352 OMAHA SOCIOLOGY. 



The llcifucka dancing society is described in the chapter on War 

 Customs, §§ 214, 216. 



The He watci is part of the He^ucka dance. (§ 217.) 



§ 268. TV gaxe watci, The dunce of those expecting to die. — This has 

 not been observed for fifteen years by the. Omahas. It is explained 

 thus. "Ukit'6 ?(H'tc, atV tainiuke, e£6ga u 6ga n fiwatcigaxe gaxai." — As 

 oik thinks, ' / irill die if there are any enemy,' they make the dance. 



This is the men's dance, being- " wacuce-a}a^ica n ," i.e., something 

 pertaining to bravery. They always go prepared to meet the enemy 

 and to fall in battle. It is danced at different seasons of the year. A 

 woman with a good voice is admitted as a singer. Two or three beat 

 a drum. Two men carry " waqifeqfe-' a"s;i " in their hands as they dance. 

 These objects resemble the " waqfexe-faze," but there is a different 

 arrangement of the feathers. 



Fig. 40. — The waq<ieqie'a n sa. 



All paint themselves as they please, and carry " jahauujia dexe" or 

 rattles made ot green hide. 



§ 269. The Make-no-fight dance. — Ma<J:a watcigaxe, the " Nape-sui- 

 kagapi " of the Dakotas, has not been witnessed among the Omahas for 

 many years, though it used to be common to the Omahas, Ponkas, and 

 Dakotas. La Fleche and Two Crows have heard of it, but have not 

 seen it. jaf i"-na"paji says " I have not seen it since I have been grown. 

 It was in use here long before my time." It is a bravery dance. 

 Drums are beaten. The dancers hold gourd rattles, and each one carries 

 many arrows on his back as well as in his arms. The members vow 

 not to fiee from a foe. They blacken themselves all over with char- 

 coal. About fifty years ago tw r o members went into a fight armed only 

 with deer's claw rattles that had sharp iron points at the ends of the han- 

 dles. They rushed among the foe and stabbed them before they could 

 draw their bows. 



§ 270. ja-ugifa" Watci, The dance in which buffalo head-dresses were 

 put on, has long been obsolete. It was a bravery dance. ( Ta<f'.i ,1 -na u pajT 

 knew about its occurring once when he was very small. Only vci\ 

 brave men could participate. On their heads they put head-dresses to 

 which buffalo horns were attached. They bore shields on their backs; 

 they rubbed earth on themselves. Anyone who had stabbed a foe with 

 a spear carried it on his arm ; and he who had struck a foe with any 

 weapon did likewise. Those who were only a little brave could not 

 dance. 



§ 271. figi'a n -watcigi'ixe, The Visitors' dance of 'relating exploits. — When 

 a friendly visit has been made horses are given to all the visitors who 



