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Title: Osage Traditions

Author: J. Owen Dorsey

Release Date: October 4, 2006 [Ebook #19464]

Language: English

Character set encoding: US-ASCII

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OSAGE TRADITIONS***

Osage Traditions

by J. Owen Dorsey

Edition 1, (October 4, 2006)

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION--BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION.
TRADITIONS OF THE ELDERS.
UNUn'UcA{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED K~}E. TSIOU WACTA{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED K~}E ITA*P*E.
UNUn' UcA{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED K~}E. QUecAPASAn ITA*P*E.
CONCLUDING REMARKS.

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG. 389. Symbolic chart of the Osage.

OSAGE TRADITIONS.

BY REV. J. OWEN DORSEY.

INTRODUCTION.

When the author visited the Osage, in the Indian Territory, in January,
1883, he learned of the existence of a secret society of seven degrees, in
which, it was alleged, the traditions of the people have been preserved to
the present time. Owing to the shortness of his visit, one month and
eleven days, he was unable to gain more than fragmentary accounts of the
society, including parts of two traditions, from several Osage who had
been initiated.

The version of the first tradition was dictated to the author by
Ha*d*a-{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}ue{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED T~}se (Red Corn), a halfbreed Osage of the Tsi{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}u wacta{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED K~}e gens. He
obtained it from Sa*d*ekice. Ha*d*a-{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}ue{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED T~}se was adopted in childhood by a
white man named Matthews, who sent him to a Jesuit college in Missouri(?)
to be educated for the priesthood. But the boy left the institution after
he had been taught to read and write, as he did not wish to become a
priest. He took the name of William P. Matthews, but among his white
associates he is known as Bill Nix. He has tried several occupations and
is now an Indian doctor. The author was inclined at first to underrate Mr.
Matthews's accomplishments and stock of information, but subsequently
changed his opi