 The
one woman who appeared had a "small stature', and her face was full
of sweetness." The observer noted her black hair parted down the
center with the red line down the parting, representing the dawn road of
Grandfather the Sun. She wore everything that had been given to her. This
military coat was worn by the Osage women as their wedding dress. The coat
was a gift from an officer of standing to a chief and the chief's daughter
wore the broadcloth coat on her wedding day. It was considered an honor to
wear it.
When the horses were collected, a donor, as
if in after thought, might bring forth a beautiful trade blanket and throw
it on the horses back, another would take off the old rawhide bridle and
replace it with one made of horsehair or buffalo hair. Another might
fasten little hawkbells to the headstall, and others fasten an eagle
feather, not a sacred one, to the tail of his gift.
When they reached the line of Bear
relatives, the horses were handed over to them and tied to a specially
prepared hitching rail. The horses were tied with just ordinary rawhide
lariats now. These replaced the precious, ceremonial eight strand lariats
made from the neck hair of the buffalo bull. They used the ceremonial
lariats only to lead the horses to the Bear relatives and back to the
Eagle with the bride, and for other ceremonial. They were very highly
valued, since there were only a few men and women in the whole tribe who
could make them. *
Look closely to the upper right of the
photo to the woman standing behind the man leading the horse. She is
grasping to her head the traditional wedding hat, a tall most ornate hat
decorated always lavishly. The Ponca City Indian Museum has a most
interesting display and there is one to be seen there. Close scrutiny show
at least three brides in the picture, and according to this curator there
could be as many as five since group weddings were common.
The above was taken from "The
Osages," by John Joseph Mathews.
The question arises: This coat worn by
Bertha was the honor coat given to a chief. It was a custom for the
chief's daughter to wear it. Harry Big Eagle, Bertha's father, was not a
chief. However, her mother, Elsie Loho was descendant from O-loha-walla,
who was a chief. As a descendant, Charles Loho (Loho, shortened form of O-loha-walla),
who is a dignified and honorable retired judge, noted: "The oldest
daughter could have inherited the coat." |
