A Life Symbol Sent to Each of the Officiating Gentes
When all the Noⁿ´-hoⁿ-zhiⁿ-ga had settled down in their places, and had exchanged with each other the usual social greetings, Shoⁿ´-ge-moⁿ-iⁿ opens the proceedings with a formal statement, setting forth the purpose of the gathering and adding some pertinent remarks concerning the ancient rite of naming the children and their formal recognition as members of the tribe. He then goes on to the ceremony of distributing the fees and the symbolic articles to be used in the rite. The distribution was made in the following order:
1. To the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi, Star gens of the Wa-zha´-zhe subdivision of the Hoⁿ´-ga great division, he sent, by the Sho´-ḳa, cedar fronds with fee. The cedar is a life symbol of the Wa´-ṭse-ṭsi gens.
2. To the Tho´-xe, Buffalo-bull gens, of the Ṭsi´-zhu great division, a bowl of shelled corn with fee. The maize is one of the life symbols of the Tho´-xe.
3. To the Noⁿ´-poⁿ-da, Deer gens of the Wa-zha´-zhe subdivision of the Hoⁿ´-ga great division, a bowl of water with fee. Water is one of the life symbols of the Noⁿ´-poⁿ-da.
4. To the Çiⁿ´-dse-a-gthe, Wolf-tail gens, of the Ṭsi´-zhu great division, fee only. The sun is one of the life symbols of this gens. The Dog-star is also one of its symbols.
5. I´-ba-ṭse Ṭa-dse, Wind gens of the Hoⁿ´-ga subdivision of the Hoⁿ´-ga great division, a bowl of shelled corn. The Tho´-xe authorized the I´-ba-ṭse to use the maize ritual. This gens also has the office of performing the ceremonies by which the souls of warriors slain in battle are sent direct to the spirit land.