﻿562 
  

  

  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  

  

  ETH. 
  INN. 
  'J7 
  

  

  N 
  

  

  W 
  

  

  nJ7W 
  

  

  The 
  figure 
  has 
  a 
  roach 
  of 
  hairmadeof 
  a 
  bit 
  of 
  "bearskin," 
  the 
  hair 
  

   so 
  arranged 
  as 
  to 
  stand 
  up. 
  The 
  zigzag 
  lines 
  from 
  the 
  eyes 
  were 
  said 
  

   to 
  be 
  tears. 
  The 
  moons 
  on 
  the 
  shoulders 
  were- 
  all 
  the 
  gibbous, 
  or 
  

   ".dying,'' 
  moon, 
  and 
  signified 
  death. 
  The 
  circle 
  represented 
  the 
  sun. 
  

   In 
  this 
  figure 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  was 
  kept 
  the 
  bear's 
  claw 
  used 
  when 
  drawing 
  

   the 
  outline 
  of 
  the 
  condemned 
  man. 
  The 
  red 
  lines 
  down 
  the 
  arms 
  

   represent 
  the 
  lightning. 
  This 
  figure 
  was 
  said 
  to" 
  represent 
  a 
  man 
  

   whom 
  the 
  Monster 
  Hayed, 
  using 
  his 
  skin 
  as 
  a 
  receptacle; 
  and 
  the 
  

   Monster 
  told 
  the 
  man 
  and 
  his 
  wife 
  to 
  make 
  this 
  figure 
  in 
  imitation 
  

   of 
  the 
  human-skin 
  hag 
  and 
  to 
  use 
  it 
  in 
  this 
  ceremony. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  

   Big 
  Elk 
  had 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  moccasins 
  made 
  from 
  the 
  paws 
  of 
  the 
  hear. 
  

   Whether 
  or 
  not 
  these 
  moccasins 
  were 
  worn 
  at 
  the 
  ceremony 
  when 
  

   this 
  figure 
  was 
  used 
  no 
  one 
  now 
  living 
  can 
  tell 
  nor 
  do 
  the 
  moccasins 
  

  

  now 
  exist 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  can 
  be 
  learned. 
  

   The 
  lost 
  ritual 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  ex- 
  

   plained 
  all 
  the 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  figure, 
  

   even 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  strings. 
  

  

  When 
  a 
  man 
  committed 
  an 
  offense 
  

   that 
  seemed 
  to 
  demand 
  punishment 
  

   the 
  society 
  met 
  at 
  night 
  to 
  consider 
  

   the 
  matter, 
  at 
  which 
  time 
  both 
  the 
  

   act 
  and 
  the 
  man's 
  character 
  were 
  

   discussed. 
  If 
  the 
  society 
  deter- 
  

   mined 
  to 
  punish 
  the 
  man, 
  then 
  this 
  

   figure 
  was 
  brought 
  out. 
  It 
  seemed 
  

   S 
  to 
  stand 
  as 
  a 
  symbol 
  of 
  the 
  united 
  

  

  FIG.12S. 
  Diagram 
  illustrating 
  arrangement 
  purpose 
  f 
  the 
  societ 
  V, 
  for 
  on 
  such 
  

   of 
  Shell 
  society 
  at 
  secret 
  meeting 
  for 
  pun- 
  ' 
  l 
  , 
  ■ 
  

  

  ishment 
  of 
  an 
  offender. 
  1, 
  Fireplace 
  and 
  an 
  occasion 
  the 
  members 
  had 
  to 
  act 
  

  

  four 
  sticks; 
  2, 
  pile 
  of 
  eai 
  rvants; 
  asa 
  uint 
  . 
  The 
  meeting 
  when 
  they 
  

  

  4,5,6,7, 
  masters 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  lodges. 
  . 
  . 
  

  

  were 
  to 
  take 
  action 
  occurred 
  in 
  the 
  

   early 
  morning. 
  The 
  servants 
  had 
  already 
  been 
  dispatched 
  to 
  a 
  secret 
  

   place 
  where 
  they 
  had 
  excavated 
  a 
  circular 
  space 
  for 
  a 
  fireplace 
  and 
  

   piled 
  toward 
  the 
  east 
  the 
  earth 
  taken 
  out. 
  Four 
  sticks 
  pointing 
  to 
  

   the 
  four 
  directions 
  were 
  laid 
  in 
  the 
  fireplace. 
  Before 
  sunrise 
  the 
  mem- 
  

   bers 
  went 
  forth 
  singly 
  from 
  their 
  homes 
  and 
  gathered 
  quietly 
  at 
  the 
  

   place 
  appointed 
  for 
  the 
  meeting. 
  They 
  sat 
  in 
  a 
  circle. 
  The 
  four 
  

   masters, 
  representing 
  the 
  four 
  "children," 
  took 
  their 
  places 
  at 
  the 
  

   west, 
  facing 
  the 
  east. 
  A 
  small 
  how, 
  about 
  'J 
  feet 
  long, 
  and 
  two 
  

   arrows 
  with 
  Hint 
  points, 
  provided 
  with 
  shafts 
  about 
  'J 
  feet 
  long, 
  were 
  

   placed 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  masters. 
  (Fig. 
  11'.'!.) 
  

  

  When 
  all 
  were 
  seated, 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  had 
  suffered 
  the 
  wrong 
  laid 
  

   his 
  pipe 
  down 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  masters, 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  bow. 
  lie 
  then 
  

   ordered 
  the 
  servant 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  pipe 
  and 
  a 
  live 
  coal 
  to 
  a 
  certain 
  man 
  

   and 
  offer 
  it 
  to 
  him. 
  If 
  the 
  man 
  accepted 
  the 
  pipe 
  and 
  lighted 
  it, 
  he 
  

  

  