﻿286 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  tribe 
  was 
  near 
  the 
  buffalo 
  herds 
  the 
  people 
  moved 
  abreast 
  

   and 
  not 
  in 
  a 
  fde. 
  As 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent 
  was 
  then 
  always 
  in 
  advance, 
  

   when 
  the 
  Tent 
  stopped 
  and 
  the 
  buffalo 
  was 
  untied 
  all 
  the 
  people 
  had 
  

   to 
  stop, 
  so 
  the 
  man 
  was 
  then 
  seen 
  by 
  all 
  the 
  tribe 
  as 
  lie 
  made 
  his 
  

   presents 
  totheSacred 
  Hide. 
  

  

  The 
  Ritual 
  of 
  The 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide 
  

  

  The 
  ritual 
  of 
  the 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide 
  is 
  dramatic 
  in 
  character 
  but 
  

   hardly 
  a 
  drama 
  in 
  form. 
  It 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  nineteen 
  songs, 
  divided 
  

   into 
  four 
  groups. 
  The 
  ritual 
  deals 
  with 
  the 
  gift 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo 
  to 
  man 
  

   and 
  although 
  it 
  pictures 
  in 
  a 
  realistic 
  way 
  man's 
  efforts 
  to 
  secure 
  this 
  

   gift 
  provided 
  for 
  him, 
  yet 
  a 
  supernatural 
  presence 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  per- 
  

   vades 
  the 
  ritual 
  from 
  its 
  opening 
  song 
  to 
  the 
  close. 
  The 
  belief 
  in 
  the 
  

   supernatural 
  presence 
  was 
  emphasized 
  by 
  the 
  muffled 
  figures 
  of 
  the 
  

   chiefs 
  and 
  the 
  watho 
  n 
  ' 
  as 
  they 
  sat 
  with 
  bowed 
  heads 
  and 
  smoked 
  the 
  

   peculiar 
  pipe 
  sacred 
  to 
  the 
  Hide 
  while 
  the 
  ritual 
  was 
  sung. 
  

  

  The 
  argument 
  of 
  the 
  ritual 
  is 
  briefly 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  Purl 
  I. 
  -Til, 
  Pip, 
  

   (TWO 
  SONGS 
  i 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  pipe 
  "appears." 
  (2) 
  Man 
  is 
  commanded 
  to 
  take 
  it, 
  that 
  

   lie 
  may 
  supplicate 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da. 
  

  

  Part 
  IP 
  — 
  The 
  Supplication 
  

   (four 
  songs) 
  

  

  (1) 
  Creation 
  recalled;" 
  the 
  species 
  buffalo 
  created. 
  (2) 
  The 
  buf- 
  

   falo's 
  growth 
  and 
  its 
  perpetuation 
  are 
  provided 
  for. 
  (3 
  ) 
  The 
  buffaloes 
  

   converge 
  toward 
  man. 
  (4) 
  They 
  come 
  from 
  every 
  direction 
  and 
  

   cover 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  earth. 
  

  

  /'in/ 
  III. 
  — 
  Assurance 
  of 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  

  

  (one 
  song 
  i 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  animals 
  are 
  to 
  grow 
  and 
  perpetuate 
  themselves 
  that 
  they 
  

   may 
  benefit 
  man. 
  

  

  Purl 
  IV.— 
  The 
  Hunt 
  

   (twelve 
  songs) 
  

  

  (1) 
  The 
  chiefs' 
  song; 
  refers 
  to 
  the 
  council 
  when 
  the 
  route 
  for 
  the 
  

   hunt 
  was 
  decided 
  upon. 
  (2) 
  The 
  people 
  start 
  "toward 
  the 
  lowing 
  

   herds." 
  (3) 
  The 
  herds 
  retreat 
  but 
  are 
  seen 
  at 
  a 
  distance. 
  (4) 
  Run- 
  

   ners 
  go 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  the 
  herds, 
  aided 
  by 
  the 
  birds. 
  (5) 
  Return 
  of 
  the 
  

   runners; 
  joyful 
  murmurs 
  among 
  the 
  people 
  at 
  the 
  good 
  news. 
  (6) 
  

   The 
  herald 
  tells 
  of 
  the 
  council's 
  decision 
  to 
  move 
  on 
  the 
  herd 
  and 
  

   repeats 
  the 
  director's 
  admonition. 
  (7) 
  The 
  herald 
  proclaims 
  the 
  sig- 
  

   nal 
  for 
  the 
  start. 
  (S) 
  Depicts 
  the 
  field 
  of 
  the 
  hunt; 
  the 
  men 
  seek 
  t 
  lie 
  

   animals 
  they 
  have 
  shot. 
  (9) 
  Refers 
  to 
  the 
  custom 
  of 
  cutting 
  up 
  the 
  

   meat. 
  (10) 
  The 
  song 
  of 
  plenty 
  and 
  teaching 
  of 
  economy. 
  (11) 
  Re- 
  

  

  