ANTHROPOLOGY: A. C. FLETCHER 
569 
THE CHILD AND THE TRIBE 
By Alice C. Fletcher 
PEABOBY MUSEUM. HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
Presented lo the Academy, November 11,1915 
In a previous article, 'The Indian and Nature/ (These Proceedings, 
1, 467) I outlined the Siouan Indian's conception of Nature and his 
attempt to reflect that conception in his tribal rites and gentile organi- 
zation. The new born child was regarded as 'a new life' that had come 
'into the midst' of the various forms of nature. The babe had no per- 
sonal place in the tribe until it became old enough to pass through the 
ceremony called by the Omaha 'Turning the Child,' by which it entered 
the tribe and received one of the names belonging to its father's village 
(gens). This change in the status of the child was effected through the 
presence during the ceremony of those dual forces by which Wakonda, 
it was believed, had brought all forms into being and made their 
perpetuity possible, namely, the masculine element resident in the Sky, 
and the feminine element dwelling in the Earth, the former was repre- 
sented by the 'Four Winds' invoked by the priest in the opening ritual 
song, and the latter was present in the Stone upon which the child was 
'turned' by the priest and made to face successively the four directions. 
It is to be noted, that during this important ceremony the parents of 
the child were not present within the sacred tent, nor did they have any 
part in the rite. The dual forces alone became responsible for the birth 
of the child into the tribal organization. No stronger or more practi- 
cal evidence could be given to show the vital character of the 
Indian's belief in what he conceived to be the established order of 
Nature, than this surrender of his child to that order as manifested in 
the rites and organization of the tribe. 
Through this ceremony, not only did the child enter into its place in 
the tribe, but at that time it took its first authorized steps in 'the path 
of life.' The Omaha ritual song that accompanies these intial steps 
of the child, sets forth wherein, the Indian believed, lay the power 
through which man received the ability 'to stand' and to 'go forth' in 
Hfe. (A free translation of the song is here given.) 
Here unto you has been spoken the truth, 
Because of this truth, you shall stand. 
Here, declared is the truth! 
Here in this place has been shown you the truth; 
Therefore, Arise, go forth in its strength. 
