﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCHEl 
  MUSIC 
  401 
  

  

  Omaha 
  when 
  peace 
  was 
  made 
  through 
  it 
  with 
  the 
  Arikara 
  and 
  other 
  

   tribes. 
  (See 
  p. 
  74.) 
  This 
  ceremony 
  was 
  known 
  and 
  observed 
  by 
  the 
  

   Ponca 
  as 
  among 
  the 
  Omaha 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  songs 
  were 
  used, 
  for 
  the 
  

   Ponca 
  had 
  none 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  composition 
  belonging 
  to 
  it. 
  Accord- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  Hairy 
  Bear 
  the 
  closing 
  act, 
  "blessing 
  the 
  child," 
  which 
  was 
  

   secret 
  among 
  the 
  Omaha, 
  was 
  open 
  with 
  the 
  Ponca 
  and 
  differed 
  in 
  

   some 
  of 
  its 
  details. 
  After 
  the 
  pipes 
  had 
  been 
  folded 
  together 
  and 
  

   wrapped 
  in 
  the 
  wildcat 
  skin 
  they 
  were 
  raised 
  high 
  over 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  

   the 
  little 
  Hu 
  n 
  'ga, 
  then 
  brought 
  down 
  slowly 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  touch 
  the 
  fore- 
  

   head 
  of 
  the 
  child 
  and 
  passed 
  down 
  the 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  to 
  the 
  feet 
  

   until 
  the 
  mouthpiece 
  rested 
  on 
  the 
  toes, 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  made 
  to 
  press 
  

   strongly 
  on 
  the 
  ground; 
  then 
  the 
  pipes 
  were 
  laid 
  for 
  a 
  moment 
  on 
  the 
  

   ground 
  in 
  a 
  line 
  toward 
  the 
  east, 
  as 
  the 
  following 
  words 
  were 
  spoken: 
  

   "Firm 
  shall 
  be 
  your 
  tread 
  upon 
  the 
  earth, 
  no 
  obstacle 
  shall 
  hinder 
  

   your 
  progress; 
  long 
  shall 
  be 
  your 
  life 
  and 
  your 
  issue 
  many." 
  The 
  

   movements 
  with 
  the 
  folded 
  pipes 
  were 
  repeated 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  of 
  

   the 
  child 
  from 
  its 
  head 
  to 
  its 
  feet 
  and 
  the 
  pipes 
  laid 
  in 
  a 
  line 
  toward 
  

   the 
  south, 
  as 
  the 
  promise 
  was 
  repeated. 
  The 
  movements 
  were 
  next 
  

   made 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  child 
  and 
  the 
  pipes 
  laid 
  in 
  a 
  line 
  toward 
  

   the 
  west, 
  while 
  the 
  promise 
  was 
  given. 
  Lastly 
  the 
  pipes 
  were 
  

   passed 
  over 
  the 
  left 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  child 
  and 
  then 
  laid 
  in 
  a 
  line 
  toward 
  

   the 
  north, 
  as 
  once 
  more 
  the 
  promise 
  was 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  child, 
  who 
  

   stood 
  at 
  the 
  intersection 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  symbolic 
  lines, 
  "in 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  

   the 
  life-giving 
  forces." 
  The 
  child 
  was 
  then 
  told 
  to 
  "walk 
  four 
  steps 
  

   toward 
  the 
  sun." 
  ° 
  When 
  this 
  was 
  accomplished 
  the 
  little 
  one 
  was 
  

   dismissed 
  and 
  the 
  Wa'wa" 
  ceremony 
  came 
  to 
  an 
  end. 
  

  

  a 
  The 
  taking 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  steps 
  suggests 
  the 
  rite 
  of 
  Turning 
  the 
  Child 
  i,see 
  p. 
  121;. 
  

   83993° 
  — 
  27 
  kth— 
  11 
  26 
  

  

  