Post by Historian on May 6, 2009 9:42:33 GMT -5
Ponca Hethuska Society Structure: Past and Present
by Jonathan Holmes
Over the years, the structure of the Ponca Hethuska Society has undergone changes as the society’s function within the tribal setting changed.
In the early history of the Hethuska, the focus of the members of the society was on warfare. Focus on the honors members earned through warfare while defending the tribe from it’s enemies; preserving the acts of valor and heroism of it’s members in song and pantomime dance; and caring for the widows and orphans of fallen warriors. As a society, the structure of the Hethuska was based more on the officers or positions of responsibility needed on the battlefield, which then carried over to positions of responsibility during the dance ceremony.
With the cultural shift to a reservation lifestyle in the late 1800s, the society’s positions of responsibility evolved to reflect the new conditions with the focus being primarily of a religious and benevolent nature. By the early 1900s, positions were added to the structure to emphasize this shift, such as Pipe Lighters and Woman Singers.
At the time of the revival of the Ponca Hethuska in 1958, many of the positions were no longer functional and therefore no longer used, such as the Feast Servers. In addition songs and or traditions were lost, preventing members from holding other positions, such as the War Whistle Keepers and Pipe Keepers. However, new positions became functional and were incorporated as needed, such as Head Singer.
It should be noted, that when the Ponca Hethuska “passed the drum” to another tribe, the tribe that was the recipient of the Hethuska traditions would assign officers according to their particular needs and tribal traditions.
To illustrate this point, the Osage In’lonshka have incorporated positions such as Drum Keeper, Drum Warmer and Cedarman with specific responsibilities not found among the Ponca Hethuska. In addition, there are subtle differences in the titles used among different organizations, though the duties may be very similar. For example, in modern times the leader of the Ponca Hethuska is referred to in English as the Headman. Among the Grayhorse village Osage, the leader of the In’lonshka is called the Dance Chairman and the leader of the Pawhuska village Osage In’lonshka is called the Head Committeeman.
The following listing of offices are held within today’s Ponca Hethuska. As conditions change in the organization, the Headman has the right to make new positions or dissolve positions as he sees fit, while trying to keep the overall traditions that have been handed down for generations in place. Each office title will be listed first in the English title used today. Then the name used for the position in the Ponca language, followed by the literal translation of the Ponca term. Beneath each title will be a description of the historic responsibilities of the holder of the office, both responsibilities during warfare and during the dance ceremony, followed by a brief description of some of the responsibilities expected of the individuals who hold the titles in modern times.
Headman:
Nu-doN’-hoN-ga meaning “War Leader” (nu-doN - “war”, hoN-ga - “leader”).
Past: The Nu-doN’-hoN-ga or War Leader, as the name implies, earned the respect of other warriors as a successful leader of pre-emptive or retaliatory war raids against the Ponca’s enemies. He would be noted for having few fatalities while on these war raids and respected as a powerful spiritual leader and advisor. Alice Fletcher noted in 1892, “The Leader held his office for life, or until he resigned. When the office became vacant the aspirant to the position made a feast, to which all the members of the society were invited, and his desire being made known, if there was no objection, he by general consent became Leader. Such a man, however, must be one whose successful leadership of war parties had made him noted among the people. His seat was at the back of the (earth) lodge, opposite the door.” (Fletcher, 1892, p. 137) Should the Nu-doN’-hoN-ga prove to be a poor leader, the Hethuska membership would quickly choose another to take his place.
Present: Today the Headman, for the duration of his life or until he resigns, is in charge of all that happens at the Hethuska dance ceremonies as well as any other society function or activity throughout the year. He is the unquestioned authority on all society matters and has the responsibility to make all final decisions. Though many important decisions are made after consulting with his Committeemen and elder Advisors to gain a consensus of their opinions on any particular matter, the Headman has the right, and is expected to make the final decision. The Headman is expected to uphold the best ideals and set examples of good moral conduct, respect for all veterans and caring for the needy of his membership and community. The Headman still sits on the west side of the dance circle, and one of the “special songs” during the dance ceremony, honors the Headman.
Committeeman:
HoN’-ga meaning “Leader”
Past: The Leaders were respected members of the society who had attained some of the highest war honors and privileges of rank within the society, and were appointed by the Headman to be his assistants in the planning and executing of war raids and in the duties required in performing the Hethuska dance ceremonies.
