﻿400 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  to 
  that 
  told 
  by 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  had 
  caused 
  the 
  pipe 
  to 
  be 
  laid 
  down. 
  

   This 
  stopping 
  of 
  the 
  dance 
  often 
  led 
  to 
  spirited 
  contests 
  in 
  the 
  

   recital 
  of 
  brave 
  deeds. 
  While 
  the 
  dancing 
  was 
  going 
  on, 
  the 
  ponies 
  

   were 
  led 
  by 
  the 
  children 
  of 
  the 
  donors 
  to 
  the 
  leader 
  and 
  the 
  little 
  

   Hu"'ga 
  stroked 
  the 
  arm 
  of 
  the 
  messenger 
  in 
  token 
  of 
  thanks. 
  When 
  

   all 
  the 
  ponies 
  had 
  been 
  received 
  the 
  final 
  dance 
  came 
  to 
  an 
  end. 
  

  

  The 
  man 
  who 
  had 
  recounted 
  his 
  deeds 
  and 
  painted 
  the 
  Hu 
  n 
  'ga 
  

   entered 
  the 
  lodge 
  alone 
  with 
  the 
  child 
  and 
  closed 
  the 
  door. 
  He 
  took 
  

   the 
  pipes, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  folded 
  together, 
  and 
  made 
  four 
  passes 
  on 
  

   child 
  — 
  down 
  the 
  front, 
  back, 
  and 
  both 
  sides. 
  He 
  then 
  turned 
  the 
  

   child 
  four 
  times, 
  and 
  led 
  it 
  outside 
  the 
  lodge. 
  This 
  act 
  of 
  blessing 
  

   the 
  child 
  was 
  secret 
  and 
  no 
  outsider 
  but 
  the 
  host 
  could 
  be 
  present. 
  

   The 
  pipes 
  and 
  all 
  their 
  belongings, 
  wrapped 
  in 
  the 
  wildcat 
  skin, 
  were 
  

   then 
  handed 
  by 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  had 
  blessed 
  the 
  child 
  to 
  the 
  leader, 
  who 
  

   presented 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  host, 
  saying: 
  "My 
  son, 
  you 
  have 
  made 
  me 
  

   many 
  gifts 
  but 
  they 
  will 
  disappear, 
  while 
  that 
  which 
  I 
  leave 
  with 
  

   you 
  will 
  remain 
  and 
  bring 
  you 
  the 
  blessing 
  of 
  peace." 
  The 
  "Son" 
  

   then 
  gave 
  away 
  the 
  pipes, 
  the 
  wildcat 
  skin, 
  the 
  tobacco 
  pouch, 
  and 
  

   the 
  rattles 
  to 
  those 
  who 
  had 
  taken 
  part 
  with 
  him 
  in 
  receiving 
  the 
  

   pipes. 
  He 
  retained 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  articles. 
  Only 
  by 
  this 
  act 
  could 
  he 
  

   receive 
  all 
  the 
  honor 
  and 
  advantage 
  to 
  be 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  reception 
  

   of 
  a 
  Wa'wa 
  11 
  party 
  and 
  enjoy 
  all 
  the 
  promised 
  benefits 
  of 
  the 
  rite. 
  

   The 
  visitors 
  then 
  gathered 
  their 
  ponies, 
  which 
  were 
  apportioned 
  by 
  

   the 
  leader, 
  and 
  moved 
  oft'. 
  When 
  a 
  mile 
  or 
  two 
  away 
  they 
  camped 
  

   and 
  partook 
  of 
  their 
  first 
  food 
  after 
  a 
  fast 
  of 
  nearly 
  twenty-four 
  

   hours 
  and 
  then 
  made 
  their 
  way 
  home 
  as 
  rapidly 
  as 
  possible. 
  

  

  Many 
  are 
  the 
  stories 
  told 
  by 
  men 
  and 
  women 
  of 
  their 
  experiences 
  

   when 
  they 
  were 
  Hu"'ga 
  — 
  of 
  how 
  tired 
  they 
  became, 
  of 
  the 
  tidbits 
  

   doled 
  to 
  them 
  by 
  the 
  leader 
  to 
  keep 
  them 
  contented, 
  of 
  how 
  when 
  

   they 
  rejoined 
  their 
  playmates 
  the 
  latter 
  plucked 
  at 
  the 
  down 
  which 
  

   clung 
  to 
  their 
  hair 
  and 
  made 
  sport 
  of 
  their 
  queer 
  looks. 
  Neverthe- 
  

   less 
  in 
  after 
  life 
  it 
  was 
  regarded 
  as 
  an 
  honor 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  a 
  Hun'ga 
  

   and 
  the 
  inconvenience 
  was 
  remembered 
  only 
  to 
  make 
  merry 
  with. 
  

  

  The 
  Omaha 
  Wa'wa 
  11 
  , 
  while 
  lacking 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  elaborateness 
  of 
  the 
  

   Pawnee 
  version 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  ceremony, 
  was 
  not 
  without 
  beauty 
  and 
  

   dignity. 
  It 
  was 
  a 
  ceremony 
  that 
  was 
  dear 
  to 
  the 
  people. 
  It 
  was 
  

   held 
  in 
  a 
  reverence 
  free 
  of 
  fear 
  and 
  strongly 
  tinctured 
  with 
  the 
  spirit 
  

   of 
  kindliness 
  and 
  happiness. 
  Its 
  songs, 
  being 
  free 
  to 
  both 
  sexes 
  and 
  

   to 
  all 
  ages, 
  were 
  widely 
  known 
  in 
  the 
  tribe 
  and 
  greatly 
  enjoyed. 
  

  

  THE 
  CEREMONY 
  AMONG 
  THE 
  PONCA 
  

  

  According 
  to 
  a 
  Ponca 
  tradition, 
  the 
  Wa'wa" 
  ceremony 
  was 
  insti- 
  

   tuted 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  the 
  seven 
  pipes 
  were 
  distributed 
  at 
  the 
  formation 
  

   of 
  the 
  tribe 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  at 
  present. 
  This 
  tradition 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  place 
  

   the 
  event 
  about 
  the 
  time 
  that 
  the 
  ceremony 
  was 
  accepted 
  by 
  the 
  

  

  