286 OMAHA SOCIOLOGY. 



§ 133. The Hiufufia or Tribal Circle.— (See §§ 9-12). They generally 

 selected some place uear a stream, and they tried to find a level spot 

 large enough to allow the formation of a single hufuga, but when so 

 large a level could not be had, the Omahas pitched their lodges in two 

 concentric circles, and the Ponkas in three circles of that arrangement. 

 The exact order of the encampment of the gentes in these concentric 

 circles has not been preserved. As soon as the tents were erected each 

 woman put up her waina^ciha, of which there were two or three for 

 each tent. They were used for drying the januqa or fresh meat, and 

 each was made by sticking into the ground two forked sticks that were 

 about four feet high, about six or eight feet apart, and placing a pole 

 across them. The pieces of meat were hung across the transverse pole 

 of each waina n ciha. 



After the setting up of the tent of one of the keepers of the wafixabe 

 or sacred bags, a stick was thrust in the ground outside the tent, and 

 the wafixabe was hung on it, provided there was no rain. But should 

 a rain ensue after the bag was hung outside, or if it was raining at the 

 time the tent was pitched, the stick was set up without 'delay within 

 the tent, and the bag was hung on it. 



§ 134. The YVa<fa u or directors of the hunt. — The chiefs always ap- 

 pointed four men to act as directors of the hunt. He who wished to 

 be the principal director had to provide a pipe and a standard called 

 the " wacabe." The former had a bowl of red pipe-stone, but was not 

 one of the sacred pipes. The latter consisted of an oak or hickory stick 

 about eight feet long, and reddened, to which was fastened a row of 

 eagle feathers, some of which were white and others spotted. Their 

 use will be explained hereafter. A "nikide" (see § 151) was fastened 

 to the top of the stick. The chiefs said to the directors, " It is good 

 to do such and such things." The directors considered whether it 

 would be right or uot, and finally decided what course should be pur- 

 sued. Then, if any accident occurred, or quarrels between men or 

 women, dog fights, high winds, rain, etc., ensued, the director who had 

 advised going in that direction was blamed, and his advice was disre- 

 garded from that time, so he had to resign, and let some one else take 

 his place. During the last summer hunt of the Omahas the directors 

 were Ictafabi, Nuga, and Duba-ma u <f;i", of the Inke-sabe gens, and a 

 fourth man, whose name has been forgotten. Ictaifabi succeeded his 

 father as the principal director. 12 



§ 135. When the people stopped and camped for only a single night, 



,2 These directors were not necessarily Inke-sabe men. Tbe wacabe and pipe were 

 always abandoned when the people were about to return home. The order of cere- 

 monies varied. Sometimes the sacred pole was anointed after the first herd of buffa- 

 loes had been surrounded. In that case the abandonment of the wacabe and pipe 

 was postponed awhile. Sometimes they were abandoned before the pole was 

 anointed; and sometimes they were retained till the end of the Hede-watci. They 

 were abandoned during the day. The pipe was fastened across the middle of the 

 w acahe, which was stuck into the ground on a hill. 