Present: A minimum of four experienced and knowledgeable men, appointed by the Headman to assist in the logistics of the Hethuska dance ceremonies and carry out special duties assigned to them by the Headman throughout the year. The Headman selects men to serve as Committeemen who know the Hethuska traditions well and are honored and respected within the society. They are “someone you can count on to do they right thing.” (Conklin, 1985) The Headman may at times, appoint any one of the Committeemen to serve in a leadership role in his absence. In addition, the Committeemen serve as the voice of the society members when in counsel with the Headman. Today, Committeemen will serve in their positions for as long as the Headman wishes them to fulfill their responsibilities. They have special seats on both sides of the Headman, at the west side of the dance circle. One of the “special songs” during the Hethuska dance ceremony, honors the Committeemen.
Advisor:
We’-goN-ze meaning “Advisor, Teacher” (from gi’-goN-ze - “to teach”)
Past: The selected elders within the society considered to have the greatest knowledge, wisdom and experience concerning all matters of warfare, spiritual leadership and cultural etiquette. The Headman would frequently consult with his Advisors on the most important matters involving the society.
Present: One or more Advisors are the appointed by the Headman as honored elders or senior members of the society considered to have the greatest knowledge, wisdom and experience concerning all matters of the Hethuska Society dance ceremonies and other functions of the society throughout the year. The Headman will frequently consult with his Advisor(s) on the most important matters involving the society, especially on matters involving spirituality and cultural etiquette. Advisors are sometimes called upon to give opening or closing prayers at society functions and to speak on behalf of a family or person being honored, and they will sit along the “Head Bench” at the west side of the dance circle on either side of the Headman.
Camp Crier:
Wa-je’-pa meaning “Crier", "Herald", or "Announcer”
Past: Historically, the Camp Crier was considered to be “a man of God.” (Williams, 1985) A very humble, honest and well liked man that was said to have no enemies. He would travel from camp to camp gathering and dispensing news and information while relying on the generosity of the camps he visited to supply him with food and shelter in return. A Camp Crier was trusted to interpret the messages and directions given him by leaders and chiefs and announce them in a way that the people would clearly understand. It was said that "the Crier tells the people what God wants them to know.” (Conklin, 1985) In addition to making announcements in the camp, the Crier would also holler out announcements during the Hethuska dance ceremony.
Present: The Camp Crier is an honorary position that is usually appointed. His duties include making general announcements in camp, calling out to dancers to get ready or to assemble for a dance session, as well as leading the procession of dancers into the Hethuska dance circle. During the Hethuska dance ceremony the Crier may announce the type of song about to be sung if it is something different, such as a family song, memorial song, committee song, smoke song, etc. He will also, at the request of a third party, call out the names of honored individuals or families, or call out donations and pledges made for one reason or another during breaks between songs. Lastly, the Crier will occasionally “holler” during a song to urge the singers to sing their best and to urge the dancers to dance more enthusiastically. The Crier position has no assigned seat in the dance circle, but will frequently be seen sitting behind the singers.
Head Singer:
Xu’-ka-hoN-ga meaning “Singer Leader” (xu’-ka - “singer”, hoN-ga - “leader”)
Past: There was not a position of Head Singer before 1958 among the Ponca Hethuska, but Albert Waters became the first Head Singer for the Ponca Hethuska in 1958.
Present: Appointed by the Headman, the Head Singer must be a good singer with a clear, strong voice who is well versed in the Omaha-Ponca language and the many songs attributed to the Hethuska Society. The Head Singer will invite singers to sing at the drum with him and will usually establish a seating order of the singers around the drum with his seat positioned on the east side of the drum so that he is directly facing the Headman at the west side of the dance circle. The Head Singer is in charge of all of the singers at the drum and has the responsibility to provide the songs for the Hethuska dance ceremonies, including establishing the order and sequence of the songs in each set, especially knowing when to include “special songs.” It is the duty of the Head Singer to lead each song, which establishes the pitch and tempo for the other singers to follow, though he may select individual singers to lead selected songs at certain times. As part of his position, the Head Singer must also be aware of a signal from the Headman or Tail Dancers to repeat or continue a song.
