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The Tribal Circle of the Kansas
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The tribal circle of the Kansas
is shown here. It is also known
as the camping circle. The
figures indicate where the
gentes camp or live. The tribal
circle is divided into two
half-circles—or, in fact, the
tribe is separated into
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two the tribe is separated into two divisions
or half-tribes. On the right side of the line dividing the tribal
circle live the Ictunga half-tribe, composed of clans or gentes, 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. On the left side of the tribal circle lives
the Yata half-tribe, embracing clans or gentes, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15, and 16. It will be observed that the gentes are so placed on
the tribal circle that those having odd numbers are opposite one
another, and that those having even numbers are opposite one
another. No man was permitted to marry a woman of his half-tribe or
from his half of the circle. And, for that matter, he was prohibited
from marrying any woman related to him by blood even in the remotest
degree.
The lot of the woman was a hard one. Those who remained
unmarried were menials—slaves. They planted, tended and gathered the
crops, did the cooking, brought the wood, and carried the water.
Upon the marriage of the eldest daughter, all her sisters became
subordinate wives of her husband. She was in control of the lodge,
and her mother was subject to her will. If the husband died, she
mourned a year, when his eldest brother took her to wife without
ceremony, regarding her children as his own. If there was no
brother, the widow married whom she pleased.
The social organization of the Kansas conformed in all
respects to the religious development of the tribe. Primitive man
was always hedged about with fear. He did not know. The earth and
its elements had power to harm him. He added to his list of terrors
many imaginary monsters lying in wait in rivers, lakes, on
mountains, under certain bluffs and hills, in the sky, invisible in
the air—every where to injure or destroy him. It was his object to
propitiate these awful beings. His religion was one of propitiation
rather than of worship. He was much more interested in preventing
some power from visiting calamity upon him than in praising some object or influence in
hopes of a favor. Ceremonial societies were instituted to induce
some god to send the buffalo, to cure some sickness, to make the corn
grow, to keep enemies off, to give success in war, and for many other
purposes. Certain gentes of the Kansas had certain duties in these
ceremonials. Their word for a god—and their idea of God was not
like that of the Christian—was wakanda. Anything might be a
wakanda. The great forces of nature were wakandas. Perhaps the sun was a
wakanda—the Wakanda. Anything which exerted a force which the Kansa
did not understand was a wakanda. They believed there were immense horned
monsters dwelling under certain bluffs along the Missouri River. The
Missouri itself was a wakanda. Their life was centered about this river.
Islands in it came to have secret or evil significance. The great island
just north of the site of Fort Leavenworth came to have some influence on
their religious customs. Perhaps ceremonies were performed there, for they
lived about this island for some generations. It is now called Kickapoo
Island. It may have been the seat of their religion. It is at this time
regarded as one of the sacred villages of the dead. Lewis and Clark
landed on it July 2, 1804, and replaced a broken mast. They found it named
“Wau-car-da-war-card-da, or Wau-car-ba War-cand-da, the Bear-medicine
island.” Commenting on this name, Dr. Elliott Coues said:
One word with five hyphens. At first sight it looks
like a misprint meant for two forms of one word, as “Wau-card-da.” I have
been informed that probably it is meant for Wakan'da wakhdhi', (where)
“Wakanda was slain”—Wakanda being something named after the Thunder-god.
This conjecture is borne out by the translation, “Bear Medicine,” showing
that there was some mystery or superstition about the place, as anything
that an Indian does not understand is “medicine.” But Clark's MS. gives
occasion for a different reading. His words are: “called by the Indians
Wau-car-ba War-cand-da [two words with two hyphens apiece] or the Bear
Medisin Island.” Here the second word, not the first, is “Wakanda” or
“Medicine,” and the first word has b where the last prints d.
Lewis' MS. has a similar word not quite the same.
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