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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, Manyinka
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.

Next: The Osage
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The Kanze Or Kansa