Lady Singer:
Xu’-ka-wiN meaning “Lady Singer” (xu’-ka - “singer”, wiN - “female”)
Past: There is no record available to the author documenting the participation of Lady Singers or women in any role in the early history of the Ponca Hethuska. The first mention of women singers in a written format was on page 784 in Alanson Skinner’s work, “Ponca Societies and Dances” published in 1915. Their role was to sing an accompanying chorus to the songs the men would sing during the Hethuska dance ceremony.
Present: The Head Singer will invite female singers to sit behind the circle of men sitting around the drum. Although not a part of the Hethuska Committee, they continue to provide the accompanying chorus to the songs the men will sing during the Hethuska dance ceremony. One of the surviving “special songs” sung at Hethuska dance ceremonies today, honors the Lady Singers and their contributions to the songs.
Historian:
Hi’-goN-udha meaning “Story Teller” (hi’-goN or “myth”, “old story”, udha or “teller”)
Past: There is no record documenting the title of Historian in early Ponca Hethuska history. However, “...one of the chiefs of the second rank, for example, was the tribal historian, and kept the tribal winter count or calendrical history.” (Howard, 1965, p. 93) One or more of these “chiefs of the second rank,” as the keepers of history and traditions, may also have been appointed as Advisors to the Headman. (Williams, 1985)
Present: Since the revival of the Ponca Hethuska by Headman Sylvester Warrior in 1958, the Camp Crier was relied on as the main keeper of history and traditions, with supplemental help provided by the Headman’s Advisors. However, seeing the need to have a single individual dedicated to preserving the Hethuska history, traditions and cultural etiquette, Headman Abe Conklin incorporated a new Historian position in the 1980s. To date, the Historian position has no assigned seat within the dance circle. (Conklin, 1985)
Whipman:
Wa-noN’-she meaning “Soldier”
Past: When on pre-emptive or retaliatory war raids against their enemies, or when on hunting parties, the Ponca Hethuska would have one or more appointed Whipmen whose duty it was to keep young warriors in line, carrying a horse quirt or “whip” as a symbol of their office. Acting as a “policeman” who enforced the will of the Headman, the Whipman prevented young and/or inexperienced warriors from making careless mistakes, thus endangering a war party’s safety or a hunting party’s success. By tradition, the Whipman’s loyalty to the Headman was stronger than any other officer in the Hethuska. During the Hethuska dance ceremony, the man or men holding the position of Whipman were the custodians of the dance circle.
Present: Today, one or more Whipmen are appointed to serve in the Hethuska dance circle with duties similar to that of Pow-Wow arena directors. The Whipman is considered to be the “right arm” of the Headman, carrying out his directions and serving as the Headman’s formal messenger. The Whipman acts as the security official in the dance circle, maintaining proper and dignified order, behavior and etiquette among both the dancers and the spectators. At the start of a Hethuska dance ceremony, when the procession of dancers arrive at the east entrance to the dance circle, the Whipman greets them and formally escorts the dancers to their assigned seats. During the dance ceremony, the Whipman is always the first dancer to begin dancing and the only dancer permitted to dance in the opposite or counterclockwise direction to the rest of the dancers at the start of a song, so as to make sure all the dancers have risen and are dancing. The Whipman urges all dancers to their feet, “...for it is not proper for any dancer to sit out any song. Every song sung during the War Dance is honoring someone or something pertinent to the society, therefore it is bad manners to ignore such a song.” (Head, 1973, p. 4) Among the Whipman’s other duties, he is the only dancer permitted to pick up any article that has fallen from a dancer’s outfit. The owner of the article traditionally pays a fine to the Whipman to retrieve the fallen article. Anyone having to leave the dance circle once the dance ceremony has started must ask the Whipman, whose sits in the first seat on the north side of the east entrance, for permission to do so. One of the surviving “special songs” during the Hethuska dance ceremony, honors the Whipman who is still the only dancer with the right to carry a horse quirt or whip as a symbol of his office.
Cook:
U’-haN meaning “The Cook", "To Cook,” or “What is boiled”
Past: Historically, the Feast associated with the Hethuska dance ceremony, the particular food served, and the way it was prepared played a much different role during the early Hethuska dance ceremony. Therefore, it was not the person who cooked the feast, but the Servers of the feast who had an appointed positions. The feast was cooked and served within the earth-lodge dance circle. As Alice Fletcher notes in her work titled “Hae-thu-ska Society of the Omaha Tribe,” she states: “All this time the food was cooking over the fire, for little if anything was prepared beforehand, and when the viands were nearly ready the two Servers advanced, and performed a peculiar dance to certain songs which belong to this peculiar ceremonial way of announcing to the company that refreshments were about to be served. The two Servers must be men who have broken the necks of an enemy, either in aggressive or defensive warfare.”
