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  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [BTH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  last 
  century 
  or 
  more 
  the 
  Hethu'shka 
  has 
  spread 
  among 
  

   other 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  Sionan 
  family; 
  tribes 
  differing 
  in 
  language 
  ami 
  

   customs 
  have 
  adopted 
  it, 
  so 
  to 
  speak. 
  Among 
  these 
  are 
  the 
  Pawnee, 
  

   who, 
  according 
  t<> 
  tradition, 
  were 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  close 
  allies 
  of 
  the 
  Omaha; 
  

   they 
  still 
  call 
  the 
  Hethu'shka 
  by 
  its 
  Omaha 
  name. 
  They 
  and 
  other 
  

   tribes, 
  who, 
  to 
  this 
  day, 
  delight 
  in 
  dancing 
  to 
  the 
  rhythmic 
  cadence 
  of 
  

   its 
  songs, 
  have 
  songs 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  composition; 
  but 
  all 
  these 
  songs 
  fol- 
  

   low 
  the 
  model 
  of 
  the 
  original 
  Omaha 
  songs. 
  Any 
  tribe 
  familiar 
  with 
  

   the 
  Hethu'shka 
  "dance" 
  at 
  once 
  recognizes 
  one 
  of 
  its 
  songs 
  no 
  matter 
  

   in 
  what 
  tribe 
  the 
  song 
  was 
  composed. 
  It 
  is 
  important 
  to 
  note 
  that, 
  

   although 
  the 
  Hethu'shka 
  has 
  so 
  wide 
  a 
  popularity, 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  

   tribe 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  originated 
  that 
  the 
  religious 
  rites 
  and 
  songs 
  of 
  the 
  

   opening 
  ceremonies 
  are 
  observed; 
  outsiders 
  omit 
  these 
  observances 
  

   and 
  make 
  use 
  only 
  of 
  the 
  dramatic 
  dance, 
  the 
  songs, 
  and 
  the 
  feast 
  

   that 
  closes 
  the 
  gathering 
  of 
  the 
  members. 
  

  

  The 
  membership 
  of 
  the 
  Hethu'shka 
  in 
  the 
  Omaha 
  tribe 
  was 
  re- 
  

   stricted 
  to 
  warriors; 
  it 
  included 
  chiefs 
  and 
  "privates" 
  but 
  all 
  were 
  

   on 
  an 
  equal 
  footing. 
  The 
  one 
  requisite 
  for 
  eligibility 
  was 
  that 
  the 
  

   man 
  should 
  have 
  received 
  public 
  war 
  honors 
  before 
  the 
  Packs 
  

   Sacred 
  to 
  War. 
  Entrance 
  to 
  the 
  society 
  was 
  by 
  unanimous 
  con- 
  

   sent. 
  A 
  desirable 
  candidate 
  was 
  "picked" 
  by 
  a 
  membei 
  and 
  in- 
  

   vited 
  to 
  a 
  meeting, 
  where, 
  if 
  no 
  one 
  offered 
  objection 
  to 
  his 
  joining 
  

   the 
  society, 
  he 
  was 
  accepted 
  as 
  a 
  member 
  from 
  that 
  time. 
  

  

  The 
  officers 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  were 
  the 
  hereditary 
  keepers 
  of 
  the 
  

   Hethu'shka 
  pipes 
  held 
  as 
  sacred, 
  a 
  leader, 
  and 
  a 
  herald. 
  The 
  leader 
  

   held 
  his 
  office 
  during 
  lifetime 
  or 
  until 
  he 
  chose 
  to 
  resign. 
  When 
  

   the 
  office 
  became 
  vacant, 
  the 
  aspirant 
  for 
  the 
  position 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  

   man 
  high 
  in 
  the 
  respect 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  and 
  a 
  successful 
  leader 
  in 
  war. 
  

   The 
  candidate 
  made 
  known 
  his 
  desire 
  for 
  the 
  vacant 
  office 
  by 
  invit- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  members 
  to 
  a 
  feast. 
  At 
  the 
  feast 
  his 
  candidacy 
  was 
  dis- 
  

   cussed 
  and 
  if 
  no 
  objection 
  to 
  him 
  were 
  raised, 
  he 
  was 
  accepted 
  as 
  

   leader. 
  The 
  herald 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  reputable 
  warrior 
  and 
  possessed 
  of 
  a 
  

   strong, 
  clear 
  voice 
  so 
  that 
  his 
  messages 
  might 
  be 
  distinctly 
  heard. 
  

   At 
  each 
  meeting 
  the 
  leader 
  appointed 
  two 
  or 
  more 
  young 
  men 
  to 
  act 
  

   as 
  servants 
  in 
  attending 
  to 
  the 
  fire 
  and 
  assisting 
  in 
  the 
  ceremonies. 
  

   These 
  servants 
  were 
  sometimes 
  young 
  men 
  who 
  had 
  not 
  yet 
  attained 
  

   to 
  the 
  distinction 
  requisite 
  for 
  membership 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  considered 
  an 
  

   honor 
  to 
  be 
  thus 
  chosen 
  and 
  permitted 
  to 
  serve. 
  

  

  The 
  meetings 
  were 
  held 
  at 
  irregular 
  intervals, 
  usually 
  about 
  once 
  a 
  

   month, 
  always 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  place 
  — 
  in 
  the 
  commodious 
  dwelling 
  of 
  

   some 
  member 
  who 
  was 
  respected 
  in 
  the 
  tribe. 
  He 
  did 
  not 
  con- 
  

   tribute 
  anything 
  besides 
  shelter 
  to 
  the 
  society, 
  except 
  when 
  he 
  chose 
  

   to 
  be 
  the 
  host, 
  or 
  feast-giver. 
  Some 
  member 
  always 
  volunteered 
  to 
  

   act 
  in 
  this 
  capacity 
  for 
  each 
  meeting; 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  duty 
  of 
  the 
  host 
  to 
  

  

  