34 
MUSEUM BULLETIN NO. 10. 
the tribal reverence is centred. Historically, we believe that 
these were originally possessions of an individual clan, which 
subsequently became identified with the entire tribe. Among 
the Winnebago nothing in the remotest manner comparable to 
these clan possessions exists, and the few specific objects pos- 
sessed by the clan have never become of real tribal significance. 
The specific material possessions of the clan consist of 
certain war-bundles, one in each clan; and two crooks in the 
possession of the Bear clan. Of more general possession are the 
war clubs, of which there are two types, one found among the 
waygeregi, the other among the mqnegi divisions. In connexion 
with the clan-bundles there are certain ceremonials known as 
clan-bundle or war-bundle feasts, popularly as winter feasts. 
The distribution of the clan-bundle differentiates these from the 
specific possessions of the Omaha clans, and suggests a hint as to 
their historical associations. To all intents and purposes, as 
their individual history shows, these bundles are merely gifts 
from one spirit, the thunderbird, and a secondarily associated 
night-spirit ( hqhe ). The winter feast might thus be interpreted 
as a society of those who have obtained blessings from the 
thunderbird. The bundle remains in the possession of a certain 
family, however, and cannot pass out of the clan. The war- 
bundle may, therefore, be said to be primarily the personal 
possession of a family which has become associated with all the 
members of the clan to such an extent that it is almost regarded 
as a clan possession. 
In the possession of the two crooks by the Bear clan we have 
an example of specific clan property. The crooks are in the 
nature of emblems and are used on the warpath to indicate the 
extreme line of advance. They are thus of tribal significance. 
When not in use, they are kept in the lodge of the Bear clan. 
Immaterial Possessions of the Clan . 
Although there are no specific material possessions, each 
clan possesses a type of what might be called "immaterial” 
possessions. These all have the added connotation of sacred- 
ness. For the bird clans, this is the possession of fire; for the 