“It is a custom in the Hae-thu-ska Society to serve the food with two sticks; if these were not provided, then the naked hand must be thrust in the boiling pot to take out the meat. The choice portions were selected and given to the bravest man present. If a dish of dog was among the dainties, the head was presented to one who had broken the neck of an enemy.”
(Fletcher, 1892, p. 140)
Present: Today, a Feast of foods commonly found at picnics or other large social gatherings are prepared for the dancers and spectators outside of the dance circle and usually served cafeteria style as the evening meal between the afternoon and evening dance sessions. One man is usually appointed by the Headman to serve as the official Cook of the Feast, who organizes, manages and delegates a group of cooks under his direction to purchase, prepare, cook and serve the food for the Hethuska Feast, Mourner’s Feast, or any occasion when food is prepared for the Hethuska membership as directed by the Headman. Although the Cook’s position has no assigned seat within the dance circle, one of the surviving “special songs” honors the Cook and the important contribution of preparing the blessing of food for all to enjoy.
Water Carrier:
NiN’-athiN meaning “Has Water” (niN - “water”, athiN - “to have”)
Past: When the Hethuska society was on preemptive or retaliatory war raids against their enemies, or when on hunting parties, the Headman would appoint young warriors the duty of finding, transporting, storing, protecting and serving the vital water supply for the group of warriors and their horses. This very important duty could make the difference in the group’s survival when away from their home village for days or weeks at a time. During the dance ceremony, the water carriers would serve water to the dancers during the breaks between sets of songs.
Present: Usually the modern Hethuska will have a minimum of two appointed Water Carriers to supply water to the singers and dancers during the formal water breaks between sets of songs in the dance ceremony. The Water Carriers carry buckets of water with a dipper or ladle around the dance circle stopping at each individual, making sure that the singers are always “watered” before the dancers. It is the duty of the Whipman to see to it that the water buckets are kept full, and will assign a person or persons to refill them. “To be chosen to bring the essence and necessity of life to fellow Hethuska members is a great honor and a serious responsibility.” (Conklin, 1985)
Tail Dancer:
SiN’-de meaning “Tail”
Past: When the Hethuska Society would go out as a group to fight their enemies, the two appointed “Tail” men would carry the two society “coup sticks,” similar to the one displayed below, which served as banner staffs displaying the society’s war honors. These crooked staffs would be used to touch enemies in close combat, thus proving the Tail men’s bravery. The crooked staffs would also be used to hoist a wounded companion off the battlefield and onto a horse without having to dismount. During a battle with their enemies, the Tail men of the Hethuska Society were said to have been “the bravest of fighters,” and would stay toward the back end of a war party and defend the “tail” of the group. On rare occasions, if the enemy strength became too overwhelming these men volunteered to stay behind and fight the enemy, frequently sacrificing themselves, while the rest of the war party escaped to safety.
Present: Usually there are at least two Tail Dancers appointed by the Headman who are considered at the peak of their skill and strength. It is said that they are “all together.” The Tail Dancers serve as role models for the younger members of the society and act as representatives for the general membership, through which the opinions and desires of the members are made known to the Headman and Committeemen. Today, the long crooked coup-stick, which sometimes reached a length of eight feet, is represented by a shortened, straight version about two and a half to three feet long called a “tail stick.” Traditionally, this tail stick is carried as a symbol of his office only by the appointed Tail Dancers, by men who previously served as Tail Dancers, or by visiting Tail Dancers from other War Dance organizations. During the Hethuska dance ceremony the Tail Dancers are obligated to dance on the repeated last verse or “tail” of all appropriate songs. This obligation represents the historical practice of the Tail men going back to the scene of a recent battle, at great risk to themselves, to recover any wounded or dead companions. It is further said that the practice of more traditional Tail Dancers, is to kick up one foot at the last beat of the drum at the end of a song’s tail. This would symbolize the way the Tail men warriors would kick the bodies of their fallen enemies on the battlefield to make sure they were dead and no longer a threat, while recovering their dead and/or wounded from the battlefield area.
by Jonathan Holmes
Over the years, the structure of the Ponca Hethuska Society has undergone changes as the society’s function within the tribal setting changed.
