§ 280. Regulative industries are such as pertain to the government of the tribe, embracing all organizations which are "wewaspeaʇa¢ican," i. e., such as are designed to make the people behave themselves.
Everything that can be thus used is a "wewaspe." Among the former are the gentile system (Chap. III), religion, and government, with the last of which is associated the law. With the latter may be classed the sacred tents, sacred pipes, chiefs, etc. A term of broader significance is "Wakandaʇa¢ican," Pertaining to or derived from Wakanda, the Deity or Superior Being. Most of the things which are wewaspeaʇa¢ican are also Wakandaʇa¢ican, but there are things which are Wakandaʇa¢ican that are not directly connected with the government of the state, e. g., the law of catamenial seclusion.
§ 281. Governmental instrumentalities.—The following wewaspe or government instrumentalities are regarded as Wakandaʇa¢ican: The sacred pipes, including the war pipe, the calumet pipes, the sacred pole, the sacred ʇe-san-ha, or hide of a white buffalo; the clam shell, the chiefs, the keepers of the three sacred tents, the seven keepers of the sacred pipes, the gentes, subgentes, and taboos. The following are considered of human origin: The policemen and the feasting societies. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach" is a familiar saying. So feasting societies tend to promote the peace of the community, as those who eat together, or give food to one another, are bound together as friends. (See § [246].)
§ 282. Government functions.—Government functions are of three classes: legislative, executive, and judicial; but these are not fully differentiated in the Omaha state. There is a still further functional division running through the legislative, executive, and judicial departments, giving civil, military, and religious government. Among the Omahas civil and religious government are scarcely differentiated; but military government is almost entirely so. (See War Customs, Chapter [IX].)
§ 283. There does not seem to be a distinct order of priests who perform all religious functions. Some of these functions are performed by the regular chiefs, others by the keepers of the sacred pipes, others by the four wa¢an during the buffalo hunt, and others by the leaders of the dances. Conjurors also pretend to perform mysterious or sacred rites. At the same time, the functions thus performed by the chiefs, keepers of the sacred pipes, and the wa¢an are of a civil character. The chiefs are religions officers during the buffalo hunt; they are always praying to Wakanda, and showing the pipes to him. They do not act as leaders of the hunt, which is the office of the wa¢an, though they can make suggestions to the latter. They cannot draw their robes tightly around them, when they are thus praying, and they must be sober and gentle.
The keepers of the sacred pipes are regarded as chiefs in some sense, though they are not allowed to speak in the tribal assembly. "Each chief is a member of the tribal assembly, though he is not a chief by virtue of such membership, but by choice of the members of his gens." While the chieftainship is not hereditary, each chief tries to have one of his near kinsmen elected as his successor.
§ 284. Head chiefs.—Those of the highest grade are the "nikagahi uju," or principal chiefs. There have always been two of this rank among the Omahas till the late change of the government in 1880. The head chiefs have generally been chosen from the Hañgacenu gentes, though there is no law forbidding the selection of a member of one of the Ictasanda gentes.
The following is the succession of the principal chiefs of the Omahas from the time of the celebrated Black Bird:
I. Gahige-ʇañga, The Elder Gahige, commonly called Wajiñga-sabe, Black Bird, of the Man¢iñka-gaxe (an Ictasanda) gens; and [T]e-san inc`age, The Elder [T]e-san, or The Venerable man, Distant-white Buffalo, of the ₵atada (Hañgacenu) gens. II. [T]e-san inc`age (continued), and Anpan-skă, White Elk, of the Wejincte (a Hañgacenu) gens. III. [T]e-san inc`age (continued), and Anpan-ʇañga, Big Elk, of the Wejincte gens, subsequently known by his Pawnee name, Ta-i´-ki-ta´-wa-hu. This was the celebrated Big Elk mentioned by Long, Say, and others in 1819-'20. IV. Taikitawahu, and Úhan-jiñga or Waháxi, called Icta-ʇañga, Big Eyes, by the white men. The latter was an Ictasanda man. He married a sister of G¢edan-najin, and this was one reason why the latter succeeded him as one of the principal chiefs. V. In 1843, Anpan-ʇañga jiñga, the Younger Big Elk, of the Wejincte gens, and G¢edan-najin, Standing Hawk, of the ₵atada gens. Another reason for the appointment of the latter was the friendship existing between his father, [T]e-san, and Taikitawahu. VI. On the death of Anpan-ʇañga, his adopted son, Icta-manzě, Iron Eyes, or Joseph La Flèche, was made his successor, and so he and G¢edan-najin were the principal chiefs till the former was set aside. Since then there has been confusion about the head chieftainship, as well as about the chieftainship in general, ending in the election of seven chiefs of equal rank in 1880.
§ 285. Subordinate chiefs.—Next to the nikagahi uju are the under chiefs, or nikagahi, of whom the number in each tribe varies from time to time. When both of the head chiefs retire from office or die there is an entire change of the subordinate chiefs; all must resign, and others must be elected to fill their places. Thus when Anpan-ʇañga jiñga and G¢edan-najin succeeded to the head chieftainship, in 1843, fully sixty subordinate chiefs were appointed. Among these were Anba-hebe, of the [T]a-[p]a gens; Icta-duba, of the Wasabe-hit`ajĭ subgens; [P]asi-duba and Zanzi-mandě, of the [K]anze gens; Tanwan-gaxe, of the Man¢iñka-gaxe gens; and [P]a¢in-gahige, of the [T]a-[p]a. Some chiefs have been appointed by the United States Government, and so have been recognized as chiefs by the United States agent in his councils with the tribe; but these are distinct from the regular chiefs. In 1878 the writer found three of this kind of chiefs among the Omahas. They had been appointed by the United States about the year 1869. Cañge-skă was made chief in the place of Tanwan-gaxe; Ibahanbi, instead of his father, Wanuʞige, of the Ictasanda gens; and Waniʇa-waqě, the keeper of the sacred pipe of the [T]a-[p]a was the third.