LAJLESCHE] CHILD-NAMING RITE 59 



CHILD-NAMING RITUAL OF THE TSI'-ZHU WA-SHTA-GE 



GENS 



(Sho'"-ge-mo''-i'*) 



The Child-naming ritual of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens of the 

 Osage tribe, here recorded, was given by Sho^'-ge-mo"-!", a member 

 of the Ba'-po subgens of the Tsi'-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens. The name 

 Ba'-po (Popper in English), Sho^'-ge-mo^-i" explained, is the name 

 of the elder tree, the trunk of which boys, from time reaching beyond 

 memory, used for making poppers. The name refers to a mythical 

 story and to a ceremonial office. The mythical story is as follows: 

 When the people of the Tsi'-zhu great division descended from the 

 sky to make the earth their home they came down as eagles, and they 

 alighted on a great red oak tree. The shock of their alighting 

 caused the acorns to drop from the tree in great profusion, which 

 was taken as a prophecy that the Tsi'-zhu would become a numerous 

 people. One eagle was crowded off the tree, but as he dropped down 

 he alighted upon a blossoming elder tree. This eagle was a peace 

 bird and his alighting on the ba'-po tree made it to become a peace 

 symbol. The Ba'-po subgens was given the office of furnishing a 

 pipestem for the peace pipe in the keeping of the Tsi'-zhu Wa- 

 shta-ge gens, and the Ba'-po made the stem of an elder sapling a 

 symbol of peace. 



WTaen Sho°'-ge-mo°-i'' is called by a member of the Tsi'-zhu 

 Wa-shta-ge gens to act as Xo'-ka (instructor) in the ceremonial 

 naming of his child he goes to the house of the father without any 

 formality. Usually the call is made when the sun is traveling down- 

 ward (afternoon) ; when he receives the message he promptly responds 

 to the call. On his arrival at the house the father, in a formal speech, 

 informs him that his summons was for the purpose of asking him to 

 conduct the ceremonies to be perfonned at the naming of his chUd. 

 When Sho°'-ge-mo°-i° gives his consent to officiate at the ceremony 

 the fees for the men who are to take part are placed before him. 

 These he examines to make sure that there are enough articles to go 

 around, and to see if the man had also provided a pipe for the Sho'-ka 

 or Official Messenger. 



Certain Gentes Called to Take Part in the Ceremony 



Being satisfied that the man had supplied all the necessary articles, 

 he places in the hands of the father the ceremonial pipe and bids 

 him go after the Sho'-ka of the gens. The father returns with the 

 messenger who was already invested with the little pipe, the badge 

 of his authority. Wlien the two men had taken their seats Sho"'- 

 ge-mo°-i° directs the Sho'-ka to go and call the heads of the following 

 gentes, with their No°'-ho°-zhi°-ga members, to come to the house 