In the early history of the Hethuska, the focus of the members of the society was on warfare. Focus on the honors members earned through warfare while defending the tribe from it’s enemies; preserving the acts of valor and heroism of it’s members in song and pantomime dance; and caring for the widows and orphans of fallen warriors. As a society, the structure of the Hethuska was based more on the officers or positions of responsibility needed on the battlefield, which then carried over to positions of responsibility during the dance ceremony.
With the cultural shift to a reservation lifestyle in the late 1800s, the society’s positions of responsibility evolved to reflect the new conditions with the focus being primarily of a religious and benevolent nature. By the early 1900s, positions were added to the structure to emphasize this shift, such as Pipe Lighters and Woman Singers.
At the time of the revival of the Ponca Hethuska in 1958, many of the positions were no longer functional and therefore no longer used, such as the Feast Servers. In addition songs and or traditions were lost, preventing members from holding other positions, such as the War Whistle Keepers and Pipe Keepers. However, new positions became functional and were incorporated as needed, such as Head Singer.
It should be noted, that when the Ponca Hethuska “passed the drum” to another tribe, the tribe that was the recipient of the Hethuska traditions would assign officers according to their particular needs and tribal traditions.
To illustrate this point, the Osage In’lonshka have incorporated positions such as Drum Keeper, Drum Warmer and Cedarman with specific responsibilities not found among the Ponca Hethuska. In addition, there are subtle differences in the titles used among different organizations, though the duties may be very similar. For example, in modern times the leader of the Ponca Hethuska is referred to in English as the Headman. Among the Grayhorse village Osage, the leader of the In’lonshka is called the Dance Chairman and the leader of the Pawhuska village Osage In’lonshka is called the Head Committeeman.
The following listing of offices are held within today’s Ponca Hethuska. As conditions change in the organization, the Headman has the right to make new positions or dissolve positions as he sees fit, while trying to keep the overall traditions that have been handed down for generations in place. Each office title will be listed first in the English title used today. Then the name used for the position in the Ponca language, followed by the literal translation of the Ponca term. Beneath each title will be a description of the historic responsibilities of the holder of the office, both responsibilities during warfare and during the dance ceremony, followed by a brief description of some of the responsibilities expected of the individuals who hold the titles in modern times.
Headman:
Nu-doN’-hoN-ga meaning “War Leader” (nu-doN - “war”, hoN-ga - “leader”).
Past: The Nu-doN’-hoN-ga or War Leader, as the name implies, earned the respect of other warriors as a successful leader of pre-emptive or retaliatory war raids against the Ponca’s enemies. He would be noted for having few fatalities while on these war raids and respected as a powerful spiritual leader and advisor. Alice Fletcher noted in 1892, “The Leader held his office for life, or until he resigned. When the office became vacant the aspirant to the position made a feast, to which all the members of the society were invited, and his desire being made known, if there was no objection, he by general consent became Leader. Such a man, however, must be one whose successful leadership of war parties had made him noted among the people. His seat was at the back of the (earth) lodge, opposite the door.” (Fletcher, 1892, p. 137) Should the Nu-doN’-hoN-ga prove to be a poor leader, the Hethuska membership would quickly choose another to take his place.
Present: Today the Headman, for the duration of his life or until he resigns, is in charge of all that happens at the Hethuska dance ceremonies as well as any other society function or activity throughout the year. He is the unquestioned authority on all society matters and has the responsibility to make all final decisions. Though many important decisions are made after consulting with his Committeemen and elder Advisors to gain a consensus of their opinions on any particular matter, the Headman has the right, and is expected to make the final decision. The Headman is expected to uphold the best ideals and set examples of good moral conduct, respect for all veterans and caring for the needy of his membership and community. The Headman still sits on the west side of the dance circle, and one of the “special songs” during the dance ceremony, honors the Headman.
Committeeman:
HoN’-ga meaning “Leader”
Past: The Leaders were respected members of the society who had attained some of the highest war honors and privileges of rank within the society, and were appointed by the Headman to be his assistants in the planning and executing of war raids and in the duties required in performing the Hethuska dance ceremonies.
