﻿380 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [ETH. 
  ANK. 
  27 
  

  

  writers 
  as 
  given 
  above. 
  A 
  like 
  refrain 
  does 
  not 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  Pawnee 
  

   ceremony. 
  The 
  prominence 
  given 
  to 
  peace 
  in 
  the 
  Omaha 
  version 
  

   apparently 
  confirms 
  the 
  account 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Legend, 
  that 
  

   this 
  ceremony 
  was 
  introduced 
  to 
  the 
  people 
  when 
  a 
  great 
  council 
  

   was 
  being 
  held 
  in 
  the 
  interest 
  of 
  establisliing 
  peace 
  among 
  several 
  

   tribes. 
  This 
  council 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  taken 
  place 
  at 
  a 
  period 
  in 
  the 
  

   history 
  of 
  the 
  Omaha 
  when 
  the 
  thoughtful 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  were 
  

   concerned 
  for 
  the 
  very 
  existence 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  itself, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  break- 
  

   ing 
  away 
  of 
  groups, 
  and 
  "the 
  old 
  men" 
  w 
  r 
  ere 
  devising 
  means 
  by 
  which 
  

   to 
  hold 
  the 
  people 
  more 
  firmly 
  together. 
  This 
  ceremony, 
  which 
  

   could 
  take 
  place 
  only 
  between 
  unrelated 
  persons, 
  and 
  which 
  hail 
  a 
  

   wide 
  recognition 
  among 
  many 
  tribes 
  scattered 
  over 
  a 
  vast 
  territory, 
  

   laid 
  special 
  stress 
  on 
  peaceful 
  relations. 
  So 
  while 
  among 
  the 
  Pawnee 
  

   we 
  find 
  the 
  teachings 
  of 
  peace 
  embodied 
  in 
  the 
  ceremony, 
  they 
  were 
  

   not 
  emphasized 
  ami 
  dwelt 
  upon 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  degree 
  of 
  insistence 
  

   as 
  among 
  the 
  Omaha. 
  This 
  difference 
  becomes 
  explicable 
  when 
  we 
  

   consider 
  the 
  internal 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  Omaha 
  tribe 
  and 
  their 
  rela- 
  

   tions 
  to 
  other 
  tribes 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  ceremony 
  appears 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   adopted 
  by 
  them. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  Omaha 
  the 
  symbols 
  on 
  the 
  stems 
  were 
  interpreted 
  as 
  

   follows: 
  The 
  green 
  color 
  represented 
  the 
  verdure 
  of 
  the 
  earth; 
  the 
  

   blue 
  color 
  represented 
  the 
  sky 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  red 
  color, 
  the 
  sun, 
  typifying 
  

   life. 
  The 
  straight 
  groove, 
  painted 
  red, 
  that 
  ran 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  both 
  

   stems 
  stood 
  for 
  the 
  straight 
  path, 
  representing 
  the 
  path 
  of 
  life 
  and 
  

   was 
  interpreted 
  to 
  mean 
  that 
  if 
  a 
  man 
  followed 
  the 
  straight 
  path 
  the 
  

   sun 
  of 
  life 
  and 
  happiness 
  would 
  always 
  shine 
  upon 
  him. 
  The 
  red 
  

   streamers 
  were 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  the 
  sun; 
  the 
  white 
  cords 
  that 
  bound 
  them 
  

   the 
  light 
  of 
  the 
  moon, 
  for 
  night 
  was 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  mother 
  of 
  day. 
  

   The 
  eagle 
  was 
  the 
  bird 
  of 
  tireless 
  strength. 
  The 
  owl, 
  again, 
  repre- 
  

   sented 
  night 
  ami 
  the 
  woodpecker 
  the 
  day 
  and 
  sun; 
  these 
  birds 
  stood 
  

   also 
  for 
  death 
  and 
  life 
  respectively. 
  The 
  downy 
  feathers 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  

   of 
  the 
  thong 
  that 
  bound 
  together 
  the 
  fan-like 
  appendages 
  were 
  some- 
  

   times 
  spoken 
  of 
  as 
  symbolizing 
  eggs 
  and 
  again, 
  as 
  the 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  

   young 
  eagle, 
  which 
  fell 
  from 
  the 
  bird 
  when 
  it 
  matured 
  and 
  was 
  able 
  

   to 
  take 
  its 
  flight. 
  The 
  gourd 
  represented 
  eggs 
  and 
  the 
  reproduction 
  

   of 
  living 
  forms. 
  The 
  band 
  and 
  the 
  four 
  lines 
  painted 
  on 
  these 
  were 
  

   symbolic 
  of 
  the 
  boundary 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  sky, 
  the 
  horizon, 
  and 
  the 
  four 
  

   paths 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  winds, 
  at 
  the 
  four 
  directions 
  over 
  which 
  help 
  

   comes 
  to 
  man. 
  The 
  tobacco 
  pouch 
  was 
  similarly 
  painted 
  and 
  to 
  it 
  

   were 
  attached 
  a 
  braid 
  of 
  sweet 
  grass, 
  and 
  a 
  mat 
  of 
  buffalo 
  hair 
  such 
  

   as 
  falls 
  from 
  the 
  animal 
  when 
  shedding 
  its 
  coat. 
  The 
  latter 
  sym- 
  

   bolized 
  food 
  and 
  clothing 
  and 
  meant: 
  "If 
  you 
  accept 
  and 
  follow 
  the 
  

   teachings 
  of 
  tins 
  ceremony, 
  you 
  shall 
  go 
  forth 
  to 
  search 
  for 
  food 
  in 
  

   safety 
  and 
  in 
  peace." 
  The 
  sweet 
  grass 
  was 
  used 
  for 
  its 
  scent 
  and 
  was 
  

   added 
  to 
  the 
  tobacco 
  when 
  a 
  pipe 
  was 
  smoked 
  during 
  the 
  ceremony. 
  

  

  