'284 OMAHA SOCIOLOGY. 



oier limit that the tribe camped in the tribal circle on the open prairie. 

 The fall or winter hunt gave a name to the season when it began "fa"- 

 gaq£a n ," the hunting fall, or later fall, as distinguished from " fa" " the 

 harvest or earlier fall. This later fall corresponded with the latter part 

 of October. Then some of the ineu took their families with them, ami 

 went in pursuit of deer, or occupied themselves with trapping beaver 

 and otter. But most of the people went on the fall hunt when they 

 sought the " media," literally, " spring hides," that is, those which had 

 thick hair. They did not camp in the tribal circle, as it was too cold 

 to pitch their tents ou the open prairie ; but each head of a family had 

 his tent pitched in a sheltered spot; and for this purpose the hunters 

 did not always go in one large party, but scattered in several directions, 

 camping wherever they could find heavy timber or brush that could 

 protect their lodges during heavy winds. They returned home in the 

 spring about the month of April. 



§ 130. Preliminary feast heldbefore the departure for the summer hunt — 

 The principal chief or head man of the Hanga geus prepared a feast, to 

 which he invited all the chiefs and brave men. An Iuke-sabe man was 

 sent as iekife (crier, herald) or wagifa (messenger) around the village, 

 and lie called to each guest to bring his bowl and spoon. When the 

 guests had assembled at the lodge of the Hanga chief the two principal 

 chiefs sat at the back of the lodge, opposite the entrance, and on each 

 side of them were ranged the subordinate chiefs around the circle, ac- 

 cording to their rank. After them were seated the braves, as far as the 

 entrance, ou the left side of which sat the giver of the feast, while ou 

 the right side were the wag^a (Waka n -ma n ^i n and 1 j j eha n -ma I, (j'i", the 

 keepers of the sacred tents of the Hanga), who were expected to attend 

 to the fire and the kettles. The sacred pipes were lighted, according to 

 the prescribed rules, and passed around the circle. (See §§ 18 and 111.) 



The object of the council was explained by one of the head chiefs say- 

 ing, "Come! consider the questiou. Let us remove. In how many 

 days shall we remove?" The question was then discussed by others, 

 and having agreed among themselves what course to pursue, one said, 

 •• rjqgcti gij'ita u i}[T,wata n 'zi-hicti gfita ll ini,dvibaja n/ i[i,a u wa 11 'ha u tai" — 

 When they hove prepared their caches and have worked (i. e., examined) 

 their cornstalks, let us remove after an interval of four days. When 

 the chiefs perceived what was the sense of the council they decided ou 

 the route. When the food was sufficiently cooked the wag^a removed 

 the kettles from the fire. Then one of the head chiefs called a young 

 man by name, saving, " (7ha u cete we'^itan' gay' Handle that kettle for 

 us. Then the young man holding a spoon in his right hand dipped it 

 into one of the kettles, took out a piece of a choice part of the meat. 

 His left hand being elevated, with extended palnij he presented the 

 meat in the spoon to each of the four winds, beginning at the entrance 

 of the lodge, and he finished the ceremony by casting the meat into the 

 fire. 



