The Kanze Or Kansa

Among the Omaha the Yata people are those who camp on the yata or left

side of the tribal circle; the Ictunga people, those who camp on the

Ictunga or right side. The tribe is divided into seven phratries, or, as

the Kansa style each, wayunmindan, (i.e., those who sing together), as

follows:



Phratries Gentes Subgentes

I 1. Manyinka, a, anyinka

Earth, or tanga, Large

Earth-lodge-makers. earth. b,

Manyinka

gaxe,&Manyinka

jinga, Small

earth.

II 2. Ta, Deer, or a, Taqtci, Real

Wajaje, Osage. deer. b, Ta

yatcaji,

Eats-no-deer, or

Ta ts'eye,

Kills-deer, or

Wadjueta ts'eye,

Kills-quadrupeds.

III 3. Panka, Ponka a, Pank

unikacinga, Ponka

people. b,

Qundj-alan,

Wear-red-cedar

(-fronds)-on-their-heads.

III 4. Kanze, Kansa, or a, Tadje unikacinga,

Tci hacin, Wind people, or Ak'a

Lodge-in-the-rear; unikacinga, South-wind

Last-lodge. people, or Tci hacinqtci,

Real Tci hacin,

Camp-behind-all. b,

Tadje jinga, Small-wind,

or Mannanhind-je, Makes-a

breeze-near-the-ground.

III 5. Wasabe, Black a, Wasabeqtci, Real

bear. Black-bear, or Sakun

wayatce, Eats-raw

(-food). b, Sindjale,

Wears-tails (locks of

hair) -on-the-head.

I 6. Wanaxe, Ghost Not learned.

IV 7. Ke k'in, Not learned.

Carries-a-turtle-on-his-back.

V 8. Min k'in, Not learned.

Carries-the-sun-on-his-back.

I 9. Upan, Elk a, Upan-qtci, Real elk,

or Mansanha, referring to

the color of the fur.

b, Sanhange, meaning

unknown.

VI 10. Queya, White eagle a, Huesada,

Legs-stretched-out-stiff;

Queyunikacinga,

White-eagle people. b,

Wabin ijupye,

Wade-in-blood; Wabin

unikacinga, Blood people.

VI 11. Han, Night a, Han nikacinga, Night

people. b, Dakan

manyin, Walks-shining

(Star people?)

VII 12. Ibatc'e, a, Queyego jinga,

Holds-the-firebrand-to-sacred-pipes, Hawk-that-has-a-tail-like-a-king-eagle;

or Hanga jinga, small Hanga. Little-one-like-an-eagle.

b, Mika unikacinga,

Raccoon people, or Mika

qla jinga, Small lean

racoon.

VII 13. Hanga tanga, Large Hanga; Hanga A black eagle with spots. Subgentes not

utanandji, recorded.

Hanga-apart-from-the-rest, or Ta

sindje qaga, Stiff-deer-tail.

II 14. Tcedunga, Buffalo (bull), or a, Tcedunga, Buffalo with dark hair.

Sitanga, Big feet. b, Yuqe, Reddish-yellow Buffalo. (See

Ponka Nuqe, Osage cuqe, Kwapa Tuqe.)

V 15. Tci ju wactage, Tci-ju (Red-hawk people?). Subgentes not

peacemaker. recorded.

II 16. Lu nikacinga, Thunder-being Subgentes not recorded.

people; Ledan unikacinga, Gray-hawk

people.



Great changes have occurred among the Kansa since they have come in

contact with the white race; but when Say visited them in the early part

of the present century they still observed their aboriginal marriage laws.

No Kansa could take a wife from a gens on his side of the tribal circle,

nor could he marry any kinswoman, however remote the relationship might

be. There are certain gentes that exchange personal names (jaje kik'uebe

au), as among the Osage. Civil and military distinctions were based on

bravery and generosity. Say informs us that the Kansa had been at peace

with the Osage since 1806; that they had intermarried freely with them, so

that in stature, features, and customs they are more and more closely

approaching that people. He states also that the head chief of the Kansa

was Gahinge Wadayinga, Saucy Chief (which he renders Fool Chief), and

that the ten or twelve underchiefs did not seem to have the respect of the

people.



Unmarried females labored in the fields, served their parents, carried

wood and water, and cooked. When the eldest daughter married she

controlled the lodge, her mother, and all the sisters; the latter were

always the wives of the same man. Presents were exchanged when a youth

took his first wife. On the death of the husband the widow scarified

herself, rubbed her person with clay, and became careless about her dress

for a year. Then the eldest brother of the deceased married her without

any ceremony, regarding her children as his own. When the deceased left no

brother (real or potential) the widow was free to select her next husband.

Fellowhood (as in cases of Damon and Pythias, David and Jonathan) often

continues through life.



The Kansa had two kinds of criers or heralds: 1, the wadji'panyin or

village crier; 2, the ie'kiye'(Omaha and Ponka i'eki'ce. In 1882, Sansile

(a woman) was hereditary wadji'panyin of the Kansa, having succeeded her

father, Pezihi, the last male crier. At the time of an issue (about 1882)

Sansile's son-in-law died, so she, being a mourner, could not act as

crier; hence her office devolved on K'axe of the Taqtci subgens. In that

year one of the Ta yatcaji subgens (of the Taqtci or Deer gens) was iekiye

number 1. Iekiye number 2 belonged to the Tadje or Kanze (Wind) gens.