200 THE WINKEBAGO TRIBE [eth. anx. 37 



political function as upon anything else. The exact time when this 

 socialization took place is of no great import here. Among the 

 Winnebago, for instance, some individuals claim that the functions 

 of the public crier were inherent in the Buffalo clan, while others 

 insist that anj^ person who had counted coup four times was eligible 

 for the office. Now, in this case not only is it possible but it is 

 extremely probable that the office of public crier was originally con- 

 nected with an individual, and that subsequently it became associated 

 with the Buffalo clan, probably by reason of a certain relationship 

 existing between tliis clan and the Chief clan. It must, of course, 

 be remembered that a grouping had already taken place, because the 

 requirement of having counted coup four times made a large number 

 of warriors potentially public criers. Its association with mem- 

 bersliip in the Buffalo clan represented, on the one hand, a restriction 

 of the number of individuals, and on the other hand, the addition of 

 another qualification. Historically, then, the qualification of mem- 

 bership in the clan supplanted the other qualifications, at least in 

 the eyes of a number of individuals. What has been said of the 

 development of the functions of the Buffalo may also be generaUy 

 applied to the Warrior or Hawk clan. 



Political functions may, however, become connected with a group 

 unit without the individual playing any role either in directing or in 

 developing it. The functions of preserving peace and of acting as 

 intermediary, that among the Winnebago are connected with the 

 Thunderbird clan, and the police and disciplinary functions con- 

 nected with the Bear clan, may represent such types of association. 

 In the absence of historical data, no demonstration can be made. It 

 will, however, be shown later that association of ceremonial-religious 

 functions with a social unit has actually occurred. That the police 

 and disciplinary functions of the Bear clan developed from functions 

 of individuals, on the basis of requirements similar to those of the 

 public crier, is quite improbable, and no indication of that exists. 

 Similarly the functions of the Thunderbird clan do not lend themselves 

 readily to such an interpretation. But even should we accept the 

 necessity for the priority of the one over the other types of associa- 

 tion, we must still insist that psychologically the functions are in 

 each case associated with a group imit. 



Four of the Winnebago clans have specific political fxmctions the 

 details of which are discussed elsewhere. The Thunderbird, the 

 chief clan, and in addition to the fact that the cliief of the tribe is 

 selected from it, has important fimctions connected with the preser- 

 vation of peace; the Warrior clan has functions connected with war; 

 the Bear clan, those relating to policing and discipline, both within 

 the village and while on the hunt, etc.; and the Buffalo clan, those 

 relating to the office of pubhc crier and intermediary between the 



