I am indebted to Mr. Vince Dillon, of Fairfax, Okla., for permitting me to use a photograph he had made of two little Osages showing symbolic hair cut of one of them. Also to Joe Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ for the loan of a photograph of his two daughters. Joe is the son of Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ, who recorded the second version of the child-naming ceremony. [Illustration: BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT PLATE 1 WA-XTHI´-ZHI (I^N-GTHO^N´-GA (PUMA) GENS)] [Illustration: BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT PLATE 2 SHO^N´-GE-MO^N-I^N (ṬSI´-ZHU WA-SHTA-GE GENS)] CHILD-NAMING RITUALS To a self-respecting Osage husband and wife, the ceremonial naming of their first three sons and their first three daughters is of the utmost importance. The couple regard the performing of the ceremony as a sacred duty to their children which must never be neglected. Each of these sons and daughters must be named according to the rites prescribed by the ancient Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga. Until the ceremonial naming the child has no place in the gentile organization, and it is not even regarded as a person. Every one of these three sons and three daughters has a special kinship term which can be used only by the father, the mother, and the nearest relatives. These special kinship terms, as observed in their sequence, are as follows: Sons Daughters Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´. Mi´-noⁿ. Kshoⁿ´-ga. Wi´-he. Ḳa´-zhiⁿ-ga. Çi´-ge or A-çiⁿ´-ga. All the sons born after the third one are Ḳa´-zhiⁿ-ga, and all the daughters born after the third one, Çi´-ge or A-çiⁿ´-ga. To each of the first six children belongs a distinctive gentile personal name, spoken of as: iⁿ-gthoⁿ´ zha-zhe (Iⁿ-gthoⁿ´ name), mi´-noⁿ zha-zhe (Mi´-noⁿ name), etc. These names must always be ceremonially conferred upon the newly born child. All the other sons and daughters are named without any formality because the ceremony performed for the Ḳa´-zhiⁿ-ga and the Çi´-ge serves for the other children that may follow. These distinctive gentile names may be designated as gentile birth names. BIRTH NAMES OF THE PUMA GENS The gentile birth names of the Puma gens, as given by Wa-xthi´-zhi, are as follows: THE FIRST THREE SONS 1. Mi´-wa-ga-xe, Child-of-the-sun. This name is commemorative of the talk that took place between the “Little Ones” and the Sun when they went to him to ask for aid as they were about to come to the earth, their future home. In asking for aid, the “Little Ones” addressed the Sun as grandfather, and the Sun, in reply, said to them: “It is true that you are my children.” Hence the name, Mi´-wa-ga-xe, Child-of-the-sun. The name is mentioned in the Naming Ritual of the Puma gens. (See p. 41, lines 24 to 27.)