﻿336 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [BTH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  small 
  portion 
  and 
  dropping 
  it 
  into 
  the 
  fire, 
  in 
  recognition 
  that 
  all 
  

   food 
  was 
  the 
  gift 
  of 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da. 
  After 
  this 
  ceremony 
  everyone 
  was 
  

   at 
  liberty 
  to 
  eat. 
  If 
  for 
  any 
  reason 
  this 
  ceremony 
  was 
  omitted, 
  no 
  

   one 
  touched 
  his 
  food 
  until 
  everyone 
  had 
  been 
  served. 
  If 
  there 
  

   were 
  many 
  present 
  the 
  mother 
  would 
  be 
  apt 
  to 
  say, 
  "Eat; 
  do 
  not 
  

   wait." 
  After 
  that, 
  anyone 
  who 
  had 
  been 
  served 
  would 
  be 
  at 
  liberty 
  to 
  

   partake 
  of 
  the 
  food. 
  Each 
  person 
  w 
  T 
  as 
  served 
  separately 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  

   case 
  of 
  infants 
  or 
  very 
  young 
  children. 
  When 
  the 
  meal 
  was 
  at 
  an 
  end 
  

   the 
  dishes 
  were 
  handed 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  mother. 
  In 
  returning 
  his 
  dish, 
  

   each 
  person 
  gave 
  thanks 
  by 
  mentioning 
  a 
  term 
  of 
  relationship. 
  

   When 
  a 
  child 
  was 
  too 
  young 
  to 
  speak 
  for 
  itself 
  the 
  father 
  or 
  mother 
  

   offered 
  thanks 
  for 
  it. 
  Should 
  a 
  dish 
  be 
  returned 
  with 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   food 
  uneaten, 
  an 
  apology 
  or 
  explanation 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  the 
  mother 
  or 
  

   hostess. 
  At 
  an 
  informal 
  meal 
  at 
  which 
  guests 
  were 
  present 
  the 
  host 
  

   and 
  hostess 
  ate 
  with 
  their 
  visitors. 
  When 
  only 
  the 
  family 
  were 
  

   present, 
  the 
  thanks 
  to 
  the 
  mother 
  were 
  not 
  exacted 
  from 
  the 
  children. 
  

   The 
  exchange 
  of 
  hospitalities, 
  however, 
  was 
  so 
  frequent 
  that 
  the 
  

   little 
  ones 
  soon 
  learned 
  what 
  was 
  expected 
  of 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  

   company. 
  If 
  a 
  child 
  or 
  a 
  guest 
  seemed 
  to 
  be 
  confused 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  right 
  

   expression 
  of 
  relationship 
  to 
  use, 
  the 
  host 
  or 
  hostess 
  helped 
  the 
  

   embarrassment 
  by 
  suggesting 
  the 
  proper 
  term. 
  Children 
  were 
  cor- 
  

   rected 
  if 
  they 
  made 
  noises 
  or 
  grimaces 
  when 
  eating. 
  Silence 
  with 
  

   the 
  lips, 
  when 
  eating, 
  was 
  not 
  exacted 
  except 
  from 
  the 
  chiefs 
  when 
  

   they 
  were 
  taking 
  their 
  soup. 
  This 
  act 
  must 
  be 
  done 
  quietly. 
  It 
  

   was 
  said 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  religious 
  reason 
  attached 
  to 
  this 
  custom, 
  but 
  

   just 
  what 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  definitely 
  ascertained. 
  

  

  At 
  a 
  formal 
  feast 
  men 
  served 
  the 
  food. 
  The 
  offering 
  to 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  

   was 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  man 
  of 
  highest 
  rank 
  present. 
  Etiquette 
  demanded 
  

   that 
  after 
  the 
  food 
  was 
  placed 
  before 
  the 
  company 
  a 
  prominent 
  

   man 
  should 
  say 
  to 
  the 
  servers, 
  ' 
  ' 
  Have 
  you 
  provided 
  for 
  yourselves 
  ? 
  ' 
  ' 
  

   On 
  the 
  occasion 
  of 
  a 
  formal 
  feast 
  the 
  host, 
  the 
  one 
  who 
  gave 
  the 
  feast, 
  

   never 
  partook 
  of 
  the 
  food. 
  This 
  custom 
  obtained 
  whatever 
  the 
  feast 
  

   might 
  be; 
  whether 
  it 
  was 
  given 
  by 
  a 
  man 
  to 
  the 
  chiefs, 
  or 
  by 
  a 
  member 
  

   to 
  a 
  society, 
  or 
  by 
  a 
  group, 
  as 
  a 
  subdivision 
  of 
  the 
  Ho 
  D 
  'ga, 
  on 
  the 
  

   occasion 
  when 
  the 
  ceremonies 
  in 
  its 
  charge 
  took 
  place. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  also 
  in 
  accord 
  with 
  etiquette 
  to 
  eat 
  all 
  placed 
  before 
  one; 
  

   if, 
  however, 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  possible 
  to 
  do 
  so, 
  the 
  untasted 
  food 
  should 
  be 
  

   carried 
  home. 
  This 
  custom 
  was 
  made 
  practical 
  by 
  the 
  custom 
  of 
  

   guests 
  bringing 
  their 
  own 
  bowls 
  to 
  use; 
  untasted 
  food 
  was 
  regarded 
  

   as 
  a 
  reproach 
  to 
  one's 
  host. 
  If 
  a 
  kettle 
  was 
  borrowed 
  for 
  any 
  pur- 
  

   pose, 
  on 
  being 
  returned 
  a 
  little 
  of 
  whatever 
  had 
  been 
  cooked 
  in 
  it 
  

   must 
  remain 
  in 
  the 
  vessel. 
  This 
  remnant 
  was 
  called 
  ihe'xuxe. 
  

   Anyone 
  disregarding 
  this 
  custom 
  could 
  never 
  borrow 
  again, 
  as 
  the 
  

   owner 
  must 
  always 
  know 
  how 
  the 
  kettle 
  had 
  been 
  used 
  and 
  what 
  had 
  

   been 
  cooked 
  in 
  it. 
  An 
  incident 
  is 
  told 
  of 
  a 
  white 
  woman 
  who 
  

  

  