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 Washington:

First phratry

GentesSubgentes
1. Tu'-nan-p'in, Black bear. Tohin and Çiʞre wonañe were chiefs of this gens in 1880. Tohin kept the sacred pipe.1. Ta'po-çka, a large black bear with a white spot on the chest.
2. Pŭn'-xa çka, a black bear with a red nose; literally, Nose White.
3. Mŭn-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. Ma'-hin was a chief of this gens.1. Cŭn'-tan çka, White-wolf.
2. Cŭn'-tan çe-we, Black-wolf.
3. Cŭn'-tan qo'-ʇɔe, Gray-wolf.
4. Ma-nyi'-ka-qçi', Coyote.
3. Tce'-xi-ta, Eagle and Thunder-being gens.1. Na' tci-tce', i.e. Qra'-qtci, Real or Golden eagle.
2. Qra' hŭñ'-e, Ancestral or Gray eagle.
3. Qra' ʞre'-ye, Spotted-eagle.
4. Qra' pa çan; Bald-eagle.
4. Qo'-ta-tci, Elk; now extinct. The Elk gens funished the soldiers or policemen.1. Ŭn'-pe-xa qan'-ye, Big-elk.
2. Ŭn'-pe-xa yiñ'-e, Young-elk (?).
3. Ŭn'-pe-xa ɔ́re'-ʇɔe yiñ'-e, Elk-somewhat-long.
4. Ho'-ma yiñ'-e, Young elk (?). The difference between Ŭn'pexa and Homa is unknown. The former may be the archaic name for "elk."
5. Pa'-qça, Beaver. Probably the archaic name, as beaver is now ra-we. The survivors of this gens have joined the Pa-ça or Beaver gens of the Oto tribe.1. Ra-we' qan'ye, Big-Beaver.
2. Ra-ɔ́ro'-ʇɔe, meaning unknown.
3. Ra-we' yiñ'-e, Young-beaver.
4. Ni'wan-ci'-ke, Water-person.

Second phratry

6. Ru'-tce, Pigeon1. Min-ke' qan'-ye, Big-raccoon.
2. Min-ke'yiñ'-e, Young-raccoon
3. Ru'-tce yiñ'-e, Young-pigeon.
4. Ɔo'-ke, Prairie-chicken, grouse.
7. A'-ru-qwa, Buffalo1. Tce-ʇo qan'-ye, Big-buffalo-bull.
2. Tce-ʇo yiñ'-o, Young-buffalo-bull.
3. Tce-p'o'-cke yiñ'-e, Young-buffalo-bull-that-is-distended (?).
4. Tce-yiñ'-ye, Buffalo-calf.
8. Wa-kan', Snake. An extinct gens.1. Wa-kan' ɔ́i, Yellow-snake, i.e., Rattlesnake.
2. Wa-kan'-qtci, Real-snake, (named after a species shorter than the rattlesnake).
3. Ce'-ke yiñ'-e, Small or young ceke, the copperhead snake (?).
4. Wa-kan' qo'-ʇɔe, Gray-snake (a long snake, which the Omaha call swift blue snake).
9. Mañ'-ko-ke, Owl. Extinct.The names of the subgentes have been forgotten.

An account of the mythical origin of each Iowa gens, first recorded by the Reverend William Hamilton, has been published in the Journal of American Folk-lore.[7]

The visiting and marriage customs of the Iowa did not differ from those of the cognate tribes, nor did their management of the children differ from that of the Dakota, the Omaha, and others.

Murder was often punished with death, by the nearest of kin or by[pg 240] some friend of the murdered person. Sometimes, however, the murderer made presents to the avengers of blood, and was permitted to live.