Siouan Sociology Part 5

7. ?un, Thunder-being, or Tsi'hacin, Camp-last, or Ma'xe, Upper-world people, or Ni?'ka wakan'?a?i, Mysterious-male-being. Subgentes not recorded.

On the right (Han?a or Wa?a?e) side of the circle are the following:

8. Wa?a'?e Wanun', Elder Osage, composed of six of the seven Osage fireplaces, as follows: _a_, Wa?a'?e ska', White Osage; _b_, Ke k'in', Turtle-carriers; _c_, Wake'e ste'tse, Tall-flags(?), Ehnan' min'tse tun', They-alone-have-bows, or Minke'e ste'tse, Tall-flags; _d_, Ta a'xu, Deer-lights, or Ta i'ni?k'acin'a, Deer people; _e_, Hu i'niqk'acin'a, Fish people; _f_, Nan'panta, a deer gens, called by some Ke ?a'tsu, Turtle-with-a-serrated-crest-along-the-sh.e.l.l (probably a water monster, as there is no such species of turtle).

9. Han'?a uta'antsi, Han?a-apart-from-the-rest, or Qua'qtsi i'ni?-k'acin'a, Real eagle people-the War eagle gens, and one of the original Han?a fireplaces. The soldiers or policemen from the right side are chosen from the eighth and ninth gentes.

10. The leading gens on the right side of the circle, and one of the original seven Osage fireplaces. Pan?'ka wacta'?e, Ponka peace-maker, according to a Tsi?u man; in two subgentes, _a_, Tse'wae, Pond-lily, and _b_, Waca'*d*e, Dark-buffalo; but according to Pan?'ka wa?a'yin?a, a member of the gens, his people have three subgentes, _a_, Wake'e, Flags; _b_, Wa'tsetsi, meaning, perhaps, Has-come hither (tsi)-after-touching-the-foe (watse); _c_, Quntse', Red cedar.

11. Han'?a a'hu tun', Han?a-having-wings, or Hu'sa?a, Limbs-stretched-stiff, or Qu i'ni?k'acin'a, White-eagle people, in two subgentes, which were two of the original Han?a fireplaces: _a_, Hu'sa?a Wanun', Elder Husa?a; _b_, Hu'sa?a, those wearing four locks of hair resembling those worn by the second division of the Wasape tun.

12. Wasa'*d*e tun, Having-black-bears. In two parts, which were originally two of the Han?a fireplaces: A, Sintsa?se, Wearing-a-tail- (or lock)-of-hair-on-the-head; in two subgentes, (_a_) Wasa*d*e, Black bear, or Han'?a Wa'ts'ekawa' (meaning not learned); (_b_) In?un'?a ?iu'?a, Small cat. B, Wasa'*d*e tun, Wearing-four-locks-of-hair, in two subgentes, (_a_) Minxa'ska, Swan; (_b_) Tse'wae qe'?a, Dried pond-lily.

13. ?'pqan, Elk, one of the seven Han?a fireplaces.

14. Kan'se, Kansa, or I'*d*ats'e, Holds-a-firebrand-to-the-sacred-pipes-in-order-to-light-them, or A'k'a i'ni?ak'acin'a, South-wind people, or Tatse' i'ni?k'acin'a, Wind people, or Pe'tse i'ni?k'acin'a, Fire people. One of the seven Han?a fireplaces.

The following social divisions cannot be identified: ?a'*d*e i'ni?k'acin'a, Beaver people, said to be a subgens of the Wa?a?e, no gens specified; Pe'tqan i'ni?k'acin'a, Crane people, said to be a subgens of the Han?a(?) sintsa?e; Wapun'?a i'ni?k'acin'a, Owl people; Manyin'?a i'ni?k'acin'a, Earth people; *d*aqpu' i'ni?k'acin'a, meaning not recorded.

There is some uncertainty respecting the true positions of a few subgentes in the camping circle. For instance, Alvin Wood said that the Tsewae qe?a formed the fourth subgens of the Tse ??'?a intse; but this was denied by ?ahi?e wa?ayin?a, of the Tsi'?u wacta'?e, who said that it belonged to the Pan?ka wacta?e prior to the extinction of the subgens. Tsepa ?axe of the Wasape gens said that it formed the fourth subgens of his own people. Some make the Tsi?u wacta?e the third gens on the left, instead of the fourth.

According to ?ahi?e wa?ayin?a, "All the Wa?a?e gentes claim to have come from the water, so they have ceremonies referring to beavers, because those animals swim in the water." The same authority said in 1883 that there were seven men who acted as wacta?e, as follows: 1, Ka?i?e wacta?e, of the Tsi?u wacta?e subgens, who had acted for eight years; 2, Pahu-ska, of the Bald-eagle or Qua pa san subgens; 3, ?eman, Clermont, of the ki*d*anan of the Tsi?u wehakie or Night gens; 6, Pan?ka wa?ayin?a, Saucy Ponka, of the Wa'tsetsi or Ponka gens; 7, Ni?ka wa?in tana, of the same gens.