Present: A minimum of four experienced and knowledgeable men, appointed by the Headman to assist in the logistics of the Hethuska dance ceremonies and carry out special duties assigned to them by the Headman throughout the year. The Headman selects men to serve as Committeemen who know the Hethuska traditions well and are honored and respected within the society. They are “someone you can count on to do they right thing.” (Conklin, 1985) The Headman may at times, appoint any one of the Committeemen to serve in a leadership role in his absence. In addition, the Committeemen serve as the voice of the society members when in counsel with the Headman. Today, Committeemen will serve in their positions for as long as the Headman wishes them to fulfill their responsibilities. They have special seats on both sides of the Headman, at the west side of the dance circle. One of the “special songs” during the Hethuska dance ceremony, honors the Committeemen.
Advisor:
We’-goN-ze meaning “Advisor, Teacher” (from gi’-goN-ze - “to teach”)
Past: The selected elders within the society considered to have the greatest knowledge, wisdom and experience concerning all matters of warfare, spiritual leadership and cultural etiquette. The Headman would frequently consult with his Advisors on the most important matters involving the society.
Present: One or more Advisors are the appointed by the Headman as honored elders or senior members of the society considered to have the greatest knowledge, wisdom and experience concerning all matters of the Hethuska Society dance ceremonies and other functions of the society throughout the year. The Headman will frequently consult with his Advisor(s) on the most important matters involving the society, especially on matters involving spirituality and cultural etiquette. Advisors are sometimes called upon to give opening or closing prayers at society functions and to speak on behalf of a family or person being honored, and they will sit along the “Head Bench” at the west side of the dance circle on either side of the Headman.
Camp Crier:
Wa-je’-pa meaning “Crier", "Herald", or "Announcer”
Past: Historically, the Camp Crier was considered to be “a man of God.” (Williams, 1985) A very humble, honest and well liked man that was said to have no enemies. He would travel from camp to camp gathering and dispensing news and information while relying on the generosity of the camps he visited to supply him with food and shelter in return. A Camp Crier was trusted to interpret the messages and directions given him by leaders and chiefs and announce them in a way that the people would clearly understand. It was said that "the Crier tells the people what God wants them to know.” (Conklin, 1985) In addition to making announcements in the camp, the Crier would also holler out announcements during the Hethuska dance ceremony.
Present: The Camp Crier is an honorary position that is usually appointed. His duties include making general announcements in camp, calling out to dancers to get ready or to assemble for a dance session, as well as leading the procession of dancers into the Hethuska dance circle. During the Hethuska dance ceremony the Crier may announce the type of song about to be sung if it is something different, such as a family song, memorial song, committee song, smoke song, etc. He will also, at the request of a third party, call out the names of honored individuals or families, or call out donations and pledges made for one reason or another during breaks between songs. Lastly, the Crier will occasionally “holler” during a song to urge the singers to sing their best and to urge the dancers to dance more enthusiastically. The Crier position has no assigned seat in the dance circle, but will frequently be seen sitting behind the singers.
Head Singer:
Xu’-ka-hoN-ga meaning “Singer Leader” (xu’-ka - “singer”, hoN-ga - “leader”)
Past: There was not a position of Head Singer before 1958 among the Ponca Hethuska, but Albert Waters became the first Head Singer for the Ponca Hethuska in 1958.
Present: Appointed by the Headman, the Head Singer must be a good singer with a clear, strong voice who is well versed in the Omaha-Ponca language and the many songs attributed to the Hethuska Society. The Head Singer will invite singers to sing at the drum with him and will usually establish a seating order of the singers around the drum with his seat positioned on the east side of the drum so that he is directly facing the Headman at the west side of the dance circle. The Head Singer is in charge of all of the singers at the drum and has the responsibility to provide the songs for the Hethuska dance ceremonies, including establishing the order and sequence of the songs in each set, especially knowing when to include “special songs.” It is the duty of the Head Singer to lead each song, which establishes the pitch and tempo for the other singers to follow, though he may select individual singers to lead selected songs at certain times. As part of his position, the Head Singer must also be aware of a signal from the Headman or Tail Dancers to repeat or continue a song.
