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  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [BTH. 
  ANN. 
  27 
  

  

  INTKODUCTION 
  OF 
  NEW 
  FOODS, 
  GAMES, 
  AND 
  DISEASES 
  

  

  Besides 
  the 
  numerous 
  changes 
  in 
  tools, 
  weapons, 
  and 
  clothing 
  

   brought 
  about 
  by 
  the 
  traders, 
  new 
  foods 
  were 
  introduced, 
  which 
  even- 
  

   tually 
  became 
  common 
  among 
  the 
  people. 
  Wheat 
  became 
  known 
  in 
  

   the 
  second 
  decade 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  century, 
  receiving 
  the 
  name 
  wa/nw'pke. 
  

   This 
  name 
  was 
  applied 
  also 
  to 
  bread 
  made 
  from 
  wheat. 
  Coffee 
  was 
  

   known 
  earlier 
  and 
  was 
  called 
  utti"tco"pib< 
  , 
  "black 
  medicine." 
  Sugar 
  

   was 
  termed 
  :lto"iti 
  (~lt<>", 
  "wood;" 
  ni. 
  "water 
  "), 
  evidently 
  a 
  transfer 
  

   of 
  the 
  name 
  for 
  "maple 
  sugar." 
  To 
  the 
  large 
  white 
  potato 
  was 
  given 
  

   the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  native 
  potato, 
  mi. 
  Beef 
  and 
  all 
  other 
  fresh 
  meats 
  

   were 
  called 
  by 
  the 
  old 
  term 
  tanu'Tca, 
  "wet 
  meat." 
  

  

  Two 
  new 
  games 
  were 
  received 
  from 
  the 
  white 
  people 
  — 
  playing 
  cards 
  

   and 
  checkers. 
  Cards 
  were 
  called 
  watki'bdba, 
  "something 
  spread 
  out 
  

   repeatedly 
  with 
  the 
  hands," 
  the 
  name 
  referring 
  to 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  shuffling 
  

   and 
  dealing 
  the 
  cards. 
  The 
  suits 
  were 
  called 
  as 
  follows: 
  Diamonds. 
  

   ki'pn 
  ("turtle 
  head"); 
  hearts, 
  ni'deawi 
  n 
  ("buttock"); 
  spades, 
  mo 
  n 
  '- 
  

   Itifi 
  ("arrow-head"); 
  clubs, 
  t'a'zhi 
  (literally, 
  "never 
  dies 
  "), 
  referring, 
  

   it 
  is 
  said, 
  to 
  the 
  flower 
  immortelle. 
  Checkers 
  were 
  spoken 
  of 
  as 
  

   wako 
  n 
  'ji<tint>"/jfhe 
  (wako 
  n 
  , 
  "to 
  gamble; 
  "pa," 
  head 
  ;" 
  mo 
  n 
  gffie 
  "bowed" 
  — 
  

   "to 
  play 
  with 
  bowed 
  head"). 
  

  

  New 
  diseases 
  found 
  then 
  way 
  among 
  the 
  people. 
  Smallpox 
  (dl'.ri 
  ) 
  

   wrought 
  great 
  havoc 
  just 
  before 
  1S00, 
  reducing 
  "the 
  once 
  powerful 
  

   tribe 
  to 
  a 
  few 
  hundreds." 
  Measles 
  (di'xehtho 
  n 
  fe, 
  "little 
  smallpox") 
  

   was 
  almost 
  as 
  fatal 
  and 
  is 
  still 
  dreaded. 
  Malaria 
  (wa'xewaJcega, 
  

   "white 
  man's 
  sickness") 
  would 
  seem 
  from 
  the 
  name 
  to 
  have 
  come 
  

   from 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  white 
  race 
  ami 
  changed 
  environment. 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION 
  OF 
  NEW 
  WORDS 
  

  

  Many 
  new 
  words 
  were 
  coined 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  changed 
  conditions. 
  The 
  

   following 
  ate 
  in 
  nmimon 
  use: 
  

  

  Store, 
  u'thi\vi"ti, 
  to 
  trade 
  in. 
  

  

  Window 
  glass, 
  \ve 
  / 
  ugo"ba, 
  to 
  make 
  light 
  with. 
  

  

  Chimney, 
  tihuko' 
  1 
  \ti, 
  lent 
  ; 
  hul:o", 
  old 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  smoke 
  vent 
  i. 
  

  

  Table, 
  wa'thate, 
  to 
  eat 
  on. 
  

  

  (hair, 
  a'gthi", 
  to 
  sit 
  on. 
  

  

  Rocking-chair, 
  a'gthi 
  n 
  kipiacaca, 
  to 
  rock 
  one's 
  self 
  in. 
  

  

  Scales, 
  we'thiho", 
  to 
  lift 
  with. 
  

  

  Stove, 
  mo 
  n 
  'ceunethe, 
  iron 
  to 
  make 
  tire- 
  in. 
  

  

  Shovel, 
  pe'deithice, 
  to 
  lake 
  fire 
  with. 
  

  

  I 
  lot 
  lie, 
  pe'xeha, 
  gourd 
  skin. 
  

  

  Brick, 
  i 
  n 
  e 
  7 
  nazhide, 
  stone 
  burned 
  red. 
  

  

  Wagon, 
  zho 
  n 
  mo 
  n 
  thi 
  n 
  , 
  walking 
  wood. 
  

  

  Horse, 
  sho"ge. 
  

  

  Cattle, 
  te'eka, 
  white 
  buffalo. 
  

  

  Chickens, 
  wazhi 
  n 
  'gazhide, 
  red 
  birds. 
  

  

  