The Child-naming ritual of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens of the Osage
tribe, here recorded, was given by Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ, a member of the
Ba´-po subgens of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge gens. The name Ba´-po
(Popper in English), Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ explained, is the name of the
elder tree, the trunk of which boys, from time reaching beyond memory,
used for making poppers. The name refers to a mythical story and to a
ceremonial office. The mythical story is as follows: When the people of
the Ṭsi´-zhu great division descended from the sky to make the earth
their home they came down as eagles, and they alighted on a great red
oak tree. The shock of their alighting caused the acorns to drop from
the tree in great profusion, which was taken as a prophecy that the
Ṭsi´-zhu would become a numerous people. One eagle was crowded off the
tree, but as he dropped down he alighted upon a blossoming elder tree.
This eagle was a peace bird and his alighting on the ba´-po tree made
it to become a peace symbol. The Ba´-po subgens was given the office of
furnishing a pipestem for the peace pipe in the keeping of the Ṭsi´-zhu
Wa-shta-ge gens, and the Ba´-po made the stem of an elder sapling a
symbol of peace.
When Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ is called by a member of the Ṭsi´-zhu Wa-shta-ge
gens to act as Xo´-ḳa (instructor) in the ceremonial naming of his
child he goes to the house of the father without any formality. Usually
the call is made when the sun is traveling downward (afternoon); when
he receives the message he promptly responds to the call. On his
arrival at the house the father, in a formal speech, informs him that
his summons was for the purpose of asking him to conduct the ceremonies
to be performed at the naming of his child. When Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ gives
his consent to officiate at the ceremony the fees for the men who are
to take part are placed before him. These he examines to make sure that
there are enough articles to go around, and to see if the man had also
provided a pipe for the Sho´-ḳa or Official Messenger.
CERTAIN GENTES CALLED TO TAKE PART IN THE CEREMONY
Being satisfied that the man had supplied all the necessary articles,
he places in the hands of the father the ceremonial pipe and bids
him go after the Sho´-ḳa of the gens. The father returns with the
messenger who was already invested with the little pipe, the badge of
his authority. When the two men had taken their seats Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ
directs the Sho´-ḳa to go and call the heads of the following gentes,
with their Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga members, to come to the house of the
father, at sunrise the next morning, to take part in the ceremonies of
naming his child:
1. Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi, of the Wa-zha´-zhe subdivision, to recite their
wi´-gi-e relating to their life symbol, the red cedar. (36th Ann. Rept.
Bur. Amer. Ethn., p. 95, lines 1 to 34.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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