On the death of the head chief among the Osage the leading men call a council. At this council four men are named as candidates for the office, and it is asked, "Which one shall be appointed?" At this council a cuka of the Watsetsi (Ponka gens, or else from some other gens on the right) carries his pipe around the circle of councilors from right to left, while a Tsi?u cuka (one of the Tsi?u wacta?e gens, or else one from some other gens on the left) carries the other pipe around from left to right. The ceremonies resemble the Ponka ceremonies for making chiefs. When the chiefs a.s.semble in council a member of the Kanse or I*d*ats'e gens (one on the right) lights the pipes. The criers are chosen from the Kanse, ?pqan, and Min k'in gentes. The Tsi?u Sintsa?e and Tse ???a intse gentes furnish the soldiers or policemen for the Tsi?u wacta?e. A similar function is performed for the Pan?ka wacta?e by the Wa?a?e wanun and Han?a u?aantsi gentes. The Sintsa?e and Han?a u?aautsi are "aki?a watan?a," chiefs of the soldiers; the Tse???a intse and Wa?a?e Wanun being ordinary soldiers, i.e., subordinate to the others. The Wa?a?e Ke k'in are the moccasin makers for the tribe. It is said that in the olden days the members of this gens used turtle sh.e.l.ls instead of moccasins, with leeches for strings. The makers of the war-standards and war-pipes must belong to the Wa?a?e ska.

Saucy Chief is the authority for the following: "Should all the Osage wish to dwell very near another tribe, or in case two or three families of us wish to remove to another part of the reservation, we let the others know our desire to live near them. We make up prizes for them-a pony, a blanket, strouding, etc-and we ask them to race for them. The fastest horse takes the first prize, and so on. We take along a pipe and some sticks-one stick for each member of the party that is removing. The other people meet us and race with us back to their home. They make us sit in a row; then one of their men or children brings a pipe to one of our party to whom he intends giving a horse. The pipe is handed to the rest of the party. The newcomers are invited to feasts, all of which they are obliged to attend." When the Osage go on the hunt the Tsi?u wacta?e (chief) tells the Sintsa?e and Tse ???a intse where the people must camp. The following evening the Pan?ka wacta?e (chief) tells the soldiers on his side (the Wa?a?e and Han?a u?aantsi) where the camp must be on the following day.

The members of the four gentes of soldiers or policemen meet in council and decide on the time for departure. They consult the Tsi?u wacta?e and Han?a (Pan?ka wacta?e?) who attend the council. The crier is generally a man of either the ?pqan or Kanse gens, but sometimes a Min k'in man acts.

The four leaders of the soldier gentes call on the crier to proclaim the next camping place, etc, which he does thus:

"Ha+! | han'*d*a | ?asin'|?an | awahe'?un | tatsi' | a'pin?au+! | Ha+!

| (Ni?u'tse | masin'ta)

Halloo! | day | tomorrow |on | you make up in packs | shall | they really say | Halloo! | Missouri river | on the other side

tci' | i'hea'e | ta'tsi | a'*d*intau+!"

tent {?} | you place in a line {?} | shall | they really say.

which is to say, "Halloo! tomorrow morning you shall pack your goods (strike camp). Halloo! you shall lay them down, after reaching (the other side of Missouri river)!"

Then the four leaders of the soldier gentes choose a'ki?a (policemen) who have a ?u?an'han?a or captain, who then acts as crier in giving orders, thus:

"Ha+! | ni'kawasa'e! | Ha+! | ?ahi'?e | wa?a'yin?a | ni'kawasa'e! | a'aki'?a | tatsi'

Halloo! | O warrior! | Halloo, | Chief | Saucy! | O warrior! | you guard | shall

a*d*intau' | ni'kawasa'e!"

they say really | O warrior!

which means, "Halloo, O warrior! Halloo, O warrior, Saucy Chief! They have really said that you shall act as policeman or guard, O warrior!"

These a'ki?a have to punish any persons who violate the laws of the hunt.

But there is another grade of men; the four leaders of the soldier gentes tell the captain to call certain men wa'pa?a'?i utsin', and they are expected to punish any a'ki?a who fail to do their duty. Supposing Min k'in wa?ayin?a was selected, the crier would say:

"Ha+! ni'kawasa'e! Ha+, Min k'in' wa?a'yin?a n'ikawasa'e! Ha+! ua'tsin tatsi' a'*d*intau', ni'kawasa'e!"

"Halloo, O warrior! Halloo, O warrior, Saucy Sun Carrier! Halloo, it has been really said that you shall strike the offenders without hesitation, O warrior!"

The four headmen direct a captain to order a Han?a u?aantsi man to lead the scouts, and subsequently to call on a Sintsa?e man for that purpose, alternating between the two sides of the camping circle. There are thus three grades of men engaged in the hunt-the ordinary members of the soldier gentes, the aki?a, and the wapa?a?i utsin.

