﻿552 
  

  

  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  

  

  [ETU. 
  ANN". 
  2~ 
  

  

  SI 
  

  

  as 
  

  

  -#-=- 
  

  

  T^—i— 
  

   tha 
  ha. 
  

  

  v 
  — 
  r— 
  

   ha 
  ha. 
  

  

  ■T-tf- 
  

  

  I-e 
  she-mo" 
  tha 
  hi- 
  

  

  I-e 
  tha 
  ha... 
  ha 
  ha 
  I-e 
  she- 
  mo" 
  tlia 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  tha 
  ha 
  ha 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  shemo" 
  tha 
  ha 
  ha 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  tha 
  ha 
  ha 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  shemo" 
  tha 
  hia 
  

  

  Ie 
  tha 
  ha 
  ha 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  shemo" 
  tha 
  ha 
  ha 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  tha 
  ha 
  ha 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  shemo" 
  tha 
  ha 
  ha 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  shemo 
  11 
  tha 
  ha 
  ha 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  shemo" 
  tha 
  ha 
  ha 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  shemo" 
  tha 
  hia 
  

  

  Ie 
  tha 
  ha 
  ha 
  ha 
  

  

  Ie 
  shemo" 
  tha 
  ha 
  

  

  Literal 
  translation: 
  Ie, 
  speech, 
  or 
  command; 
  shemo*, 
  yonder 
  mov- 
  

   ing; 
  tha, 
  plural 
  sign; 
  all 
  the 
  rest 
  are 
  vocables. 
  

  

  This 
  song 
  was 
  sting 
  by 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  lodge 
  of 
  the 
  "eldest 
  son" 
  

   when 
  the 
  thunder 
  was 
  first 
  heard 
  in 
  the 
  spring. 
  This 
  was 
  the 
  signal 
  

   of 
  the 
  awakening 
  to 
  new 
  activity 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  life 
  on 
  the 
  earth. 
  The 
  

   words 
  mean, 
  it 
  was 
  explained, 
  "the 
  command 
  of 
  those 
  yonder 
  [the 
  

   Thunder] 
  I 
  have 
  obeyed." 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  account 
  by 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  writers 
  gives 
  an 
  eye-witness's 
  

   picture 
  of 
  the 
  dramatic 
  movement 
  at 
  a 
  meeting 
  of 
  the 
  society: 
  

  

  \Yhen 
  I 
  was 
  a 
  lad 
  at 
  the 
  mission 
  school 
  I 
  used 
  to 
  steal 
  away 
  and 
  go 
  to 
  the 
  village 
  to 
  

   see 
  the 
  performance 
  of 
  the 
  ceremony 
  of 
  the 
  Shell 
  Society. 
  The 
  meetings 
  of 
  this 
  

   ancient 
  organization 
  were 
  usually 
  occasions 
  of 
  great 
  interest 
  to 
  the 
  tribe, 
  for 
  a 
  general 
  

   invitation 
  would 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  people 
  to 
  witness 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  rite 
  which 
  was 
  open 
  

   to 
  the 
  public. 
  

  

  At 
  these 
  gatherings 
  particular 
  care 
  was 
  observed 
  by 
  young 
  and 
  old 
  to 
  appear 
  in 
  the 
  

   best 
  constumes 
  that 
  could 
  be 
  obtained, 
  so 
  that 
  while 
  waiting 
  for 
  admission 
  to 
  the 
  

   spacious 
  earth 
  lodge 
  the 
  great 
  concourse 
  of 
  spectators, 
  clad 
  in 
  colors 
  most 
  pleasing 
  to 
  

   the 
  savage 
  eye, 
  would 
  present 
  a 
  brilliant 
  appearance. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  first 
  sound 
  of 
  the 
  resonant 
  drum, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  who 
  was 
  

   honored 
  with 
  the 
  invitation 
  to 
  preside 
  at 
  that 
  important 
  instrument 
  sang 
  a 
  bar 
  or 
  two 
  

   of 
  his 
  song 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  leading 
  and 
  opening 
  the 
  ceremony, 
  every 
  man, 
  woman, 
  and 
  

   child 
  rushed 
  for 
  the 
  long 
  entranceway 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  secure 
  the 
  best 
  positions 
  in 
  the 
  lodge 
  

   from 
  which 
  to 
  observe 
  the 
  "dance 
  " 
  advantageously. 
  Being 
  small 
  and 
  active, 
  I 
  used 
  

   to 
  push 
  my 
  way 
  between 
  the 
  legs 
  of 
  the 
  grownup 
  people, 
  and 
  thus 
  manage 
  to 
  get 
  in 
  

   advance 
  and 
  find 
  a 
  good 
  place 
  where 
  I 
  could 
  see 
  the 
  whole 
  ceremony 
  to 
  my 
  heart 
  's 
  

   content. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  song 
  and 
  the 
  accompanying 
  initial 
  procession 
  of 
  the 
  members 
  around 
  the 
  

   centra] 
  fireplace 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  circular 
  room 
  — 
  the 
  men, 
  tall 
  and 
  majestic, 
  moving 
  with 
  

   stately 
  tread 
  to 
  the 
  measured 
  rhythm 
  of 
  the 
  music, 
  and 
  the 
  women 
  following 
  modestly, 
  

   but 
  with 
  no 
  less 
  dignity 
  — 
  never 
  failed 
  to 
  impress 
  my 
  mind 
  with 
  the 
  earnestness 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  