﻿360 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ass. 
  27 
  

  

  While 
  each 
  man 
  wore 
  his 
  robe 
  in 
  a 
  manner 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  indi- 
  

   vidual, 
  either 
  gracefully 
  or 
  otherwise, 
  yet 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  typical 
  way 
  of 
  

   expressing 
  certain 
  purposes 
  or 
  feelings 
  by 
  the 
  adjustment 
  of 
  the 
  robe 
  

   that 
  was 
  persistent 
  and 
  easily 
  recognizable. 
  

  

  Language 
  of 
  the 
  Robe 
  

  

  The 
  Omaha 
  had 
  never 
  been 
  trammeled 
  by 
  his 
  clothing; 
  every 
  

   limb 
  had 
  been 
  free 
  to 
  answer 
  to 
  any 
  impulse, 
  to 
  respond 
  to 
  any 
  

   wave 
  of 
  emotion. 
  His 
  clothes 
  were 
  few; 
  and 
  the 
  wai 
  n 
  , 
  or 
  robe, 
  was 
  

   never 
  lacking 
  and 
  lent 
  itself 
  easily 
  to 
  the 
  needs 
  of 
  the 
  moment. 
  

   There 
  still 
  lives 
  in 
  the 
  memory 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  writers 
  a 
  June 
  day 
  

   nearly 
  thirty 
  years 
  ago 
  when 
  an 
  Omaha 
  girl 
  was 
  seen 
  flitting 
  among 
  

   the 
  tall 
  prairie 
  flowers, 
  shifting 
  her 
  white 
  blanket 
  to 
  suit 
  her 
  varying 
  

   moods 
  — 
  now 
  gathering 
  it 
  closely 
  about 
  her 
  slight, 
  swaying 
  figure, 
  

   now 
  letting 
  it 
  float 
  as 
  she 
  swept 
  in 
  ever-widening 
  curves, 
  or 
  at 
  the 
  

   slightest 
  sound 
  hiding 
  her 
  glossy 
  head 
  and 
  laughing 
  face 
  among 
  its 
  

   soft 
  folds. 
  All 
  the 
  beauty 
  and 
  poetry 
  of 
  her 
  race 
  were 
  in 
  the 
  pretty 
  

   maiden, 
  who 
  was 
  as 
  wayward 
  and 
  blithe 
  as 
  the 
  fleecy 
  clouds 
  drifting 
  

   above 
  her 
  through 
  the 
  deep 
  blue 
  sky. 
  With 
  the 
  Omaha, 
  as 
  with 
  other 
  

   peoples, 
  the 
  airy 
  pleasures 
  of 
  youth 
  must 
  give 
  place 
  to 
  the 
  prosaic 
  

   duties 
  of 
  mature 
  life. 
  So 
  the 
  blanket 
  of 
  the 
  woman 
  was 
  worn 
  very 
  

   practically. 
  It 
  was 
  belted 
  at 
  the 
  waist, 
  thus 
  affording 
  a 
  close 
  cover- 
  

   ing 
  and 
  also 
  a 
  pouch 
  or 
  pocket 
  within 
  which 
  she 
  could 
  snugly 
  tuck 
  

   her 
  baby 
  or 
  carry 
  some 
  other 
  burden 
  on 
  her 
  back. 
  Her 
  figure 
  sug- 
  

   gested 
  little 
  of 
  beauty. 
  

  

  The 
  freer 
  fife 
  of 
  the 
  man 
  was 
  manifest 
  in 
  his 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  robe. 
  The 
  

   accompanying 
  illustrations 
  show 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  ways 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  robe 
  

   was 
  worn 
  and 
  shifted 
  and 
  suggest 
  something 
  of 
  the 
  interesting 
  

   language 
  of 
  this 
  garment. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  of 
  the 
  series 
  shows 
  hesitation 
  (pi. 
  52, 
  a). 
  The 
  man 
  has 
  

   not 
  determined 
  whether 
  he 
  will 
  go 
  forth 
  to 
  take 
  an 
  active 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  

   particular 
  affair 
  occupying 
  the 
  people 
  or 
  will 
  sit 
  down 
  and 
  become 
  a 
  

   mere 
  spectator. 
  

  

  Next 
  appears 
  a 
  young 
  man 
  walking 
  (pi. 
  52, 
  b). 
  The 
  robe 
  is 
  

   thrown 
  loosely 
  over 
  the 
  left 
  shoulder 
  and 
  gathered 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  arm. 
  

   The 
  right 
  arm 
  is 
  free 
  and 
  the 
  limbs 
  unincumbered. 
  The 
  folds 
  of 
  the 
  

   garment 
  add 
  grace 
  and 
  dignity 
  to 
  the 
  figure. 
  Youths 
  thus 
  attired 
  

   could 
  often 
  be 
  seen 
  walking 
  with 
  elastic 
  step 
  over 
  the 
  hills. 
  

  

  The 
  third 
  illustration 
  depicts 
  a 
  young 
  man 
  about 
  to 
  run 
  (pi. 
  52, 
  c). 
  

   The 
  blanket 
  hangs 
  over 
  the 
  left 
  shoulder, 
  relieving 
  the 
  arm 
  of 
  its 
  

   weight. 
  In 
  long 
  runs, 
  as 
  when 
  on 
  the 
  annual 
  hunt 
  the 
  runners 
  were 
  

   sent 
  out 
  to 
  search 
  for 
  a 
  buffalo 
  herd, 
  the 
  robe 
  was 
  gathered 
  in 
  a 
  

   roll, 
  passed 
  over 
  the 
  left 
  shoulder 
  and 
  tied 
  beneath 
  the 
  right 
  arm. 
  

   In 
  races 
  the 
  robe 
  was 
  dropped 
  altogether. 
  

  

  