SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF WINNEBAGO INDIANS. 
21 
I. According to colour. II. According to physiological 
characteristics. III. According to social functions. IV. De- 
scriptive of animal and plant forms. V. Descriptive of animal 
characteristics. VI. Descriptive of natural phenomena. VII. 
According to quality. VIII. According to episodes of a legend- 
ary origin. IX. Descriptive of personal achievement. 
According to practically all informants only one of these 
classifications is present in the minds of the Winnebago to-day — 
that commemorating incidents relating to the origin of each 
clan. Thus, for instance, because the first thunderbird lit on 
a tree, the name He-who-lights-on-a-tree exists; because a wave 
swept over the shore in the wolf myth, we have the name Wave; 
etc. However, the most representative names of this type 
are such as Gives-forth-fruit-as-he-walks, Makes- the-day- tremble, 
He-who-comes-singing, Judge-of-the-contest, etc. The vast ma- 
jority of names, although many can be interpreted as possible 
episodes of the clan ancestors, belong under the first seven 
categories described above. Yet the Winnebago interpret them 
all in terms of category VIII. Can we accept this present 
interpretation as historically primary ? We think not. A 
large number of the clan names are purely descriptive of animal 
habits, others express the influence of social organization, for 
instance “Soldier” in the Bear clan, “Chief” in the Thunderbird, 
and others refer to personal achievements, etc.; secondly, the 
interpretation is of too specific a nature to be regarded as one 
that could possibly have dictated an original system of naming; 
and, thirdly, in spite of its prevalence, other systems of inter- 
pretations are present. For example, the interpretations ob- 
tained by J. 0. Dorsey are largely symbolical, and make no men- 
tion of the one we found so prevalent. A purely symbolical inter- 
pretation was, it is true, obtained in some cases, notably from 
what one might call the “exoteric” members of the tribe, that is, 
from those who were insufficiently acquainted with the clan 
myths and customs. Another type of name characteristically 
developed among the Omaha and Central Algonkins, is the so- 
called “dream-name,” a name supposed to represent some 
incident connected with the dream of the individual bestowing 
it. In all these cases we are speaking of the specific names. 
