358 OMAHA SOCIOLOGY. 



Gij-eda" uaji n succeeded to the head chieftainship, in 1843, fully sixty 

 subordinate chiefs were appointed. Among these were A n ba-hebe, of 

 the jada gens; Icta-duba, of the Wasabe-hit'aji subgens; jasi-duba 

 and Za n zi-inand6, of the jja n ze gens; Ta n wa n -gaxe, of the Ma n <J;inka- 

 gaxe gens; and < ja^i"-gahige, of the x a ^ a - Some chiefs have been ap- 

 pointed by the United States Government, and so have been recognized 

 as chiefs by the United States agent in his councils with the tribe; but 

 these are distinct from the regular chiefs. In 1878 the writer found 

 three of this kind of chiefs among the Omahas. They had been ap- 

 pointed by the United States about the year 1869. Cange-sk& was made 

 chief in the place of Ta u wa u -gaxe; Ibaha n bi, instead of his father, 

 Wanujn'ge, of the Ictasanda gens; and Wani^a-waqg, the keeper of the 

 sacred pipe of the ,x,a-da was the third. 



In 1878 the following were the chiefs who met the agent in councils: 

 Gfeda n -uaji n and his brother, jede-gahi, who were considered the head 

 chiefs by some; Ma n tcu-na"ba, of the Haiiga; Gahige, of theliike-sabg; 

 Mahi n -£inge, of the Weji Q cte; Wacka n -ma n £i n , the third $atada chief; 

 Cange ska, Wani^a-waqfe, and Ibaha n bi. The last three always ap- 

 peared to stand together, forming a third party in the tribe, as opposed 

 to the chiefs' party (to which the others belonged), and that of the 

 young men or progressives. 



§ 280. Omaha chiefs elected in March, 1880. — These were elected by an 

 assembly of the whole tribe, in open council, and by a show of hands. 

 All are of equal rank, there being no principal chiefs : 



jede-gahi (of the chiefs' party) and Na n pewa^g or Cyu-jinga (of the 

 young men's i>arty), of the $atada (G^eda n -naji n and Wacka u -ma n fi n were 

 deposed). Gahige (of the chiefs' party) and Dubama"^i n (of the young 

 men's party), of the Iilke-sabe\ 3axe-^a n ba, or Two Crows (of the young 

 men's party), and Icta-basude (of the chiefs' party), of the Haiiga. The 

 latter was substituted for his aged father, Ma"tcu-na n ba. The only 

 Ictasanda chief elected was Cange-ska, of the Ma n £inka-gaxe. Mahi n - 

 £inge, Wauijawaqg, and Ibaha n bi were ignored. 



A few months later three more were elected : Siude xa n xa n instead of 

 Wanija-waqg, of the j^a-da; Waha n -^iuge, of the je-smde; and Ibahan- 

 bi, of the Ictasanda, making ten chiefs. 



§ 287. Keepers of the sacred pipes. — These have been chiefs among the 

 Ponkas, and it seems probable that they are reckoned as such among 

 the Omahas. (See the account of the inauguration of Pouka chiefs, 

 § 289.) 



Though no council could be opened without their assistance, they 

 were not allowed to take part in any of the deliberations. (See § 296.) 



§ 288. Who can be elected chiefs. — As a rule, they must be such as 

 have wou a good reputation in the tribe. A generous man, one who 

 has given more presents or feasts than his kinsmen, stands a chance 

 of being elected a chief by and by. The presents, however, must be 

 made to the poor and aged, of those who are not kinsmen. Some- 



