The Iowa


The Iowa camping circle was divided into two half-circles, occupied by two

phratries of four gentes each. The first phratry regulated the hunt and

other tribal affairs during the autumn and winter; the second phratry took

the lead during the spring and summer. The author is indebted to the late

Reverend William Hamilton for a list of the Iowa gentes, obtained in 1880

during a visit to the tribe. Since then the author has recorded t
e

following list of gentes and subgentes, with the aid of a delegation of

the Iowa who visited Washington:



First phratry



Gentes Subgentes

1. Tu'-nan-p'in, Black 1. Ta'po-cka, a large

bear. Tohin and Ci{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED K~}re black bear with a white

wonane were chiefs of spot on the chest.

this gens in 1880. Tohin 2. Pun'-xa cka, a black

kept the sacred pipe. bear with a red nose;

literally, Nose White.

3. Mun-tci'-nye, Young

black bear, a short black

bear.

4. Ki'-ro-ko'-qo-tce, a

small reddish black bear,

motherless; it has little

hair and runs swiftly.

2. Mi-tci'-ra-tce, Wolf. 1. Cun'-tan cka,

Ma'-hin was a chief of White-wolf.

this gens. 2. Cun'-tan ce-we,

Black-wolf.

3. Cun'-tan qo'-{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED T~}{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}e,

Gray-wolf.

4. Ma-nyi'-ka-qci',

Coyote.

3. Tce'-xi-ta, Eagle and 1. Na' tci-tce', i.e.

Thunder-being gens. Qra'-qtci, Real or Golden

eagle.

2. Qra' hun'-e, Ancestral

or Gray eagle.

3. Qra' {~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED K~}re'-ye,

Spotted-eagle.

4. Qra' pa can;

Bald-eagle.

4. Qo'-ta-tci, Elk; now 1. Un'-pe-xa qan'-ye,

extinct. The Elk gens Big-elk.

funished the soldiers or 2. Un'-pe-xa yin'-e,

policemen. Young-elk (?).

3. Un'-pe-xa {~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}{~COMBINING ACUTE ACCENT~}re'-{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED T~}{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}e

yin'-e,

Elk-somewhat-long.

4. Ho'-ma yin'-e, Young

elk (?). The difference

between Un'pexa and Homa

is unknown. The former

may be the archaic name

for elk.

5. Pa'-qca, Beaver. 1. Ra-we' qan'ye,

Probably the archaic Big-Beaver.

name, as beaver is now 2. Ra-{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}{~COMBINING ACUTE ACCENT~}ro'-{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED T~}{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}e, meaning

ra-we. The survivors of unknown.

this gens have joined the 3. Ra-we' yin'-e,

Pa-ca or Beaver gens of Young-beaver.

the Oto tribe. 4. Ni'wan-ci'-ke,

Water-person.



Second phratry



6. Ru'-tce, Pigeon 1. Min-ke' qan'-ye,

Big-raccoon.

2. Min-ke'yin'-e,

Young-raccoon

3. Ru'-tce yin'-e,

Young-pigeon.

4. Oo'-ke,

Prairie-chicken, grouse.

7. A'-ru-qwa, Buffalo 1. Tce-{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED T~}o qan'-ye,

Big-buffalo-bull.

2. Tce-{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED T~}o yin'-o,

Young-buffalo-bull.

3. Tce-p'o'-cke yin'-e,

Young-buffalo-bull-that-is-distended

(?).

4. Tce-yin'-ye,

Buffalo-calf.

8. Wa-kan', Snake. An 1. Wa-kan' {~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}{~COMBINING ACUTE ACCENT~}i, Yellow-snake, i.e.,

extinct gens. Rattlesnake.

2. Wa-kan'-qtci, Real-snake, (named

after a species shorter than the

rattlesnake).

3. Ce'-ke yin'-e, Small or young

ceke, the copperhead snake (?).

4. Wa-kan' qo'-{~LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED T~}{~LATIN SMALL LETTER OPEN O~}e, Gray-snake (a

long snake, which the Omaha call

swift blue snake).

9. Man'-ko-ke, Owl. The names of the subgentes have been

Extinct. forgotten.



An account of the mythical origin of each Iowa gens, first recorded by the

Reverend William Hamilton, has been published in the Journal of American

Folk-lore.(7)



The visiting and marriage customs of the Iowa did not differ from those of

the cognate tribes, nor did their management of the children differ from

that of the Dakota, the Omaha, and others.



Murder was often punished with death, by the nearest of kin or by some

friend of the murdered person. Sometimes, however, the murderer made

presents to the avengers of blood, and was permitted to live.



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