42 THE OSAGK TRIBE. [eth. ANN. 39 



days only, or he may continue it for a few months or even as long 

 as two years. Among the Omaha the No°'-zhi°-zho° was observed 

 by a youth who, voluntarily or at the behest of his parents, seeks 

 the aid of Wa-ko°'-da for strength to meet the hardships and the 

 dangers that beset his life's pathway. The time for the youth to 

 take upon himself this prayerful rite is when winter has passed, when 

 the thunder heralds the arrival of spring, when the eai'th awakes 

 and begins her life activities. It is then that the youth, standing 

 amidst the blossoming flowers, lifts his voice in prayer to Wa-ko"'-da 

 for pity. At any time dming the summer season the man who is 

 stricken with sorrow by the loss of some beloved relative may take 

 upon himself this rite and seek consolation from the Mj^sterious 

 Power whose presence fills all space in the heavens and all things 

 upon the earth. The man serving sentence of banisliment for putting 

 to death a fellow-tribesman may take the rite in seeking pity from 

 the Mysterious Power, and as evidence of his contrition for having 

 violated the tribal law. This he must do while all nature is fully 

 awake and active. • 



Fom-th: The rite is observed by a man when being initiated into 

 the mysteries of the ^a' Tha-dse Ga-xe, Weaving of the Portable 

 Slirine, one of the seven degrees of the tribal war rites. The shrine 

 symbolizes the earth, with its myriad forms of life, the arch of the 

 heavens within which the single stars, the constellations, and the 

 galaxy eternally move, for the No°'-ho"-zhi°-ga in their searchings 

 had arrived at the belief that all the gi'eat cosmic bodies are tlie out- 

 ward manifestations of that Mysterious Power which moves among 

 and within them. Therefore the act of making the symbolic shrine 

 must be performed with all due reverence and in a worshipful manner. 

 The shrine is woven of rush by a woman ceremonially appointed to do 

 the work, and the candidate taking the degree is required to observe 

 the rite of No"'-zhi"-zho'' during the time the task of weaving is being 

 performed. 



Fifth: The woman appointed to weave the shrine is also required 

 to take the rite of No'''-zhi"-zho", and thus to appeal to the Mysterious 

 Power on behalf of the warrior who must at all times be ready to 

 risk his life in order that the lives within the tribe may be protected 

 against external dangers. This rite she must continue until she has 

 fulfilled her task of weaving, which requires about four days of con- 

 tinuous work. 



INITIATION INTO THE NO^'-ZHP-ZHO". 



A man who makes up his mind to take the No"'-zhi''-zho° degree 

 may send his wife or some friend, informally, for a Sho'-ka. A 

 Sho'-ka must be chosen from a gens or subgens whose established 

 office is to act as Sho'-ka (Ceremonial Messenger) for a gens or a 



