﻿500 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  spoonfuls 
  of 
  the 
  porridge. 
  Care 
  was 
  taken 
  by 
  all 
  not 
  to 
  spill 
  any 
  

   of 
  this 
  sacred 
  food 
  and 
  not 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  noise 
  with 
  the 
  lips 
  in 
  eating. 
  

   When 
  the 
  second 
  bowl 
  reached 
  the 
  chief 
  who 
  sat 
  toward 
  the 
  south, 
  

   he 
  poured 
  a 
  few 
  drops 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  into 
  a 
  depression 
  in 
  the 
  ground 
  

   near 
  the 
  fireplace 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  knuckle 
  of 
  the 
  forefinger 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  

   hand." 
  The 
  other 
  bowl 
  was 
  now 
  brought 
  from 
  the 
  door 
  and 
  the 
  

   two 
  bowls 
  were 
  placed 
  side 
  by 
  side 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  Ni'kagahi 
  

   u'zhu. 
  Considerable 
  food 
  remained 
  in 
  both 
  of 
  the 
  bowls. 
  The 
  

   chief 
  toward 
  the 
  south 
  then 
  designated 
  a 
  chief 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  side 
  of 
  

   the 
  lodge, 
  to 
  whom 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  bowls 
  was 
  taken; 
  next 
  he 
  selected 
  a 
  

   chief 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  to 
  whom 
  the 
  other 
  bowl 
  was 
  taken. 
  Then 
  

   the 
  herald 
  was 
  called 
  and 
  bidden 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  bowls 
  to 
  the 
  lodges 
  of 
  

   these 
  chiefs. 
  Outside 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  the 
  herald 
  was 
  relieved 
  of 
  his 
  

   burden 
  by 
  the 
  wives 
  and 
  daughters 
  of 
  the 
  cliiefs 
  designated, 
  who 
  

   carried 
  the 
  food 
  to 
  their 
  homes. 
  After 
  the 
  bowls 
  were 
  emptied 
  they 
  

   were 
  brought 
  back 
  and 
  placed 
  near 
  the 
  door 
  of 
  the 
  lodge, 
  to 
  be 
  

   returned 
  to 
  their 
  owners. 
  

  

  At 
  tins 
  point, 
  if 
  any 
  chief 
  of 
  the 
  Council 
  of 
  Seven 
  was 
  not 
  a 
  mem- 
  

   ber 
  of 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'hewachi 
  he 
  was 
  excused. 
  He 
  at 
  once 
  arose, 
  thanked 
  

   the 
  assembly, 
  and 
  left 
  the 
  lodge, 
  which 
  now 
  contained 
  only 
  the 
  can- 
  

   didate 
  and 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'hewachi. 
  

  

  The 
  Feast 
  of 
  the 
  Ho"'hewachi 
  

  

  The 
  candidate 
  now 
  selected 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  bravest 
  men 
  to 
  act 
  as 
  his 
  

   heralds 
  and 
  to 
  summon 
  all 
  the 
  cliiefs 
  who 
  were 
  entitled 
  to 
  be 
  present 
  

   at 
  the 
  Feast 
  of 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'hewachi. 
  The 
  heralds 
  put 
  on 
  the 
  buffalo 
  

   robes 
  with 
  the 
  hair 
  outside, 
  girding 
  them 
  about 
  the 
  waist, 
  painted 
  

   their 
  faces 
  black, 
  and 
  placed 
  eagle 
  down 
  on 
  their 
  heads. 
  Then 
  

   they 
  proceeded 
  to 
  the 
  lodges 
  of 
  the 
  chiefs 
  entitled 
  to 
  attend 
  the 
  feast, 
  

   addressing 
  them 
  by 
  name, 
  and 
  giving 
  the 
  official 
  call 
  of 
  invitation: 
  

   Wafkathi 
  71 
  ho! 
  The 
  meaning 
  of 
  this 
  word 
  is 
  lost. 
  When 
  the 
  her- 
  

   alds 
  had 
  passed 
  around 
  the 
  camp 
  circle 
  they 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  lodge 
  of 
  

   the 
  candidate, 
  where 
  the 
  feast 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  held. 
  Even 
  if 
  all 
  who 
  had 
  

   been 
  thus 
  invited 
  were 
  already 
  present 
  in 
  the 
  lodge, 
  the 
  two 
  heralds 
  

   went 
  to 
  the 
  door 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  and 
  again 
  gave 
  the 
  official 
  call 
  of 
  invi- 
  

   tation, 
  mentioning 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  those 
  who 
  had 
  the 
  right 
  to 
  attend 
  

   the 
  feast. 
  The 
  leader 
  of 
  the 
  Ho"'he\vachi 
  then 
  ordered 
  the 
  drum, 
  

   rattles, 
  and 
  bells 
  to 
  be 
  sent 
  for 
  and 
  food 
  to 
  be 
  prepared 
  for 
  those 
  

   present, 
  as 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  sitting 
  since 
  early 
  morning 
  and 
  had 
  only 
  

   eaten 
  ceremonially 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  Feast 
  of 
  the 
  Count." 
  If 
  the 
  count 
  lasted 
  

   more 
  than 
  one 
  day 
  this 
  feast 
  could 
  not 
  take 
  place 
  until 
  the 
  count 
  

   was 
  completed. 
  The 
  right 
  to 
  "beat 
  the 
  drum" 
  belonged 
  to 
  the 
  

   man 
  who 
  could 
  count 
  the 
  highest 
  war 
  honors. 
  It 
  has 
  become 
  diffi- 
  

  

  o 
  Note 
  the 
  resemblance 
  between 
  this 
  taking 
  of 
  rood 
  and 
  pouring 
  of 
  drops 
  into 
  a 
  depression 
  made 
  by 
  

   the 
  knuckle 
  and 
  the 
  Ponca 
  ceremony 
  at 
  the 
  Feast 
  of 
  Soldiers 
  (p. 
  309). 
  

  

  