﻿278 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TEIBE 
  [eth. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  fingers 
  or 
  any 
  other 
  utensil. 
  The 
  sun 
  must 
  have 
  set 
  before 
  the 
  chiefs 
  

   could 
  lift 
  their 
  heads 
  and 
  the 
  council 
  break 
  up, 
  and 
  the 
  members 
  

   return 
  to 
  their 
  homes. 
  The 
  day 
  for 
  the 
  start 
  once 
  fixed, 
  no 
  change 
  

   could 
  be 
  made, 
  as 
  that 
  would 
  be 
  breaking 
  faith 
  with 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da, 
  in 
  

   whose 
  presence 
  the 
  decision 
  had 
  been 
  reached. 
  

  

  No 
  prescribed 
  order 
  was 
  observed 
  in 
  making 
  the 
  start. 
  Those 
  

   who 
  were 
  ready 
  moved 
  first, 
  but 
  all 
  kept 
  fairly 
  well 
  together. 
  For 
  

   four 
  days 
  prior 
  to 
  the 
  start 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  was 
  to 
  act 
  as 
  watho"' 
  

   fasted, 
  and 
  when 
  all 
  were 
  departing 
  he 
  remained 
  behind. 
  After 
  every- 
  

   one 
  had 
  gone 
  he 
  took 
  off 
  his 
  moccasins 
  and, 
  carrying 
  no 
  weapons, 
  

   followed 
  slowly 
  with 
  bare 
  feet. 
  He 
  reached 
  the 
  camp 
  after 
  the 
  peo- 
  

   ple 
  had 
  eaten 
  their 
  supper, 
  went 
  to 
  his 
  own 
  tent, 
  and 
  as 
  he 
  entered 
  

   everyone 
  withdrew 
  and 
  left 
  him 
  alone. 
  The 
  fast, 
  the 
  barefoot 
  march, 
  

   and 
  the 
  lonely 
  vigil 
  were 
  explained 
  to 
  be 
  "a 
  prayer 
  to 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  to 
  

   give 
  courage 
  to 
  the 
  man 
  to 
  direct 
  wisely 
  and 
  to 
  lead 
  successfully 
  the 
  

   people 
  as 
  they 
  went 
  forth 
  to 
  seek 
  for 
  food 
  and 
  clothing." 
  The 
  old 
  

   men 
  went 
  on 
  to 
  state" 
  that 
  "during 
  all 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  man 
  is 
  watho"' 
  

   he 
  must 
  be 
  abstemious, 
  eat 
  but 
  little, 
  and 
  live 
  apart 
  from 
  his 
  family; 
  

   he 
  must 
  continually 
  pray, 
  for 
  on 
  him 
  all 
  the 
  people 
  are 
  depending." 
  

   This 
  manner 
  of 
  life 
  b}' 
  the 
  director 
  was 
  called 
  no 
  n 
  'zhi"zho 
  n 
  — 
  the 
  same 
  

   word 
  that 
  was 
  applied 
  to 
  the 
  fast 
  observed 
  by 
  the 
  youth 
  when 
  he 
  went 
  

   alone 
  to 
  pray 
  to 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da. 
  (See 
  p. 
  128.) 
  The 
  idea 
  expressed 
  in 
  this 
  

   word 
  was 
  explained 
  to 
  be 
  that 
  "the 
  man 
  stands 
  oblivious 
  to 
  the 
  nat- 
  

   ural 
  world 
  and 
  is 
  in 
  communication 
  only 
  with 
  the 
  unseen 
  and 
  super- 
  

   natural 
  world 
  which 
  environs 
  him 
  and 
  in 
  which 
  he 
  receives 
  power 
  

   and 
  direction 
  from 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da, 
  the 
  great 
  unseen 
  power." 
  Every 
  

   effort 
  was 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  chiefs 
  and 
  leading 
  men 
  to 
  prevent 
  or 
  to 
  con- 
  

   trol 
  petty 
  contentions, 
  for 
  if 
  everyone 
  was 
  to 
  secure 
  a 
  share 
  in 
  the 
  

   products 
  of 
  the 
  chase, 
  there 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  harmony, 
  obedience 
  to 
  author- 
  

   ity, 
  and 
  good 
  order 
  throughout 
  the 
  tribe. 
  If, 
  however, 
  disturbances 
  

   frequently 
  occurred, 
  or 
  if 
  the 
  winds 
  continually 
  blew 
  toward 
  the 
  

   game, 
  thus 
  revealing 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  and 
  frightening 
  away 
  

   the 
  buffalo, 
  such 
  ill 
  fortune 
  might 
  necessitate 
  the 
  resignation 
  of 
  the 
  

   watho"'. 
  To 
  avoid 
  this 
  necessity 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  director, 
  a 
  man 
  

   was 
  appointed 
  by 
  the 
  chiefs 
  who 
  took 
  the 
  name 
  watho 
  11 
  ' 
  and 
  was 
  to 
  

   assume 
  all 
  the 
  blame 
  of 
  quarrels 
  and 
  other 
  mishaps. 
  This 
  official 
  

   scapegoat 
  took 
  his 
  office 
  good-naturedly 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  humorous 
  way 
  

   served 
  the 
  tribal 
  director. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  march 
  the 
  contents 
  of 
  the 
  three 
  Sacred 
  Tents 
  were 
  in 
  charge 
  

   of 
  their 
  keepers. 
  In 
  late 
  years 
  the 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide 
  was 
  packed 
  

   on 
  a 
  pony 
  ; 
  in 
  early 
  days 
  it 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  its 
  keeper. 
  The 
  

   washa'be 
  (fig. 
  27) 
  was 
  carried 
  by 
  a 
  virgin, 
  and 
  as 
  it 
  belonged 
  to 
  the 
  

   White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide 
  she 
  walked 
  near 
  that 
  sacred 
  article. 
  When 
  in 
  camp 
  

   this 
  staff 
  of 
  office 
  was 
  kept 
  in 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent 
  containing 
  the 
  Hide. 
  

   The 
  Sacred 
  Pole 
  was 
  carried 
  by 
  its 
  keeper. 
  When 
  the 
  camping 
  place 
  

  

  