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Dorsey, James Owen, 1848-1848

"Siouan Sociology"

On the first day the old man of
the Tsi{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}u (wacta{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED K~}e?) takes four grains of corn, one grain being black,
another red, a third blue, and a fourth white, answering to the four kinds
of corn dropped by the four buffalo, as mentioned in the tradition of the
Osage. After chewing the four grains and mixing them with his saliva, he
passes them between the lips of the child to be named. Four stones are put
into a fire, one stone toward each of the four quarters. The Tsi{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}u old man
orders some cedar and a few blades of a certain kind of grass that does
not die in winter, to be put aside for his use on the second day. On the
second day, before sunrise, the Tsi{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}u old man speaks of the cedar tree and
its branches, saying, "It shall be for the children." Then he mentions the
river, the deep holes in it, and its branches, which he declares shall be
medicine in future for the children. He takes the four heated stones,
places them in a pile, on which he puts the grass and cedar.


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