﻿FLETCHEK-LA 
  FLESCHE] 
  MUSIC 
  381 
  

  

  As 
  has 
  already 
  been 
  mentioned, 
  in 
  the 
  Omaha 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  cere- 
  

   mony 
  the 
  eagle 
  is 
  the 
  prominent 
  figure; 
  it 
  supplants 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  corn 
  

   in 
  the 
  Pawnee 
  version. 
  In 
  the 
  latter 
  the 
  pipes 
  are 
  taken 
  up 
  from 
  

   their 
  resting 
  place 
  on 
  the 
  wild-cat 
  skin 
  without 
  song 
  or 
  ceremonial 
  

   movement. 
  In 
  the 
  Omaha 
  ceremony 
  the 
  pipes 
  are 
  taken 
  up 
  wrth 
  

   movements 
  representing 
  the 
  eagle, 
  rising 
  from 
  her 
  nest. 
  These 
  

   motions 
  are 
  accompanied 
  by 
  songs, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  of 
  musical 
  

   interest 
  and 
  beauty. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  Wa'wa" 
  party 
  were 
  taking 
  the 
  pipes 
  to 
  another 
  tribe, 
  when 
  

   they 
  were 
  within 
  a 
  days 
  journey 
  four 
  men 
  were 
  chosen 
  to 
  carry 
  the 
  

   tobacco 
  pouch, 
  which 
  was 
  painted 
  symbolically 
  with 
  the 
  circle 
  and 
  four 
  

   dependent 
  lines, 
  and 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  braid 
  of 
  sweet 
  grass 
  and 
  the 
  mat 
  

   of 
  buffalo 
  hair 
  were 
  attached. 
  All 
  four 
  men 
  wore 
  the 
  buffalo 
  robe 
  

   with 
  hair 
  outside, 
  girded 
  about 
  the 
  waist; 
  the 
  one 
  who 
  carried 
  

   the 
  tobacco 
  pouch 
  wore 
  a 
  downy 
  eagle 
  feather 
  tied 
  to 
  his 
  scalp 
  

   lock. 
  This 
  person 
  was 
  called 
  Ninia'thi" 
  (from 
  mm, 
  "tobacco," 
  and 
  

   atM 
  n 
  , 
  "to 
  carry" 
  — 
  "tobacco 
  carrier"). 
  The 
  four 
  passed 
  on 
  rapidly 
  

   to 
  the 
  lodge 
  of 
  the 
  man 
  whom 
  the 
  leader 
  of 
  the 
  party 
  had 
  designated. 
  

   Having 
  arrived 
  there, 
  they 
  entered 
  the 
  lodge 
  and 
  passed 
  around 
  the 
  fire 
  

   by 
  the 
  left. 
  The 
  tobacco 
  pouch 
  was 
  placed 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  man 
  visited. 
  

   The 
  four 
  then 
  took 
  their 
  seats 
  to 
  the 
  right 
  of 
  the 
  entrance, 
  filled 
  a 
  pipe 
  

   (but 
  not 
  from 
  the 
  pouch 
  brought), 
  and 
  offered 
  it 
  to 
  their 
  host. 
  He 
  

   then 
  inquired 
  who 
  had 
  sent 
  him 
  the 
  tobacco 
  bag. 
  The 
  bearer 
  gave 
  

   the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  leader 
  of 
  the 
  party 
  and 
  discoursed 
  on 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  

   peace 
  and 
  peaceful 
  relations 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  tribes. 
  The 
  host 
  then 
  

   sent 
  for 
  his 
  relatives 
  and 
  followers 
  to 
  consult 
  as 
  to 
  whether 
  they 
  

   could 
  make 
  the 
  return 
  gifts 
  requisite 
  and 
  so 
  accept 
  the 
  pipes. 
  Only 
  

   the 
  inability 
  to 
  give 
  the 
  twelve 
  to 
  thirty 
  ponies 
  required 
  as 
  presents, 
  

   or 
  a 
  recent 
  death 
  in 
  the 
  family, 
  was 
  considered 
  a 
  sufficient 
  reason 
  for 
  

   honorably 
  refusing 
  the 
  honor 
  of 
  receiving 
  the 
  pipes. 
  If, 
  however, 
  the 
  

   consultation 
  with 
  his 
  relatives 
  and 
  friends 
  resulted 
  in 
  a 
  favorable 
  

   decision, 
  the 
  host 
  said 
  to 
  the 
  young 
  men: 
  "Bid 
  them 
  hasten. 
  Come, 
  

   we 
  are 
  ready." 
  The 
  leader 
  of 
  the 
  party 
  was 
  spoken 
  of 
  as 
  w<t'im" 
  

   u'zhu 
  but 
  he 
  was 
  addressed 
  as 
  "Father" 
  and 
  all 
  of 
  his 
  followers 
  as 
  

   "Fathers." 
  The 
  man 
  who 
  received 
  the 
  pipes 
  was 
  addressed 
  as 
  

   "Son" 
  and 
  his 
  party 
  as 
  "Sons." 
  

  

  The 
  messengers 
  hastened 
  back 
  and 
  met 
  the 
  Wa'wa" 
  party, 
  who 
  

   had 
  slowly 
  continued 
  their 
  journey. 
  When 
  very 
  near 
  the 
  village 
  the 
  

   party 
  halted, 
  took 
  the 
  pipes 
  from 
  their 
  covering, 
  and 
  placed 
  them 
  at 
  

   rest 
  on 
  the 
  crotched 
  stick 
  and 
  the 
  cat 
  skin 
  and 
  sat 
  down. 
  They 
  were 
  

   met 
  here 
  by 
  their 
  host 
  or 
  one 
  of 
  his 
  relatives, 
  always 
  a 
  man 
  of 
  promi- 
  

   nence, 
  who 
  bade 
  them 
  welcome. 
  Then 
  the 
  party 
  arose 
  and 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  

   three 
  principal 
  singers 
  took 
  the 
  pipes; 
  the 
  third 
  stepped 
  between 
  them, 
  

   holding 
  the 
  cat 
  skin, 
  in 
  which 
  was 
  wrapped 
  the 
  crotched 
  stick. 
  The 
  

  

  