Should the Osage be warring against the Kansa or any other tribe, and one of the foe slip into the Osage camp and beg for protection of the Tsi?u wacta?e (chief), the latter is obliged to help the suppliant. He must send for the Sintsa?e and Tse ???a intse (leaders), whom he would thus address: "I have a man whom I wish to live. I desire you to act as my soldiers." At the same time the Tsi?u wacta?e would send word to the Pan?ka wacta?e, who would summon a Wa?a?e and a Han?a utaantsi to act as his soldiers or policemen. Meantime the kettle of the Tsi?u wacta?e was hung over the fire as soon as possible and food was cooked and given to the fugitive. When he had eaten (a mouthful) he was safe. He could then go through the camp with impunity. This condition of affairs lasted as long as he remained with the tribe, but it terminated when he returned to his home. After food had been given to the fugitive by the Tsi?u wacta?e any prominent man of the tribe could invite the fugitive to a feast.

The privilege of taking care of the children was given to the Tsi?u wacta?e and the Pan?ka wacta?e, according to Saucy Chief. When a child (on the Tsi?u side) is named, a certain old man is required to sing songs outside of the camp, dropping some tobacco from his pipe down on the toes of his left foot as he sings each song. On the first day the old man of the Tsi?u (wacta?e?) takes four grains of corn, one grain being black, another red, a third blue, and a fourth white, answering to the four kinds of corn dropped by the four buffalo, as mentioned in the tradition of the Osage. After chewing the four grains and mixing them with his saliva, he pa.s.ses them between the lips of the child to be named. Four stones are put into a fire, one stone toward each of the four quarters. The Tsi?u old man orders some cedar and a few blades of a certain kind of gra.s.s that does not die in winter, to be put aside for his use on the second day. On the second day, before sunrise, the Tsi?u old man speaks of the cedar tree and its branches, saying, "It shall be for the children." Then he mentions the river, the deep holes in it, and its branches, which he declares shall be medicine in future for the children. He takes the four heated stones, places them in a pile, on which he puts the gra.s.s and cedar. Over this he pours water, making steam, over which the child is held. Then four names are given by the headman of the gens to the father, who selects one of them as the name for the child. Meantime men of different gentes bring cedar, stones, etc, and perform their respective ceremonies. The headman (Tsi?u wacta?e?) takes some of the water (into which he puts some cedar), giving four sips to the child. Then he dips his own left hand into the water and rubs the child down the left side, from the top of the head to the feet; next he rubs it in front, then down the right side, and finally down the back. He invites all the women of his gens who wish to be blessed to come forward, and he treats them as he did the infant. At the same time the women of the other gentes are blessed in like manner by the headmen of their respective gentes.

THE IOWA

The Iowa camping circle was divided into two half-circles, occupied by two phratries of four gentes each. The first phratry regulated the hunt and other tribal affairs during the autumn and winter; the second phratry took the lead during the spring and summer. The author is indebted to the late Reverend William Hamilton for a list of the Iowa gentes, obtained in 1880 during a visit to the tribe. Since then the author has recorded the following list of gentes and subgentes, with the aid of a delegation of the Iowa who visited Was.h.i.+ngton:

_First phratry_

_Gentes_ _Subgentes_ 1. Tu'-nan-p'in, Black 1. Ta'po-cka, a large bear. Tohin and ci?re black bear with a white wonane were chiefs of spot on the chest.

this gens in 1880. Tohin 2. Pun'-xa cka, a black kept the sacred pipe. bear with a red nose; literally, Nose White.

3. Mun-tci'-nye, Young black bear, a short black bear.

4. Ki'-ro-ko'-qo-tce, a small reddish black bear, motherless; it has little hair and runs swiftly.

2. Mi-tci'-ra-tce, Wolf. 1. Cun'-tan cka, Ma'-hin was a chief of White-wolf.

this gens. 2. Cun'-tan ce-we, Black-wolf.

3. Cun'-tan qo'-??e, Gray-wolf.

4. Ma-nyi'-ka-qci', Coyote.

3. Tce'-xi-ta, Eagle and 1. Na' tci-tce', i.e.

Thunder-being gens. Qra'-qtci, Real or Golden eagle.

2. Qra' hun'-e, Ancestral or Gray eagle.

3. Qra' ?re'-ye, Spotted-eagle.

4. Qra' pa can; Bald-eagle.

4. Qo'-ta-tci, Elk; now 1. Un'-pe-xa qan'-ye, extinct. The Elk gens Big-elk.

funished the soldiers or 2. Un'-pe-xa yin'-e, policemen. Young-elk (?).

3. Un'-pe-xa ?'re'-??e yin'-e, Elk-somewhat-long.

4. Ho'-ma yin'-e, Young elk (?). The difference between Un'pexa and Homa is unknown. The former may be the archaic name for "elk."

5. Pa'-qca, Beaver. 1. Ra-we' qan'ye, Probably the archaic Big-Beaver.

name, as beaver is now 2. Ra-?'ro'-??e, meaning ra-we. The survivors of unknown.

this gens have joined the 3. Ra-we' yin'-e, Pa-ca or Beaver gens of Young-beaver.

the Oto tribe. 4. Ni'wan-ci'-ke, Water-person.

_Second phratry_