The warriors and the leaders blacken their faces with charcoal and rub mud over them. They wear buffalo robes with the hair out, if they can get them, and over them they rub white clay. The messengers or wag¢a also wear plumes in their hair and gird themselves with macakan, or women's pack-straps. All must fast for four days. When they have been absent for that period they stop fasting and wash their faces.
§ 192. Uninvited followers.—When a man notices others with weapons, and detects other signs of warlike preparation, should he wish to join the party he begs moccasins, etc., from his kindred. When he is ready he goes directly after the party. The following day, when the warriors take their seats, the follower sits in sight of them, but at some distance. When one of the servants spies him he says to his captain, "Núdanhañgá, ¢éʇa aká win´ atíi hă."—O war chief! this one in the rear has come. Then the captain says to all the warriors, "Hau, níkawasan´, íbahanba hinbé ctĭ ¢awái-gă. Man´ tě ctĭ wégaskan¢ái-gà."—Ho, warriors! recognise him, if you can, and count your moccasins (to see if you can spare him any). Examine your arrows, too. Then a servant is sent to see who the follower is. On his return he says, "War-chief (or captain), it is he," naming the man. The captain has no set reply; sometimes he says, "Ho, warriors! the man is active. Go after him. He can aid us by killing game." Or he may say, "Hau, nikawasan´! ní é¢i¢in gí tě a¢in´ gíi-gă. Águdi can´ʇañga náxi¢í¢í¢ě ʞĭ, gaha a¢ijan gan´¢ai ʞĭ, can´ éjan-min´ hă."—Ho, warriors! go for him that he may bring water for you. If he wishes to lie on you (i. e., on your bodies) when the big wolves (or the foe) attack you, I think it is proper. Then the scout goes after the follower.
But if the man be lazy, fond of sleeping, etc., and the scout reports who he is, they do not receive him. Once there was a man who persisted in going with war parties though he always caused misfortunes. The last time he followed a party the captains refused to receive him. Then he prayed to Wakanda to bring trouble on the whole party for their treatment of him. They were so much alarmed that they abandoned the expedition.
§ 193. Officers.—A small war party has for its chief officers two nudanhañga, partisans, captains, or war chiefs. Each nudanhañga has his nudan´hañga-q¢éxe or lieutenant, through whom he issues his orders to the men. These lieutenants or adjutants are always chosen before the party leaves the village. After the food has been boiled the giver of the feast selects two brave young men, to each of whom he says, "Nudan´hañga-q¢éxe hnin´ taté," You shall be a nudanhañga-q¢éxe.
In 1854 Two Crows was invited by four others to aid them in organizing a large war party. But as they went to the feast given by the chiefs and received the presents they forfeited their right to be captains. Two Crows refused the gifts, and persisted in his design, winning the position of first captain. Wanace-jiñga was the other, and [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ and Sĭnde-xanxan were the lieutenants. In this case a large party was intended, but it ended in the formation of a small one. For the change from a small party to a large one see § [210].
§ 194. Large war party.—A large war party is called "Nudan´hin-ʇañ´ga." La Flèche and Two Crows do not remember one that has occurred among the Omahas. The grandfather of Two Crows joined one against the Panis about a hundred years ago. And Two Crows was called on to assist in organizing one in 1854, when fifty men were collected for an expedition which was prevented by the chiefs. Such parties usually number one or two hundred men, and sometimes all the fighting men in the tribe volunteer. Occasionally the whole tribe moves against an enemy, taking the women, children, etc., till they reach the neighborhood of the foe, when the non-combatants are left at a safe distance, and the warriors go on without them. This moving with the whole camp is called "áwahanqti ¢é," or "ágaq¢anqti ¢é", because they go in a body, as they do when traveling on the buffalo hunt.
§ 195. When a large war party is desired the man who plans the expedition selects his associates, and besides these there must be at least two more nudanhañga; but only the planner and his friend are the nudanhañga úju, or principal war chiefs. Sometimes, as in the case of Wabaskaha (Contributions to N. A. Ethnology, Vol. VI, Part I, p. 394), the man paints his face with clay or mud, and wanders around, crying to Wakanda thus: "O Wakanda! though the foreigners have injured me, I hope that you may help me!" The people hear him, and know by his crying that he desires to lead a war party; so they go to him to hear his story.
Four wag¢a are sent to invite the guests, two taking each side of the tribal circle, and hallooing as they pass each tent. There is no cause for secrecy on such occasions, so the crier calls out the name of each guest, and bids him bring his bowl. In the case of Wabaskaha, so great was the wrong suffered that all the men assembled, including the chiefs. This was the day after Wabaskaha had told his story. Then a pipe (the war pipe) was filled. Wabaskaha extended his hands toward the people, and touched them on their heads saying, "Pity me; do for me as you think best." Then the chief who filled the sacred pipe said to the assembly, "If you are willing for us to take vengeance on the Pawnees, put that pipe to your lips; if (any of) you are unwilling, do not put it to your lips." Then every man put the pipe to his lips and smoked it. And the chief said, "Come! Make a final decision. Decide when we shall take vengeance on them." And one said, "O leader! during the summer let us eat our food, and pray to Wakanda. In the early fall let us take vengeance on them." The four captains were constantly crying by day and night, saying, "O Wakanda! pity me. Help me in that about which I am in a bad humor." They were crying even while they accompanied the people on the summer hunt. During the day they abstained from food and drink; but at night they used to partake of food and drink water.
§ 196. Feast.—It was customary for the guests invited to join a large war party to go to the lodge designated, where four captains sat opposite the entrance, and two messengers sat on each side of the door. The ensuing ceremonies were substantially those given in § [188], with the exception of the use of the wa¢íxabe or sacred bags, which are never used except when large war parties are organized.
Sacred bags.—These sacred bags, which are consecrated to the thunder or war god, are so called because when the Indians went on the war-path they used to ¢ixábe or strip off the feathers of red, blue, and yellow birds, and put them into the sacred bags. There were five bags of this sort among the Omahas. The principal one is kept by Wackan´-man¢in, of the Wajiñga-¢atájĭ subgens of the ₵átada. It is filled with the feathers and skins of small birds, and is wrapped in a ʇahúpezi, or worn tent-skin. This is the principal one. The second one is kept by the daughter of [T]ahé-jiñga, of the Iñké-sabě; because the people pity her, they allow her to keep the bag which her father used to have; but they do not allow her to take any part in the ceremonies in which the sacred bags are used. The third bag is in the custody of Máhin ¢iñ´ge of the Wejincte gens. The fourth, when in existence, was kept by [T]idé-man¢in, of the [T]a-[p]a gens. And the fifth was made by Wábaskaha, of the Iñg¢e´-jide gens. This, too, is no longer in existence. According to La Flèche and Two Crows, the only wa¢ixabe used in war are made of the (skin and feathers of the) g¢edan´, or pigeon-hawk, the in´be-jañ´ka, or forked-tail hawk, and the nickúcku, or martin. All three kinds were not carried by the same war party. Sometimes one man carries an inbe-jañka, and the other a nickucku; at other times one carries a g¢edan, and the other an inbe-jañka or nickucku. [P]a¢in-nanpajĭ says that the weasel is very sacred. Two Crows never heard this; and he says that the keeper of any very sacred object never reveals what it is. These sacred bags are not heavy; yet the bearer of one has no other work. He must wear his robe tied at the neck, and drawn around him even in warm weather.