w FLESCHE] INTRODUCTION 45 



Since that time it has been discovered that the land reported to be 

 "poorly adapted for civilizing purposes" is rich in minerals, particu- 

 larly in oil, which has of late year's been developed. The royalties 

 received by the Osages on their oil leases have greatly increased their 

 wealth, so that they are now reputed to be the richest people in this 

 country as a community. They live in well-built houses, furnished 

 with the best of furniture the stores can supply, ^.nd many of them 

 have automobiles, which they have learned to drive themselves. 



Up to the present time the Osages have lived upon their new reser- 

 vation in three village communities, thus perpetuating the story of a 

 division of the tribe that was forced by accident. The story handed 

 down concerning this division is as follows: The Osage people had 

 built their village upon the banks of a large river (perhaps the Missis- 

 sippi), where they dwelt for a long period of time. It happened that 

 the river overflowed its banks, forcing the people to flee in a panic 

 toward a high hill for safety, taking with them only the things 

 necessary for their living. A large group continued its flight until it 

 reached the summit of the hill, where the people established their 

 temporary camp. From that time this group was spoken of as 

 Pa-fiu'-gtM°, Dwellers-Upon-the-Hilltop. Another group halted at 

 a forest where the people pitched their camp. These were spoken of 

 as the ^o^-dseu'-gthi". Dwell ers-in-the-Upland-Forest. A third 

 group was caught in a thicket of thorny trees and bushes, where the 

 people set up their temporary dwellings and became known by the 

 name Wa-xa'-ga-u-gthi°, Dwellers-in-the-Thorny-Thicket. A fourth 

 group stopped near the foot of the hill, where they camped and were 

 known by the name lu-dse'-ta, The-Dwellere-Below. In later times 

 the people of this group united with the Dwellers-in-the-Thorny- 

 Thicket, and now their identity as a distinct group is practically lost. 

 To-day the Dwellers-Upon-the-Hilltop have their village at Gray- 

 horse; the Dwellers-in-the-Upland-Forest at Hominy; and the 

 Dwellers-in-the-Thorny-Thicket at Pawhuska. (See fig. 1.) 



This accidental division of the tribe into separate village groups, 

 made permanent by tacit agreement, in no way disturbed the tribal 

 and gentile organizations, and the tribal rites were continued by all 

 three groups, although at times the villages were located long dis- 

 tances apart. It is said that in each of the villages all the gentes 

 were represented, so that there was never any difficulty in making 

 up the number of gentes required in a ceremony. In recent times, 

 however, as the people were reduced in numbers from various causes, 

 the three groups became dependent upon each other for a full gentile 

 representation in a ceremony. 



The Osage tribe belongs to the great Siouan linguistic family. Its 

 nearest kindred tribes are the Omaha, Ponca, Quapaw, and Kaw. 

 For many years the Quapaw and the Kaw have been intimatelj^ 



