﻿596 
  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [etii. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  We'wA^PE 
  

  

  This 
  name 
  was 
  applied 
  to 
  tribal 
  religious 
  rites 
  and 
  is 
  significant 
  

   of 
  their 
  object. 
  The 
  definition 
  of 
  this 
  term 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  given 
  in 
  a 
  

   word: 
  we'wappe 
  means 
  "something 
  to 
  bring 
  the 
  people 
  into 
  order 
  

   and 
  into 
  a 
  thoughtful 
  composure." 
  The 
  term 
  bears 
  testimony 
  to 
  

   me 
  thoughtful 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  people, 
  for 
  while 
  the 
  institution 
  of 
  

   some 
  of 
  the 
  rites 
  of 
  this 
  class 
  was 
  credited 
  to 
  "old 
  men," 
  this 
  should 
  

   not 
  be 
  taken 
  too 
  literally, 
  for 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  ceremonies 
  show 
  evidence 
  

   of 
  a 
  growth 
  that 
  may 
  have 
  extended 
  through 
  a 
  long 
  period. 
  The 
  

   word 
  indicates, 
  however, 
  a 
  discriminating 
  observation 
  of 
  the 
  social 
  

   value 
  of 
  religious 
  rites 
  not 
  only 
  as 
  a 
  power 
  to 
  hold 
  the 
  people 
  together 
  

   by 
  the 
  bond 
  of 
  a 
  common 
  belief 
  and 
  the 
  enjoyment 
  of 
  its 
  ceremonial 
  

   expression, 
  but 
  as 
  a 
  means 
  to 
  augment 
  in 
  the 
  popular 
  mind 
  the 
  

   importance 
  of 
  self-control, 
  of 
  composure, 
  and 
  of 
  submission 
  to 
  

   authority. 
  

  

  The 
  rites 
  termed 
  We'wacpe 
  partook 
  of 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  prayer 
  and 
  

   w 
  r 
  ere 
  believed 
  to 
  open 
  a 
  way 
  between 
  the 
  people 
  and 
  the 
  mysterious 
  

   Wako 
  D 
  'da 
  (p. 
  597) 
  ; 
  therefore 
  they 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  accurately 
  given 
  in 
  order 
  

   that 
  the 
  path 
  might 
  be 
  straight 
  for 
  the 
  return 
  of 
  the 
  desired 
  benefit. 
  

   A 
  mistake 
  in 
  rendering 
  a 
  ritual 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  atoned 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  by 
  a 
  

   ceremony 
  of 
  contrition 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  avert 
  trouble 
  from 
  the 
  entire 
  

   people, 
  as 
  the 
  interruption 
  of 
  the 
  prescribed 
  order 
  in 
  a 
  religious 
  cere- 
  

   mony 
  was 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  subject 
  for 
  supernatural 
  punishment. 
  

  

  We'wacpe 
  rites 
  were 
  institutional 
  in 
  character 
  and 
  were 
  so 
  regarded 
  

   by 
  the 
  tribe. 
  They 
  were 
  distinct 
  from 
  individual 
  rites, 
  as, 
  for 
  

   example, 
  the 
  rite 
  wherein 
  the 
  youth 
  sought 
  to 
  come 
  into 
  relation 
  with 
  

   the 
  supernatural. 
  The 
  latter 
  experience 
  was 
  strictly 
  personal 
  nor 
  

   was 
  its 
  character 
  changed 
  if 
  the 
  peculiar 
  type 
  of 
  the 
  vision 
  or 
  dream 
  

   gave 
  the 
  youth 
  the 
  right 
  of 
  entrance 
  into 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  secret 
  societies. 
  

  

  The 
  rites 
  and 
  ceremonies, 
  both 
  public 
  and 
  private, 
  of 
  the 
  secret 
  

   societies, 
  except 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Ho 
  n 
  'hewachi, 
  do 
  not 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  

   We'wacpe 
  class. 
  This 
  society 
  partook 
  somewhat 
  of 
  the 
  character 
  

   of 
  an 
  order 
  of 
  chieftainship; 
  its 
  ceremonies 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  cosmic 
  

   forces 
  and 
  therefore 
  touched 
  on 
  religious 
  conceptions. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  rites 
  belonged 
  to 
  the 
  We'wacpe 
  class: 
  

  

  Those 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  maize. 
  

  

  Those 
  pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  annual 
  buffalo 
  hunt 
  and 
  the 
  White 
  Buffalo 
  

   Hide; 
  these 
  rites 
  were 
  closely 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  securing 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  

   supply. 
  

  

  The 
  rites 
  and 
  rituals 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  two 
  Sacred 
  Tribal 
  Pipes 
  and 
  

   those 
  of 
  the 
  Sacred 
  Pole; 
  both 
  of 
  these 
  pertained 
  to 
  the 
  governing 
  

   power 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  and 
  the 
  authority 
  vested 
  in 
  the 
  chiefs. 
  While 
  

   dependence 
  on 
  Wako 
  n 
  'da 
  was 
  recognized 
  in 
  all 
  of 
  these 
  rites, 
  they 
  

   were 
  so 
  directly 
  concerned 
  with 
  the 
  temporal 
  welfare 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  

  

  