294 OMAHA SOCIOLOGY. 



follows. The keeper of the pole sent a crier to summon the chiefs, who 

 assembled and decided to perform the sacred rites. For this purpose 

 a " y.i" was boiled at the sacred tents. About a hundred young men 

 were collected there. They who had not yet distinguished themselves 

 in battle went stripped to the waist, and sat in a circle around the tents. 

 II ere and there were some of the braves who wore robes, and some had 

 on good shirts. They departed when they had eaten the food. As they 

 followed the line of the tents several women went after them. Two of 

 these women were they who carried the sacred tents, and with them 

 were three or five others. As the braves proceeded they snatched from 

 each "p-vuj;igije" or "p-u£ipu" (high or low tent) a tent-pole or else a 

 forked stick (isag^e) such as were used for hanging the kettles. No one 

 offered any resistance, as they knew the purpose for which the sticks were 

 taken. These tent-poles and isag<f:e were handed to the women, who 

 carried them to the keepers of the sacred tents. When they arrived 

 there they used the sticks for making a long tent ; and they placed the 

 sacred pole directly in front of the tent, as in the figure. Then the crier 

 (Tcahic) stood at the long tent and proclaimed as follows, by command 

 of the keeper of the sacred pole, calling on each small child by name : 

 " O grandchild, wherever you are standing, even though you bring but 

 one thing, you will put it yonder on the ground for me at a short dis- 

 tance." Over two hundred children of parents that were prosperous 

 were thus invited to make presents to the sacred tents. No children 

 of poor people were expected to make any presents, but young men, 

 boys, girls, and even infants, were expected to bring "^a" or their 

 equivalents, if they could afford them. Then came the young men whom 

 the crier had named when they first saw the buffaloes. (See § 140.) 

 Each one brought a ";e-ju" or side of a buffalo. Sometimes they 

 brought back as many as thirty, forty, or fifty. Then came the fathers 

 with their children who had been called by name, each person bringing 

 four presents in the name of his child. These consisted, in modern 

 times, of a "4a," a gun, a fine robe, and a kettle. Each piece of " ja" used 

 at this ceremony was about a yard long and half a yard wide. When a 

 gun could not be had, " nikide," which were very precious, being used 

 for necklaces, were offered instead. Sometimes a horse was the fourth 

 gift. The wahehajl took "4a," and also horses or goods, as their offer- 

 ings. The keeper of the pole, who could not eat the " 4a," then called 

 on the keeper of the Wacabe tent to act for him ; and the latter then 

 proceeded to arrange the pieces of the " 4a" before the pole. Selecting 

 the two pieces that were the fattest, he placed them before the pole, as 

 the "nuda n 'hauga" or lords. Then he arranged the others in a row 

 with the two, parallel with the long tent. When but few buffaloes had 

 been killed, there wasonlyouerow of the "ja" before the pole; but when 

 there had been a very successful hunt, the pieces were spread in one and 

 a half, two, or even two and a half rows, each full row being the length 

 of the long tent. Then the keeper of the pole sent a man of his gens to 



