146 THE OSAGE TRIBE [ic-ih. ann. 30 



Till-. T()'"-\vo'* A-no'^-uE (Overseer of the Vii.laoe) 



Initiation into this rite confers ujjou tiie Initiate the office of con- 

 (luctino; the ceremonies connected with the tattooing (to be given in 

 a hiter vohime), as well as bestowing upon liim an office bearmg the 

 title of To^'-wo" A-do-'-be, The Overseer of the Village. The cere- 

 monies connected with the latter (a priestly office) are described as 

 follows; 



At the beginning of the month of Ta' We-da-tha-bi, When-the- 

 Deer-give-birth-to-the-young (April), the No'"-ho°-zhi°-ga of the Tsi'- 

 zhu Wa-shta'-ge and those of the Wa'-tse-tsi Wa-shta'-ge gentes 

 assemble at the house of the Chief of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta'-ge to con- 

 sider the ceremonies incident to that month when the people enter 

 upon a new year. 



When all the No"'-ho"-zhi°-ga have taken their places, the Tsi'-zhu 

 Wa-shta'-ge Chief addresses them, saying: "O, No°'-ho°-zhi°-ga, we 

 have just passed through a great division of the days (year). We 

 have been free from any serious misfortune, free from disturbances 

 from without or within the tribe. The days just passed have been 

 calm and peaceful, and all the people have been happy, for there has 

 been no hatred among them. We are now entering a new period 

 (year), and we assemble, according to custom, to prepare for the 

 ceremonies by which we call upon certain great gods to help us so 

 that we may enjoy another period (year) of trancpiillity, another term 

 (year) of happiness. It is our duty at this time to make the neces- 

 sary arrangements for the performance of these ceremonies." 



The No"'-ho''-zhi°-ga members of both gentes then offer contribu- 

 tions toward the fees that are to be paid to the To°'-wo° A-ilo"-be for 

 his priestly services. These fees consist of articles of value — clothing, 

 weapons, household goods, and in later times of horses. When most 

 or all of the members present have made their contributions, the 

 No'*'-ho''-zhi''-ga form a procession and approach the house of the 

 fo^'-wo" A-do°-be, taking with them the goods they have collected for 

 fees. When all have entered and taken their jilaces the Chief of the 

 Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta'-ge gens addresses the priest as Grandfather and 

 asks him to perform the supplicatory ceremony. The To°'-wo° 

 A-do"-be is addressed as Grandfather because he represents the Power 

 to be appealed to for aid. When the To^'-wo" A-do°-be has given 

 his formal assent to act, he is conducted to the western end of the 

 lodge to a place and seat always reserved for the Wa'-do°-be at the 

 ceremonies of the No^'-zlii^-zho" and the Wa-xo'-be degrees of the 

 war rites (see diagram, p. 83). At this ceremony the last Initiate 

 into the mysteries of the rites of the Mo°-ko°'-to"-ga Wa-xo'-be, the 

 Great Medicine Wa-xo'-be, is also given a seat beside the 'ro'''-wo° 

 A-do"-be, so that the two great tribal divisions, the Tsi'-zhu and the 

 lIo"'-ga, may be represented in this supplicatory ceremony. 