Lady Singer:
Xu’-ka-wiN meaning “Lady Singer” (xu’-ka - “singer”, wiN - “female”)
Past: There is no record available to the author documenting the participation of Lady Singers or women in any role in the early history of the Ponca Hethuska. The first mention of women singers in a written format was on page 784 in Alanson Skinner’s work, “Ponca Societies and Dances” published in 1915. Their role was to sing an accompanying chorus to the songs the men would sing during the Hethuska dance ceremony.
Present: The Head Singer will invite female singers to sit behind the circle of men sitting around the drum. Although not a part of the Hethuska Committee, they continue to provide the accompanying chorus to the songs the men will sing during the Hethuska dance ceremony. One of the surviving “special songs” sung at Hethuska dance ceremonies today, honors the Lady Singers and their contributions to the songs.
Historian:
Hi’-goN-udha meaning “Story Teller” (hi’-goN or “myth”, “old story”, udha or “teller”)
Past: There is no record documenting the title of Historian in early Ponca Hethuska history. However, “...one of the chiefs of the second rank, for example, was the tribal historian, and kept the tribal winter count or calendrical history.” (Howard, 1965, p. 93) One or more of these “chiefs of the second rank,” as the keepers of history and traditions, may also have been appointed as Advisors to the Headman. (Williams, 1985)
Present: Since the revival of the Ponca Hethuska by Headman Sylvester Warrior in 1958, the Camp Crier was relied on as the main keeper of history and traditions, with supplemental help provided by the Headman’s Advisors. However, seeing the need to have a single individual dedicated to preserving the Hethuska history, traditions and cultural etiquette, Headman Abe Conklin incorporated a new Historian position in the 1980s. To date, the Historian position has no assigned seat within the dance circle. (Conklin, 1985)
Whipman:
Wa-noN’-she meaning “Soldier”
Past: When on pre-emptive or retaliatory war raids against their enemies, or when on hunting parties, the Ponca Hethuska would have one or more appointed Whipmen whose duty it was to keep young warriors in line, carrying a horse quirt or “whip” as a symbol of their office. Acting as a “policeman” who enforced the will of the Headman, the Whipman prevented young and/or inexperienced warriors from making careless mistakes, thus endangering a war party’s safety or a hunting party’s success. By tradition, the Whipman’s loyalty to the Headman was stronger than any other officer in the Hethuska. During the Hethuska dance ceremony, the man or men holding the position of Whipman were the custodians of the dance circle.
Present: Today, one or more Whipmen are appointed to serve in the Hethuska dance circle with duties similar to that of Pow-Wow arena directors. The Whipman is considered to be the “right arm” of the Headman, carrying out his directions and serving as the Headman’s formal messenger. The Whipman acts as the security official in the dance circle, maintaining proper and dignified order, behavior and etiquette among both the dancers and the spectators. At the start of a Hethuska dance ceremony, when the procession of dancers arrive at the east entrance to the dance circle, the Whipman greets them and formally escorts the dancers to their assigned seats. During the dance ceremony, the Whipman is always the first dancer to begin dancing and the only dancer permitted to dance in the opposite or counterclockwise direction to the rest of the dancers at the start of a song, so as to make sure all the dancers have risen and are dancing. The Whipman urges all dancers to their feet, “...for it is not proper for any dancer to sit out any song. Every song sung during the War Dance is honoring someone or something pertinent to the society, therefore it is bad manners to ignore such a song.” (Head, 1973, p. 4) Among the Whipman’s other duties, he is the only dancer permitted to pick up any article that has fallen from a dancer’s outfit. The owner of the article traditionally pays a fine to the Whipman to retrieve the fallen article. Anyone having to leave the dance circle once the dance ceremony has started must ask the Whipman, whose sits in the first seat on the north side of the east entrance, for permission to do so. One of the surviving “special songs” during the Hethuska dance ceremony, honors the Whipman who is still the only dancer with the right to carry a horse quirt or whip as a symbol of his office.
Cook:
U’-haN meaning “The Cook", "To Cook,” or “What is boiled”
Past: Historically, the Feast associated with the Hethuska dance ceremony, the particular food served, and the way it was prepared played a much different role during the early Hethuska dance ceremony. Therefore, it was not the person who cooked the feast, but the Servers of the feast who had an appointed positions. The feast was cooked and served within the earth-lodge dance circle. As Alice Fletcher notes in her work titled “Hae-thu-ska Society of the Omaha Tribe,” she states: “All this time the food was cooking over the fire, for little if anything was prepared beforehand, and when the viands were nearly ready the two Servers advanced, and performed a peculiar dance to certain songs which belong to this peculiar ceremonial way of announcing to the company that refreshments were about to be served. The two Servers must be men who have broken the necks of an enemy, either in aggressive or defensive warfare.”
