THE WASABE-HIT`AJĬ SUBGENS.
§ 42. The name of this subgens is derived from three words: wasabe, a black bear; ha, a skin; and it`ajĭ, not to touch; meaning "Those who do not touch the skin of a black bear." The writer was told in 1879, that the uju, or principal man of this subgens, was Icta-duba, but La Flèche and Two Crows, in 1882, asserted that they never heard of an "uju" of a gens.
TENT OF AGAHA-WACUCE.
Taboo.—The members of this subgens are prohibited from touching the hide of a black bear and from eating its flesh.
Mythical origin.—They say that their ancestors were made under the ground and that they afterwards came to the surface.
§ 43. Plate II is a sketch of a tent which belonged to Agaha-wacuce, the father of [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ. Hupe¢a's father, Hupe¢a II, owned it before Agaha-wacuce obtained it. The circle at the top representing a bear's cave, is sometimes painted blue. Below the zigzag lines (representing the different kinds of thunders?) are the prints of bear's paws. This painting was not a nikie but the personal "qube" or sacred thing of the owner. The lower part of the tent was blackened with ashes or charcoal.
§ 44. Style of wearing the hair.—Four short locks are left on the head, as in the following diagram. They are about 2 inches long.
Fig. 18.—Wasabe-hit`ajĭ style of wearing the hair.
Birth-names of boys.—[P]a¢in-nanpajĭ gave the following: The first son is called Young Black bear. The second, Black bear. The third, Four Eyes, including the true eyes and the two spots like eyes that are above the eyes of a black bear. The fourth, Gray Foot. The fifth, Cries like a Raccoon. (La Flèche said that this is a Ponka name, but the Omahas now have it.) The sixth, Nídahan, Progressing toward maturity (sic). The seventh, He turns round and round suddenly (said of both kinds of bears).
§ 45. Sections of the subgens.—The Wasabe-hit`ajĭ people are divided into sections. [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ and others told the writer that they consisted of four divisions: Black bear, Raccoon, Grizzly bear, and Porcupine people. The Black bear and Raccoon people are called brothers. And when a man kills a black bear he says, "I have killed a raccoon." The young black bear is said to cry like a raccoon, hence the birth-name Miʞa-xage. The writer is inclined to think that there is some foundation for these statements, though La Flèche and Two Crows seemed to doubt them. They gave but two divisions of the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ and it may be that these two are the only ones now in existence, while there were four in ancient times. The two sections which are not doubted are the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ proper, and the Quʞa, i. e., the Raccoon people.
When they meet as a subgens, they sit thus in their circle: The Wasabe-hit`ajĭ people sit on the right of the entrance, and the Quʞa have their places on the left. But in the tribal circle the Quʞa people camp next to the Hañga Keepers of the Sacred Pole, as the former are the servants of the Hañga. The leader of the Quʞa or Singers was himself the only one who acted as quʞa, when called on to serve the Hañga. [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ's half-brother, Hupe¢a, commonly styled [T]e-da-u¢iqaga, used to be the leader. Since the Omahas have abandoned the hunt, to which this office pertained, no one has acted as quʞa; but if it were still in existence, the three brothers, Dangerous, Gihajĭ, and Man-¢i`u-ke, are the only ones from whom the quʞa could be chosen.
Quʞa men.—Dried Buffalo Skull. Dangerous. Gihajĭ. Black bear. Paws the Ground as he Reclines. Young (black bear) Runs. Mandan. Hupe¢a. Laugher. Maqpiya-qaga. [T]añga-gaxe. Crow's Head. Gray Foot. J. La Flèche said that Hupe¢a, Laugher, Maqpiya-qaga, and [T]añga-gaxe were servants of the Elk gens; but [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ, their fellow-gentile, places them among the Quʞa. (See § 143.)
In the tribal circle the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ proper camp next to the Wajiñga-¢atajĭ. These Wasabe-hit`ajĭ are the servants of the Elk people, whom they assist in the worship of the thunder-god. When this ceremony takes place there are a few of the Quʞa people who accompany the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ and act as servants. These are probably the four men referred to above. Though all of the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ proper are reckoned as servants of the Wejincte, only two of them, [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ and Sida-man¢in, take a prominent part in the ceremonies described in §§ 23, 24. Should these men die or refuse to act, other members of their Section must take their places.
Wasabe-hit`ajĭ men.—He who fears not the sight of a Pawnee. White Earth River. Four Eyes (of a black bear). Without Gall. Progressing toward maturity. Visible (object?). Gaxekati¢a.
Quʞa and Wasabe-hit`ajĭ women.—Danabi. Danama. Land Female. Minhupeg¢e. Min-ʇaninge. She who is Coming back in sight. Wetanne. Wete win.
THE WAJINGA ¢ATAJĬ SUBGENS.
§ 46. This name means, "They who do not eat (small) birds." They can eat wild turkeys, all birds of the minxa or goose genus, including ducks and cranes. When sick, they are allowed to eat prairie chickens. When members of this subgens go on the warpath, the only sacred things which they have are the g¢edan (hawk) and nickucku (martin). (See § 196.)
Style of wearing the hair.—They leave a little hair in front, over the forehead, for a bill, and some at the back of the head, for the bird's tail, with much over each ear, for the wings. La Flèche and Two Crows do not deny this; but they know nothing about it.
Curious custom during harvest.—These Wajiñga-¢atajĭ call themselves "The Blackbird people." In harvest time, when the birds used to eat the corn, the men of this subgens proceeded thus: They took some corn, which they chewed and spit around over the field. They thought that such a procedure would deter the birds from making further inroads upon the crops.
Wackan-man¢in of this subgens keeps one of the great wa¢ixabe, or sacred bags, used when a warrior's word is doubted. (See § 196.)
§ 47. Sections and subsections of the subgens.—Waniʇa-waqě of the [T]a-da gens told me that the following were the divisions of the Wajiñga-¢atajĭ but La Flèche and Two Crows deny it. It may be that these minor divisions no longer exist, or that they were not known to the two men.
I.—Hawk people, under Standing Hawk.
II.—Mañg¢iqta, or Blackbird people, under Wajina-gahige. Subsections: (a) White heads. (b) Red heads. (c) Yellow heads. (d) Red wings.
III.—Mañg¢iqta-qude, Gray Blackbird (the common starling), or Thunder people, under Wa¢idaxe. Subsections: (a) Gray Blackbirds. (b) Meadow larks. (c) Prairie-chickens; and, judging from the analogy of the Ponka Hisada, (d) Martins.
IV.—Three subsections of the Owl and Magpie people are (a) Great Owls. (b) Small Owls. (c) Magpies.
§ 48. Birth-names of boys.—The first son was called, Mañg¢iqta, Blackbird. The second, Red feathers on the base of the wings. The third, White-eyed Blackbird.