248 THE OSAGE TRIBE. [eth. ANN. 39 



This ''smoking" ceremony takes the greater part of the day. At 

 its conclusion provisions are distributed among the assembly, after 

 which the No°'-ho°-zhi''-ga disperse to their homes. 



The Moccasin Ceremony. 



In the afternoon of the following day all the No°'-ho"-zhi°-ga again 

 assemble at the house of the candidate to perform a ceremony called 

 Ho°-be'-9U; ho°-be, moccasins; fu, to cut. At this ceremony four 

 square pieces are ceremonially cut from the buffalo skin (Fig. 1) 

 furnished by the Buffalo-bull-face gens of the Tsi'-zhu great tribal 

 division to be used for making two pairs of moccasins, one to be 

 worn by the Xo'-ka and the other by the Sho'-ka during all of the 

 ceremonies to follow. Sho"'-ge-mo°-i°, in liis account, mentions only 

 two pairs of moccasins while Wa-xthi'-zhi in his description of the 

 moccasin ceremony speaks of three pairs, two to be used by the 

 Xo'-ka and one pair by the Sho'-ka. 



On pages 62-6.3 Wa-xthi'-zhi gave full details of the ceremonial 

 movements of the cutting of the buffalo skin and the sewing of the 

 symbolic moccasins. 



THE MOCCASIN Wl'-GI-E. 



(Osage version, p. 474; literal translation, p. 601.) 



1. What shall the little ones make to be their foot, they said, it has 



been said, in this house. 



2. The turtle having a tail with seven serratures, 



3. They shall always make to be their foot. 



4. When they make this turtle to be their foot, 



5. They shall always be free from all causes of death, they said, it 



has been said, in this house. 



6. What shall the little ones make to be their moccasin string, they 



said, it has been said, in this house. 



7. The garter snake 



8. They shall always make to be the moccasin string. 



9. When they make the garter snake to be the moccasin string, 



10. They shall always be free from all causes of death, they said, it 



has been said, in this house. 



11. What shall the little ones make to be their foot, they said, it has 



been said, in this house. 



12. The turtle having a tail with six serratures, 



13. They shall always make to be their foot. 



14. When they make this turtle to be their foot. 



15. They shall always be free from all causes of death, they said, it has 



been said, in tlois house. 



