THE HAKO: A PAWNEE CEREMONY 



Bv Alice V. Fletcher 



PREFACE 



In the early eighties uf the last centuiy, while pursuing my study 

 of the Omaha tribe, I several times witnessed the ceremonj' described 

 in the following pages. Owing to the death of the only man who knew 

 all the rituals, it became impossible to secure a complete lecord, but 

 as the ceremony was an intertribal one I hoped to make good the loss 

 in some other tribe. From statements made by the Omahas, the 

 Ponkas, and the Dakotas I was led to believe that among the Pawnees 

 this ceremonj' could be found still preserved in its entirety. I need 

 not recount the failure of efforts made during some fifteen years to gain 

 the desired information, since at last, in 1898, T found the long-.sought 

 opportunity. Afterfour years of work, I am able to present the entire 

 ceremony, as observed in the C'haui band of the Pawnee tribe. 



The difficulty of obtaining accurate first-hand information in 

 regard to religious rites and Ijeliefs is so well known that it seems 

 proper to state briefly howl came bj' mj' opportunities. An extended 

 and intimate acquaintance in one tribe opens the way in another. The 

 warm friendship of old and leading men of the Omahas became mj' 

 credentials to other tribes where these leaders were influential; and 

 witli the further assistance of Mr Francis LaFlesche, the son of the 

 former head chief of the Omahas, I was able to establish relations of 

 confidence with some of the old and j)rominent men of the Pawnees. 



My experience has shown that no linguistic training will enable a 

 student by himself to accomplish successfuUj^ the difficult task of 

 recording and interpreting the rituals of a religious ceremony. lie must 

 have a native collaborator, one with a good knowledge of English and 

 well versed in the intricacies of his ow n tongue, able to explain its 

 "sacred language " and possessing those gifts of mind and character 

 whicli (it liim not only to grasp the ideals of his race but to commend 

 liimself to the keepers of the ancient rites. Such a collaborator makes 

 a clear vision of the native mind possible to a student of another race. 



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