﻿594 
  

  

  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  

  

  [ETII 
  AXX. 
  27 
  

  

  ircv: 
  

  

  *=t 
  

  

  a 
  

  

  ha 
  o 
  

  

  -~i 
  — 
  r 
  

  

  tha 
  

  

  lie 
  

  

  he 
  tho-e 
  

  

  

  -a— 
  

  

  i£EE^ 
  

  

  pp 
  

  

  -3—8- 
  

  

  :p=»: 
  

  

  1— 
  r 
  

  

  :»za:~» 
  

  

  r-r- 
  L 
  t 
  

  

  j^I=Z3 
  ^=*Z 
  ^^L=fcg±£=[=^LJ=E^=^fc^^ 
  

  

  le 
  a 
  :i 
  a 
  

  

  ±1 
  

  

  tha 
  

  

  ha 
  

  

  ha 
  

  

  tha 
  lie 
  

  

  tho 
  

  

  I 
  I 
  

  

  r 
  

  

  HI 
  

  

  * 
  » 
  

  

  a 
  

  

  i 
  i 
  i 
  - 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  song 
  a 
  near 
  relative 
  of 
  the 
  dead 
  advanced 
  

   toward 
  the 
  singers 
  and, 
  raising 
  a 
  hand 
  in 
  the 
  attitude 
  of 
  thanks, 
  with- 
  

   drew 
  the 
  willow 
  twigs 
  from 
  their 
  arms 
  and 
  threw 
  them 
  on 
  the 
  ground. 
  

   This 
  ceremony, 
  with 
  its 
  bleeding 
  singers 
  and 
  its 
  song 
  of 
  blythe, 
  happy 
  

   strains, 
  at 
  first 
  glance 
  might 
  appear 
  as 
  a 
  savage 
  rite, 
  devoid 
  of 
  human 
  

   feeling; 
  but 
  when 
  studied 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  unselfish 
  expression 
  

   and 
  to 
  emphasize 
  the 
  Omaha 
  belief 
  in 
  the 
  continuity 
  of 
  life 
  and 
  of 
  

   human 
  relationships. 
  

  

  Among 
  men 
  relief 
  from 
  the 
  stress 
  of 
  grief 
  was 
  generally 
  sought 
  in 
  

   some 
  stirring 
  occupation, 
  as 
  a 
  war 
  party 
  would 
  afford. 
  Consequently 
  

   a 
  bereaved 
  father 
  was 
  apt 
  to 
  join 
  the 
  first 
  party 
  that 
  proposed 
  to 
  "go 
  

   upon 
  the 
  warpath;" 
  if 
  he 
  had 
  lost 
  a 
  little 
  child 
  he 
  would 
  tuck 
  its 
  

   small 
  moccasins 
  in 
  his 
  belt. 
  On 
  slaying 
  an 
  enemy 
  he 
  laid 
  the 
  moc- 
  

   casins 
  beside 
  the 
  slain 
  in 
  the 
  belief 
  that 
  the 
  dead 
  man 
  would 
  recog- 
  

   nize 
  and 
  befriend 
  the 
  little 
  child 
  as 
  it 
  slowly 
  made 
  its 
  way 
  toward 
  

   its 
  relatives 
  in 
  the 
  other 
  world. 
  

  

  