dohbby.] INTERNATIONAL, MILITARY, AND RELIGIOUS LAWS. 369 



The Omahas were afraid to abandon tbeir aged on the prairie when 

 away from their permanent villages lestWakanda should punish them. 



The most common offenses against religious law were murder and ac- 

 cidental killing. 



§ 310. Murder.— Murder of a fellow Omaba has been of rare occur- 

 rence. Drunkenness alone has caused two men to kill each other in a 

 few cases; but owing to it there have been more instances of murder 

 and manslaughter. Before liquor was introduced there were no mur- 

 ders, even when men quarreled. The murder of a fellow clansman was 

 unknown, except in a few cases of parricide, caused by drunkenness. 

 Parents never killed their children. About thirty-two years ago a man 

 killed his uncle to avenge the murder of another uncle by a drunken 

 son. Over sixty years ago a Ponka married an Omaha woman, and 

 remained with her tribe. His mother-in-law was a very bad old woman, 

 so he killed her. No Omaha ever killed an affinity. 



Murder might be punished by taking the life of the murderer, or that 

 of one of his clansmen. When one man killed another, the kinsmen 

 of the murdered man wished to avenge his death, but the chiefs and 

 brave men usually interposed. Sometimes they showed one of the 

 sacred pipes; but they always took presents, and begged the kinsmen 

 to let the offender live. Sometimes the kinsmen of the murderer went 

 alone to meet the avengers; sometimes they took with them the chiefs 

 and brave men ; sometimes the chiefs, braves, and generous men went 

 without the kinsmen of the murderer. Sometimes the avengers re- 

 fused to receive the presents, and killed the murderer. Even when 

 one of them was willing to receive them, it was in vain if the others 

 refused. 



When the life of the murderer was spared, he was obliged to submit 

 to punishment from two to four years. He must walk barefoot. He 

 could eat no warm food; he could not raise his voice; nor could he look 

 around. He was compelled to pull his robe around him, and to have it 

 tied at the neck, even in warm weather; he could not let it hang loosely 

 or fly open. He could not move his hands about, but was obliged to 

 keep them close to his body. He could not comb his hair; and it must 

 not be blown about by the wind. He was obliged to pitch bis tent about 

 a quarter of a mile from the rest of the tribe when they were going on 

 the hunt lest the ghost of his victim should raise a high wiud, which 

 might cause damage. Only one of his kindred was allowed to remain 

 with him at his teut. No one wished to eat with him, for they said, "If 

 we eat with him whom Wakanda hates, for his crime, Wakanda will 

 hate us." Sometimes he wandered at night, crying and lamenting his 

 offense. At the end of the designated period, the kindred of the mur- 

 dered man heard his crying and said, "It is enough. Begone, and walk 

 among the crowd. Put on moccasins and wear a good robe." Should 

 a man get a bad reputation on account of being quarrelsome, his gens 

 might refuse to defend him. Even if the kindred were sad when he 

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