HORSEY.] 



INAUGURATION OF OMAHA CHIEFS. 



361 



— The Omaha style of bauga- 



The only clothing worn by the chiefs during this ceremony consists of 

 moccasins, leggings, breech-cloths, and buffalo robes, with the hair out- 

 side. The place of meeting is the earth-lodge 

 belonging to one of the principal chiefs. Be- 

 sides the chiefs, only a few very brave men 

 are admitted to witness the ceremony and to 

 act as servants. The keepers of the sacred 

 pipes are there ; and the two old men of the 

 Hauga who keep the sacred tents, sit by the 

 door, as the wagfa, to get wood and water, 

 and to attend to the boiling of the food for 

 the feast. The rest of the people, including 

 the brave men and the young men, are not 

 invited to the feast, but they can sit outside 

 the lodge. When the crier says, "Ca"afa, 

 u+ ! " the candidates know that he refers to 

 them, so they and the people hasten to the 

 earth-lodge. (See Fig. 2, § 18.) 



The brave young men may be selected from 

 each gens to hand around the food ; and one of the principal chiefs calls 

 on two by name to lade out the food. 



The principal chief who is about to retire tells each new chief where 

 he must sit in the circle of chiefs, and to whatever place he is thus as- 

 signed he must regard that as his seat in the assembly from that time 

 on. The seat in question is resigned to the new chief by one of the re- 

 tiring chiefs, except when some of the subordinate chiefs vacate their 

 places to move nearer to the head chiefs, in which case the new chiefs 

 are told to take the places thus vacated. 



When one of the head chiefs resigns all of the subordinate chiefs 

 change their places in the council, moving nearer to the seats of the 

 principal chiefs. But should the principal chiefs so desire it some of the 

 new chiefs may occupy the seats near them, being promoted over some 

 of the subordinates. A new chief did not always succeed a retiring chief 

 of the same gens. 



Theretiriug head chief then exhorts each new chief thus : " If you 

 get in a bad humor Wakanda will do so to you. Do not lie lest the 

 people speak of you as lying chiefs and refuse to obey you." 



§ 290. The tribal assembly or council. — This is composed of the chiefs 

 alone. The common people have no voice in it. When there is any 

 very important business the young men and all the people are informed 

 of it after the meeting of the council. When the chiefs are thus as- 

 sembled, they are not always invited to a feast ; but the two sacred pipes 

 were always carried around the circle. (See § 18.) 



The principal chiefs did not act without consulting the other chiefs. 

 They used to call them together and submit to them any important 

 questions that had arisen, saying first to one then to another, " What 