“It is a custom in the Hae-thu-ska Society to serve the food with two sticks; if these were not provided, then the naked hand must be thrust in the boiling pot to take out the meat. The choice portions were selected and given to the bravest man present. If a dish of dog was among the dainties, the head was presented to one who had broken the neck of an enemy.”
(Fletcher, 1892, p. 140)
Present: Today, a Feast of foods commonly found at picnics or other large social gatherings are prepared for the dancers and spectators outside of the dance circle and usually served cafeteria style as the evening meal between the afternoon and evening dance sessions. One man is usually appointed by the Headman to serve as the official Cook of the Feast, who organizes, manages and delegates a group of cooks under his direction to purchase, prepare, cook and serve the food for the Hethuska Feast, Mourner’s Feast, or any occasion when food is prepared for the Hethuska membership as directed by the Headman. Although the Cook’s position has no assigned seat within the dance circle, one of the surviving “special songs” honors the Cook and the important contribution of preparing the blessing of food for all to enjoy.
Water Carrier:
NiN’-athiN meaning “Has Water” (niN - “water”, athiN - “to have”)
Past: When the Hethuska society was on preemptive or retaliatory war raids against their enemies, or when on hunting parties, the Headman would appoint young warriors the duty of finding, transporting, storing, protecting and serving the vital water supply for the group of warriors and their horses. This very important duty could make the difference in the group’s survival when away from their home village for days or weeks at a time. During the dance ceremony, the water carriers would serve water to the dancers during the breaks between sets of songs.
Present: Usually the modern Hethuska will have a minimum of two appointed Water Carriers to supply water to the singers and dancers during the formal water breaks between sets of songs in the dance ceremony. The Water Carriers carry buckets of water with a dipper or ladle around the dance circle stopping at each individual, making sure that the singers are always “watered” before the dancers. It is the duty of the Whipman to see to it that the water buckets are kept full, and will assign a person or persons to refill them. “To be chosen to bring the essence and necessity of life to fellow Hethuska members is a great honor and a serious responsibility.” (Conklin, 1985)
Tail Dancer:
SiN’-de meaning “Tail”
Past: When the Hethuska Society would go out as a group to fight their enemies, the two appointed “Tail” men would carry the two society “coup sticks,” similar to the one displayed below, which served as banner staffs displaying the society’s war honors. These crooked staffs would be used to touch enemies in close combat, thus proving the Tail men’s bravery. The crooked staffs would also be used to hoist a wounded companion off the battlefield and onto a horse without having to dismount. During a battle with their enemies, the Tail men of the Hethuska Society were said to have been “the bravest of fighters,” and would stay toward the back end of a war party and defend the “tail” of the group. On rare occasions, if the enemy strength became too overwhelming these men volunteered to stay behind and fight the enemy, frequently sacrificing themselves, while the rest of the war party escaped to safety.
Present: Usually there are at least two Tail Dancers appointed by the Headman who are considered at the peak of their skill and strength. It is said that they are “all together.” The Tail Dancers serve as role models for the younger members of the society and act as representatives for the general membership, through which the opinions and desires of the members are made known to the Headman and Committeemen. Today, the long crooked coup-stick, which sometimes reached a length of eight feet, is represented by a shortened, straight version about two and a half to three feet long called a “tail stick.” Traditionally, this tail stick is carried as a symbol of his office only by the appointed Tail Dancers, by men who previously served as Tail Dancers, or by visiting Tail Dancers from other War Dance organizations. During the Hethuska dance ceremony the Tail Dancers are obligated to dance on the repeated last verse or “tail” of all appropriate songs. This obligation represents the historical practice of the Tail men going back to the scene of a recent battle, at great risk to themselves, to recover any wounded or dead companions. It is further said that the practice of more traditional Tail Dancers, is to kick up one foot at the last beat of the drum at the end of a song’s tail. This would symbolize the way the Tail men warriors would kick the bodies of their fallen enemies on the battlefield to make sure they were dead and no longer a threat, while recovering their dead and/or wounded from the battlefield area.
