274 OMAHA SOCIOLOGY. 



See L06.) Children have their beds at the back of the lodge, opposite 

 the entrance. When there are many children and few adults, the for- 

 mer occupy most of the circle. 



Each member of the household pushes the sticks of wood together 

 i"abada n ") towards the center of the fire, as the ends burn off. It is 

 not t he special work of the old women or men. Xor are the aged women 

 expected to sit at the door and drive out the dogs. Any one may drive 

 them from the lodge, except in cold weather, when they are allowed to 

 remain inside. 



§ 113. Charities. — The word for generous is " wacuce,*' meaning also 

 "to be brave." This is apparently the primary meaning, as a gener- 

 ous man is addressed as one who does not fear poverty. He is re- 

 garded as the equal of the man who fears no enemy. Generosity can- 

 not be exercised toward kindred, who have a natural right to our as- 

 sistance. All who wish to become great men are advised by their kin- 

 dred to be kind to the poor and aged, and to invite guests to feasts. 

 When one sees a poor man or woman, he should make presents, such 

 as goods or a horse, to the unfortunate being. Thus can he gain the 

 good will of Wakanda, as well as that of his own people. When the 

 Omahas had plenty of corn, and the Ponkas or Pawnees had very little, 

 the former used to share their abundance with the latter. And so when 

 the Omahas were unfortunate with their crops, they went on several 

 occasions to the Pawnees, who gave them a supply. This was custom- 

 ary among these and other neighboring tribes. 



Presents must also be made to visitors, members of other tribes. To 

 neglect this was regarded as a gross breach of good manners. (See § 292.) 



Prior to the advent of the white man, the Omahas had a custom, 

 which was told the writer by Frank La Fleche. When one man wished 

 to favor another by euabliug him to be generous, he gave him horses, 

 which the latter, in turn, gave away, entitling him to have his ears 

 pierced as a token of his generosity. The act of the first man was 

 known as " ufya gibaqfukife," causing another mau to hare his ears 

 pierced. 



§ 114. Old age. — Old age among the Omahas does not encounter all 

 the difficulties related by Dougherty (Long, 1, pp. 250, 257). Old men 

 do not work. They sometimes go after the horses, or take them to 

 water, but the rest of the time they sit and smoke, or relate incidents 

 of their youthful days, and occasionally they tell myths for the amuse- 

 ment of those around them. Old women throw away superfluous ashes, 

 pound corn or dried meat, mend and dry moccasins, etc. Sometimes 

 they used to bring a bundle of sticks for the fire, but that is now done 

 by the men in their wagons. 



The Omahas and Ponkas never abandoned the infirm aged people on 

 the prairie. They left them at home, where they could remain till the 

 return of the hunting party. They were provided with a shelter among 

 the trees, food, water, and fire. They watched the corn-fields, and 



