LA FLESCHEj CHILD-N.VMING RITE 33 



to the earth. Earth names were also used by both the Puma and the 

 Black Bear gentes. These names will be referred to later. 



Every Osage gens has its own version of the tribal Child-naming 

 Ritual. The versions belonging to the I''-gtho°'-ga (Puma) gens of 

 the Ho^'-ga great division and that belonging to the Tsi'-zhu great 

 division have been secured and are given below in detail. 



CHILD-NAMING RITUAL OF THE PUMA GENS 



(Wa-xthi'-zhi) 



When a man of the Puma gens is prepared for the ceremonial 

 naming of his newly born son he sends for the Sho'-ka (official mes- 

 senger) of his gens. On the arrival of the Sho'-ka the father puts 

 before him his customary fee of a blanket or blue cloth and a little 

 pipe which he must carry as his official badge. The father of the 

 child then orders the Sho'-ka to go and call the No'"-ho°-zhi°-ga of 

 the Puma, the Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta-ge, and the Wa'-tse-tsi Wa-shta-ge 

 gentes. The Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta-ge is the Peace gens of the Tsi'-zhu 

 great tribal division, and the Wa'-tse-tsi Wa-shta-ge the Peace gens 

 of the Ho°'-ga great tribal division. Prominence was given, in this 

 ceremony, to these two gentes because they are the favored people of 

 the sun and the unclouded sky, the most sacred of the cosmic forces. 

 Through these two favored gentes the blessings of peace and long life 

 are invoked for the child to be named and formally given its place in 

 the tribal unit. 



The No°'-ho"-zhi°-ga of these three gentes assemble in the evening 

 at the house of the father who, in a formal speech, makes known to 

 them the purpose of the summons. Then the heads of the fsi'-zhu 

 Wa-shta-ge and the Wa'-tse-tsi Wa-shta-ge gentes direct the Sho'-ka 

 to go and call the No°'-ho°-zhi°-ga of the following gentes to assemble 

 at the house of the father on the next morning: 



Ho^'-ga A-hiu-to", Wa-ga'-be-to" and the 0'-po°, of the Ho^'-ga 

 subdivision; Wa'-tse-tsi Wa-shta-ge, Ho' I-ni-ka-shi-ga, Wa-zha'-zhe 

 Qka and the Ta' I-ni-ka-shi-ga of the Wa-zha'-zhe subdivision; 

 Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta-ge, Tsi'-zhu Wa-no°, Mi-k'i°' Wa-no" and the 

 Tho'-xe of the Tsi'-zhu great division. 



The Sho'-ka, as he goes on this errand, does not neglect the little 

 pipe, his official badge. 



Ki'-NO^ — Ceremony of Decorating the Xo'-ka 



Before sunrise of the following day the No'"-ho''-zhi°-ga of the Puma 

 gens assemble at the house of the member who had been appointed by 

 the father to act as Xo'-ka in the ceremony. When all the members 

 had taken their places the A'-ki-ho° Xo'-ka (master of ceremonies) 

 recites the wi'-gi-e relating to the symbolic articles with which the 



