
  and 
  a 
  case 
  made 
  

   from 
  it 
  for 
  covering 
  the 
  pole. 
  All 
  the 
  coarse 
  feathers 
  were 
  removed 
  

   from 
  the 
  swan 
  skin, 
  leaving 
  only 
  the 
  down; 
  the 
  skin 
  was 
  cut 
  in 
  

   strips 
  and 
  wound 
  about 
  the 
  staff, 
  making 
  it 
  a 
  white 
  object. 
  On 
  one 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  staff 
  was 
  fastened 
  a 
  row 
  of 
  eagle 
  feathers, 
  and 
  a 
  cluster 
  of 
  

   golden 
  eagle 
  feathers 
  hung 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  crook. 
  Crow 
  feathers 
  

   were 
  arranged 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  about 
  10 
  inches 
  from 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   pole, 
  which 
  was 
  sharpened. 
  (For 
  picture 
  of 
  the 
  washa'be, 
  see 
  fig. 
  27.) 
  

   To 
  the 
  pipestem 
  which 
  must 
  accompany 
  the 
  washa'be 
  was 
  fastened 
  a 
  

   shell 
  disk. 
  This 
  stem 
  was 
  probably 
  used 
  when 
  smoking 
  the 
  peculiar 
  

   pipe 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  washa'be 
  was 
  made, 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'ga 
  subgens 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  

   Write 
  Buffalo 
  Hide 
  called 
  a 
  council 
  composed 
  of 
  the 
  governing 
  

   tribal 
  council 
  (p. 
  208) 
  and 
  the 
  Washa'be 
  subgens, 
  to 
  which 
  was 
  invited 
  

   the 
  man 
  who 
  desired 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  watho 
  n 
  ' 
  . 
  This 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'ga 
  

   subgens 
  constituted 
  the 
  appointment 
  of 
  the 
  man 
  to 
  the 
  office 
  of 
  

   watho 
  71 
  '. 
  This 
  council 
  had 
  also 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  direction 
  in 
  

   which 
  the 
  people 
  were 
  to 
  go 
  and 
  the 
  day 
  on 
  which 
  they 
  were 
  to 
  

   start. 
  This 
  decision 
  was 
  considered 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  

   acts 
  in 
  the 
  welfare 
  of 
  the 
  people; 
  on 
  it 
  depended 
  the 
  food 
  supply 
  

   and 
  also 
  safety 
  from 
  enemies 
  while 
  securing 
  it. 
  The 
  food 
  eaten 
  at 
  

   this 
  council 
  was 
  either 
  dried 
  buffalo 
  meat 
  or 
  maize, 
  which 
  had 
  

   to 
  be 
  cooked 
  before 
  sunrise. 
  At 
  this 
  council 
  the 
  two 
  Sacred 
  Tribal 
  

   Pipes 
  were 
  ceremonially 
  filled 
  while 
  their 
  ritual 
  was 
  chanted. 
  

   This 
  was 
  done 
  as 
  the 
  sun 
  rose. 
  Everyone 
  present 
  wore 
  the 
  buffalo 
  

   robe 
  with 
  the 
  hair 
  outside, 
  the 
  head 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  arm 
  and 
  the 
  tail 
  

  

  