﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCHE] 
  SOCIETIES 
  509 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  accounted 
  good 
  fortune 
  and 
  an 
  honor 
  to 
  marry 
  a 
  woman 
  

   bearing 
  the 
  "mark 
  of 
  honor." 
  She 
  not 
  only 
  belonged 
  to 
  a 
  family 
  

   that 
  had 
  achieved 
  tribal 
  reputation 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  believed 
  that 
  she 
  

   would 
  become 
  the 
  mother 
  of 
  many 
  children 
  who 
  would 
  live 
  to 
  

   grow 
  up. 
  If 
  a 
  buffalo 
  bearing 
  white 
  spots 
  or 
  a 
  white 
  buffalo 
  was 
  

   killed, 
  only 
  women 
  bearing 
  the 
  "mark 
  of 
  honor" 
  dressed 
  the 
  skin 
  of 
  

   the 
  animal, 
  which 
  was 
  presented 
  to 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Tent 
  to 
  renew 
  the 
  

   Sacred 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide 
  then 
  in 
  use. 
  

  

  THE 
  WASHIS'KA 
  ATHI 
  n 
  (SHELL 
  SOCIETY) 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  secret 
  societies 
  among 
  the 
  Omaha, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  stated, 
  dealt 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  with 
  magic 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  healing 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  herbs 
  and 
  

   roots. 
  Even 
  if 
  natural 
  remedies 
  were 
  used, 
  the 
  songs 
  sung 
  when 
  

   they 
  were 
  gathered 
  and 
  when 
  they 
  were 
  administered 
  were 
  supposed 
  

   to 
  increase 
  their 
  efficacy. 
  In 
  some 
  instances 
  this 
  efficacy 
  was 
  attrib- 
  

   uted 
  to 
  magic; 
  in 
  others 
  the 
  song 
  was 
  an 
  appeal 
  somewhat 
  of 
  the 
  

   nature 
  of 
  a 
  prayer. 
  

  

  The 
  account 
  here 
  given 
  of 
  the 
  Shell 
  society, 
  Washis'ka 
  athi 
  n 
  

   (washis'Jca," 
  shell;" 
  athi 
  n 
  , 
  "they 
  have" 
  — 
  "those 
  who 
  have 
  the 
  shell") 
  

   as 
  it 
  existed 
  in 
  the 
  Omaha 
  tribe 
  is 
  very 
  nearly 
  complete; 
  sufficiently 
  

   so, 
  it 
  is 
  hoped, 
  to 
  permit 
  of 
  a 
  comparative 
  study 
  of 
  somewhat 
  similar 
  

   societies 
  which 
  exist 
  among 
  cognate 
  tribes, 
  the 
  Winnebago 
  and 
  the 
  

   Oto. 
  The 
  "Grand 
  Medicine" 
  of 
  the 
  Chippewa 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  aspects 
  

   in 
  common 
  with 
  this 
  society. 
  

  

  Origin 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  is 
  the 
  Omaha 
  story 
  of 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  Shell 
  society: 
  

  

  Once 
  (an 
  indefinite 
  and 
  long 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  past) 
  a 
  stranger 
  came 
  to 
  the 
  village. 
  He 
  

   was 
  entertained 
  by 
  the 
  chief 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  prominent 
  men. 
  There 
  was 
  living 
  in 
  the 
  

   tribe 
  a 
  man 
  who, 
  while 
  a 
  good 
  hunter, 
  was 
  a 
  quiet 
  man 
  who 
  never 
  pushed 
  himself 
  into 
  

   not 
  ice. 
  His 
  modest 
  behavior 
  was 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  anxiety 
  to 
  his 
  wife, 
  who 
  was 
  ambitious 
  

   and 
  did 
  not 
  share 
  her 
  husband's 
  aversion 
  to 
  notice. 
  She 
  learned 
  of 
  the 
  stranger's 
  

   presence, 
  and 
  noted 
  how 
  much 
  was 
  made 
  of 
  him, 
  and 
  she 
  determined 
  to 
  have 
  her 
  

   husband 
  also 
  entertain 
  this 
  man. 
  She 
  said 
  to 
  her 
  husband 
  : 
  " 
  You 
  will 
  never 
  become 
  

   an 
  important 
  man 
  in 
  the 
  tribe 
  if 
  you 
  do 
  not 
  push 
  yourself 
  forward. 
  You 
  must 
  ask 
  this 
  

   stranger 
  to 
  our 
  lodge. 
  I 
  will 
  prepare 
  a 
  feast, 
  and 
  you 
  can 
  entertain 
  him 
  as 
  all 
  the 
  great 
  

   men 
  are 
  doing." 
  She 
  called 
  her 
  eldest 
  son, 
  and 
  said: 
  "You 
  are 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  the 
  chief's 
  

   house 
  and 
  tell 
  him 
  that 
  his 
  guest 
  is 
  invited 
  to 
  your 
  father's 
  house. 
  Mention 
  your 
  

   father's 
  name." 
  She 
  then 
  set 
  about 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  tent 
  clean 
  and 
  put 
  everything 
  in 
  

   order. 
  She 
  cooked 
  food, 
  spread 
  a 
  robe 
  on 
  the 
  seat 
  of 
  honor, 
  and 
  was 
  ready 
  for 
  tin- 
  

   guest. 
  The 
  boy 
  did 
  as 
  his 
  mother 
  told 
  him. 
  When 
  he 
  delivered 
  his 
  message 
  the 
  

   chief, 
  who 
  knew 
  the 
  retiring 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  lad's 
  father, 
  asked 
  him: 
  " 
  Did 
  your 
  father 
  

   Bend 
  you?" 
  The 
  boy 
  answered 
  "Yes." 
  In 
  due 
  time 
  the 
  stranger 
  came. 
  He 
  wore 
  

   his 
  hair 
  roached, 
  his 
  leggings 
  were 
  yellow 
  and 
  embroidered, 
  his 
  moccasins 
  wore 
  black; 
  

   he 
  had 
  no 
  shirt, 
  but 
  wore 
  his 
  robe 
  with 
  the 
  hair 
  outside. 
  He 
  had 
  a 
  fine 
  bow, 
  and 
  at 
  

   his 
  back 
  a 
  quiver 
  of 
  otter 
  skin 
  filled 
  with 
  arrows. 
  The 
  man, 
  his 
  wife, 
  and 
  the 
  four 
  

   ■children 
  were 
  all 
  clad 
  in 
  their 
  best, 
  and 
  waiting 
  to 
  receive 
  the 
  stranger. 
  Of 
  the 
  

  

  