﻿434 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ann. 
  27 
  

  

  Sometimes 
  after 
  an 
  attack 
  on 
  the 
  camp, 
  an 
  arm, 
  leg, 
  or 
  head 
  was 
  

   brought 
  from 
  the 
  neighboring 
  battlefield 
  and 
  boys 
  were 
  made 
  to 
  

   strike 
  or 
  to 
  step 
  on 
  the 
  mutilated 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  dead 
  enemy, 
  as 
  

   though 
  they 
  were 
  taking 
  honors. 
  This 
  discipline 
  was 
  thought 
  to 
  

   stimulate 
  a 
  desire 
  to 
  perform 
  valorous 
  acts 
  by 
  familiarizing 
  the 
  

   youths 
  with 
  scenes 
  of 
  war. 
  

  

  The 
  Wate'gic;tu 
  

  

  The 
  word 
  wate'giftu 
  (composed 
  of 
  mate, 
  "things 
  accomplished," 
  

   referring 
  to 
  the 
  acts 
  accomplished 
  by 
  the 
  warriors; 
  gi, 
  sign 
  of 
  pos- 
  

   session; 
  and 
  phi, 
  "to 
  collect, 
  or 
  gather 
  together") 
  signifies 
  "the 
  gath- 
  

   ering 
  together 
  of 
  acts 
  accomplished." 
  All 
  the 
  acts 
  of 
  the 
  warrior, 
  

   having 
  been 
  duly 
  authorized 
  by 
  the 
  Wai 
  n 
  'waxube 
  (the 
  Packs 
  Sacred 
  

   to 
  War), 
  belonged 
  to 
  and 
  were 
  possessed 
  by 
  the 
  packs 
  and 
  until 
  

   these 
  deeds 
  were 
  ceremonially 
  awarded 
  to 
  the 
  warriors 
  through 
  the 
  

   rites 
  presided 
  over 
  by 
  the 
  packs 
  they 
  did 
  not 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  man 
  to 
  

   count 
  or 
  to 
  claim 
  as 
  his 
  own. 
  

  

  For 
  his 
  use 
  in 
  this 
  ceremony 
  each 
  warrior 
  prepared 
  and 
  painted 
  red 
  

   a 
  stick 
  about 
  a 
  span 
  long, 
  for 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  honors 
  he 
  was 
  to 
  claim. 
  

   The 
  four 
  Packs 
  Sacred 
  to 
  War 
  were 
  used 
  in 
  this 
  ceremony 
  placed 
  side 
  

   by 
  side 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  prepared 
  for 
  the 
  occasion, 
  semicircu- 
  

   lar 
  in 
  form 
  and 
  open 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  ceremony 
  could 
  be 
  viewed 
  by 
  the 
  peo- 
  

   ple. 
  The 
  Pack 
  from 
  the 
  Tent 
  of 
  War 
  and 
  that 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  carried 
  

   by 
  Wa'backa 
  were 
  placed 
  side 
  by 
  side 
  in 
  the 
  middle, 
  while 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  

   were 
  placed 
  the 
  packs 
  from 
  the 
  Tapa' 
  and 
  Pke'cabe 
  gentes. 
  At 
  

   the 
  present 
  time 
  only 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  packs 
  are 
  known 
  to 
  exist 
  — 
  the 
  

   one 
  now 
  in 
  the 
  Peabody 
  Museum 
  of 
  Harvard 
  University 
  and 
  that 
  

   which 
  formerly 
  belonged 
  to 
  Giu 
  n 
  'habi, 
  of 
  the 
  Tha'tada 
  gens, 
  which 
  

   Wa'bafka 
  carried 
  in 
  his 
  battle 
  with 
  the 
  Pawnee, 
  already 
  recounted. 
  

   On 
  this 
  latter 
  pack 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  otter 
  skin 
  was 
  tied, 
  the 
  string 
  fastening 
  

   it 
  being 
  so 
  arranged 
  as 
  to 
  fork. 
  Into 
  this 
  fork 
  the 
  warriors 
  aimed 
  to 
  

   drop 
  their 
  sticks 
  at 
  a 
  given 
  signal. 
  

  

  At 
  this 
  ceremony, 
  which 
  took 
  place 
  shortly 
  after 
  the 
  return 
  of 
  the 
  

   victorious 
  warriors, 
  the 
  keepers 
  of 
  the 
  Packs 
  Sacred 
  to 
  War 
  were 
  the 
  

   only 
  officials. 
  While 
  chiefs 
  could 
  be 
  present, 
  they 
  were 
  there 
  merely 
  

   as 
  onlookers 
  and 
  had 
  no 
  authority 
  or 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  ceremony. 
  The 
  

   four 
  keepers 
  stood 
  behind 
  the 
  packs, 
  facing 
  the 
  east, 
  while 
  the 
  war- 
  

   riors 
  who 
  were 
  to 
  claim 
  honors 
  stood 
  before 
  the 
  packs. 
  The 
  claimants 
  

   to 
  the 
  first-grade 
  honors 
  were 
  in 
  advance, 
  those 
  who 
  claimed 
  the 
  

  

  