Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-21
Form of Habitations.

w hen NOT travelling, the Omaha eStdD-
lished their villages near streams, con-
venient to timber, and generally on hill
sides where good garden sites could be
obtained Here their dwellings took the
form of either earth lodges, conical tents
tipis Some of the tips were so large
that the hides Of severa. buffalo were
required to make q single covering. Eacl
family had a corral of horses and cult
waited certain part of the hllsides or
lOwlandS, where corn and other VeSe-
tables We're raised for winter provisions
and for trade.
Corn or maize was the principal FOOD,
and every household had its garden.
where the corn was carefully planted,
Weeded and hoed until il was well grown.
Sauashes. melons and beans We're grown,
and sometimes in the same field with
corn. the stalks serving as poles for the
beans
In the summer, after the crops were
well advanced the whole tribe. except
the aged. the sick and few who acted
as guards. went on the annual buffalo
hunt This was always conducted with
great ceremony. and was under the con-
troll of the leader selected for the occa-
sion. The yearly hunt was an advent of
supreme Importance to the whole tribe,
for on its results depended the annual
supply of food, as well as the skins for
clothing and trade. The leader of the
hunt had an assistant who answered to
his name and took all the blame in case
anything went wrong. This official
scape2oat. being appointed by the chief.
held his office with dignity and remark
able good nature Some hunting for deer
and elk done in a desuItory way in
the winter by small parties and even by
individuals. Fish was popular article
OF diet Men. women and children fished
either with strange hookless lines, or by
driving the fish into shallow water.
speared or captured by hand
Places Thought Above Emotion.
The individual Omaha takes a prac-
teal view of nature and human life
rather than d fanciful one, and while
this may tend to make him somewhat
prosaic. it also develops his mind and
leads to certain steadiness of char
acter. placing the value of thought
above emotion. This is undoubtedly the
cause Of tribal control in certain in
stances. where the individual disappears
and the people are considered d
whole.
1t appears that the Omaha tribe is
a group of native Americans sturdy
in mind and body. more given to in
dustrial than to artistic pursuits, yet
gifted with an elemental craftsmanship
and an ability to discover the power
of Il religious motive for the preServa-
tIOn Oh Social OTuef ana the maintenance
of peace Although good fighters they
came to recognize that fighting was not
the only route to achievement. but was
best employed (as their word for
tribe indicateS) when exercised for
defense of their homes and the in
tegrity of the tribe
Prominent in the establishment of the
tribe upon it's reservation stands Joseph
La Flesche, father of the co-author,
Francis La Flesche.
Schools Included in Plan.
At that time chief Of the tribe Joseph
La Flesche carried out a plan of his
own for the systematic formation of a
township. He laid out roads and
boundaries. advised the construction of
houses. introduced trading and farm
ing. and attended to the organization of
schools, always practicing the doctrines
himself to set the example for his
people. The first settlement of the
tribe in which real civilized tendency
prevailed was organized by him, and
known the Village of Make Believe
White Men,.
Following the location, history and
traditions of the tribe is a treatise of
its divisions, organization, ceremonies
and rituals. food, music, warfare,
language. and finally in the appendix,
the modern history, including the effect
of the white race and the resulting
present conditions.