RELIGION WD < EREMONIES. 101 



correct. It is true that anything strange and mysteri- 

 ous is pronounced wakan, or as having attributes 

 analogous to wakan tanka; but this seems to mean 

 supernatural. The fact is, as demonstrated by Dr. 

 J. R. Walker, that the Dakota do recognize a kind 

 of hierarchy in which the Sun stands first, or as one of 

 the wakan tanka. Of almost equal rank is the Sky, the 

 Earth, and the Rock. Next in order is another group 

 of four, the Moon (female) , Winged-one, Wind and the 

 11 Mediator" (female). Then 'come inferior beings, 

 the buffalo, bear, the four winds and the whirlwind; 

 then come four classes or groups of beings and so on 

 in almost bewildering complexity. So far as we know, 

 no other Plains tribe has worked out quite so complex 

 a conception. The Omaha wakonda is in a way like 

 the Dakota wakan tanka. The Pawnee recognized 

 a dominating power spoken of as tirawa, or, " father," 

 under whom were the heavenly bodies, the winds, the 

 thunder, lightning, and rain. The Blackfoot resolved 

 the phenomena of the universe into " powers," the 

 greatest and most universal of which was natosiwa, 

 or sun power. The sun was in a way a personal god 

 having the moon for his wife and the morningstar for 

 his son. Unfortunately, we lack data for most tribes, 

 this being a point peculiarly difficult to investigate. 

 One thing, however, is suggested. There is tendency 

 here to conceive of some all-pervading force or element 

 in the universe that emanates from an indefinite source 

 to which a special name is given, which in turn becomes 

 an attribute applicable to each and every manifesta- 



