﻿XIV 
  

  

  RELIGION 
  AXD 
  ETHICS 
  

  

  There 
  was 
  no 
  class 
  or 
  group 
  among 
  the 
  Omaha 
  whoso 
  distinctive 
  

   duty 
  was 
  to 
  teach 
  either 
  religion 
  or 
  ethics. 
  Religious 
  and 
  ethical 
  

   teachings 
  were 
  embedded 
  in 
  the 
  rites 
  of 
  the 
  gentes 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  

   but 
  there 
  were 
  no 
  succinct, 
  practical 
  commandments 
  as 
  to 
  beliefs 
  

   or 
  actions 
  expressed 
  in 
  them. 
  The 
  duty 
  of 
  explanation 
  and 
  instruc- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  the 
  laity, 
  concerning 
  the 
  meaning 
  and 
  teaching 
  of 
  these 
  rites, 
  

   devolved 
  on 
  the 
  thoughtful 
  elders 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  who 
  generally 
  be- 
  

   longed 
  to 
  those 
  eligible 
  to 
  the 
  office 
  of 
  keeper, 
  and 
  formed 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  

   hereditary 
  priesthood. 
  

  

  The 
  Keeper 
  

  

  In 
  every 
  gens 
  or 
  subgens 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  particular 
  family 
  to 
  which 
  

   belonged 
  the 
  hereditary 
  right 
  to 
  furnish 
  the 
  keeper, 
  who 
  had 
  charge 
  

   of 
  the 
  sacred 
  object 
  of 
  the 
  gens 
  together 
  with 
  its 
  rituals 
  and 
  rites. 
  

   This 
  man 
  held 
  no 
  title 
  apart 
  from 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  object 
  or 
  rite 
  of 
  

   which 
  he 
  had 
  charge; 
  he 
  was 
  the 
  keeper 
  (atJii 
  11 
  , 
  "to 
  possess" 
  or 
  

   "keep") 
  of 
  the 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  Hide 
  or 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole, 
  or 
  of 
  the 
  

   rite 
  of 
  Turning 
  the 
  Child, 
  etc. 
  He 
  alone 
  possessed 
  the 
  authority 
  to 
  

   perform 
  the 
  ceremony, 
  recite 
  the 
  rituals, 
  and 
  conduct 
  the 
  rites 
  com- 
  

   mitted 
  to 
  his 
  care; 
  it 
  was 
  also 
  his 
  duty 
  to 
  instruct 
  his 
  son 
  and 
  suc- 
  

   cessor, 
  and 
  to 
  transmit 
  this 
  knowledge 
  and 
  right 
  to 
  him. 
  In 
  the 
  

   event 
  of 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  male 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  of 
  a 
  keeper, 
  

   the 
  Seven 
  Chiefs 
  were 
  required 
  to 
  select 
  another 
  family 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  

   subgens 
  to 
  take 
  up 
  the 
  duties 
  of 
  keeper. 
  The 
  compensation 
  given 
  

   to 
  the 
  keepers 
  for 
  their 
  services 
  has 
  been 
  spoken 
  of 
  (p. 
  212). 
  A 
  

   keeper's 
  mode 
  of 
  life 
  did 
  not 
  differ 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  other 
  men; 
  he 
  did 
  

   not 
  ordinarily 
  wear 
  any 
  part 
  of 
  his 
  ceremonial 
  dress 
  or 
  adopt 
  a 
  pecul- 
  

   iar 
  garb 
  to 
  distinguish 
  his 
  calling, 
  nor 
  did 
  the 
  keepers 
  dwell 
  apart 
  

   from 
  other 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  tribe. 
  They 
  were 
  held 
  in 
  respect 
  and 
  

   generally 
  conformed 
  their 
  lives 
  to 
  the 
  sacredness 
  of 
  their 
  official 
  

   duties. 
  Keepers 
  sometimes 
  became 
  chiefs; 
  this 
  was 
  true 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  

   keeper 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole, 
  he 
  who 
  transferred 
  this 
  ancient 
  object 
  to 
  

   the 
  writers 
  for 
  safe-keeping 
  (p. 
  223) 
  and 
  narrated 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Legend 
  

   of 
  the 
  tribe. 
  

  

  595 
  

  

  