Harken!   'Twas thus it came to pass:
      In ancient days, a Leader and his men
      Walked this wide earth, man's vast abode
      Roofed by the heavens, where dwell the gods.
      They reached a place the spot no man can tell,
      Faced dangers dread and vanquished them;
      Then, standing as if born anew to life,
      Each warrior threw away the name
      That had been his ere yet these deeds were done.
  Harken!   The Leader and his men
      Made there the Vict'ry song, and set the mark
      Ye must o'ertake, if ye would be like them!
  Harken!   The Leader and his men
      Turned then toward home. Their Vict'ry song
      Proclaimed them near; the village rose,
      Looked toward the hill, where on the top
      Stood the brave men, singing their song,
      Heralding thus the favor of the gods
      By which they had surpassed all former deeds—
      Made new their claim to be accounted men.
  Harken!   And whence, think ye, was borne
      Unto these men courage to dare,
      Strength to endure hardship and war?
      Mark well my words, as I reveal
      How the gods help man's feebleness.
      The Leader of these warriors was a man
      Given to prayer. Oft he went forth
      Seeking a place no one could find.
      There would he stand and lift his voice,
      Fraught with desire that he might be
      Invincible, a bulwark 'gainst all foes
      Threat'ning his tribe, causing them fear.
      Night-time and day this cry sped on,
      Traveling far, seeking to reach—
  Harken!   Those places far above,
  Harken!   Within the circle vast
      Where sit the gods watching o'er men.
  Harken!   This poor man's prayer went on,
      Speeding afar into the blue
      Heavens above, reached there the place—
  Harken!   Where dwell the lesser gods,
  Harken!   And great Ti-ra'-wa, mightier than all!
  Harken!   It was because a god
      Received this prayer, considered it,
      Favored its plea, and passed it on
      To him whose place was next, in that grand ring,
      Who in his turn received the prayer,
          Considered it, and sent it on—
  Harken!   Around that circle vast,
  Harken!   Where sit the gods above.
  Harken!   And thus it was the prayer
      Sent by this man won the consent
      Of all the gods. For each god in his place
      Speaks out his thought, grants or rejects
      Man's suppliant cry, asking for help;
      But none can act until the Council grand
      Comes to accord, thinks as one mind,
      Has but one will all must obey.
  Harken!   The Council gave consent;
  Harken!   And great Ti-ra'-wa, mightier than all!
  Harken!   To make their purpose known,
      Succor and aid freely to give,
      Heralds were called, called by the Winds.
      Then in the West uprose the Clouds
      Heavy and black, ladened with storm.
      Slowly they climbed, dark'ning the skies,
      While close on every side the Thunders marched
      On their dread way, till all were come
      To where the gods in stately council sat
      Waiting for them. Then bade them go
      Back to the earth, carrying aid
      To him whose prayer had reached their circle vast.
      This mandate given, the Thunders turned toward earth,
      Taking their course slantwise the sky.
  Harken!   Another followed hard—
      Lightning broke forth out of the cloud,
      Zigzag and dart, cleaving their way
      Slantwise to earth, their goal to reach.
  Harken!   For these two were not all
      That hastened to proclaim the god's behest—
      Swift on their wings Swallows in flocks
      Swept in advance, ranging the path,
      Black breasts and Red, Yellow and White,
      Flying about, clearing the way
      For those who bore the message of the gods
      Granting the man courage to dare,
      Strength to endure, power to stand
      Invincible, a bulwark 'gainst all foes.
  Harken!  'Twas thus it came to pass:
      The Leader grasped the help sent by the gods;
      Henceforth he walked steadfast and strong,
      Leading his men through dangers drear,
      Knowing that naught could strike at him
      To whom the gods had promised victory.
  Attend!   Once more I change his name.
  Harken!   Ri-ruts'-ka-tit it was
      We used to call him by, a name he won
      Long days ago, marking an act
      Well done by him, but now passed by.
  Harken!   To-day all men shall say—
  Harken!   His act has lifted him
      Where all his tribe behold a man
      Clothed with new fame, strong in new strength
      Gained by his deeds, blessed of the gods.
  Harken!   Sha-ku'-ru Wa'-ruk-ste shall he be called.

TAKING AN INDIAN NAME IN CAMP

In view of the significance of Indian personal names, and the dignity and reverence which in every instance surrounded the giving or the taking of a name, it hardly seems appropriate that Indian names should be assumed even for a short period without some regard being shown to the customs and thought of the people from whom the names are borrowed. While there should be no travesty of rites such as those that have been here described, rites that have been held sacred upon this continent for untold generations, still it would not be unseemly to hold to the spirit of those rites when we borrow these names during the camp days in which we seek to live close to the nature that the Indian loved so reverently and well.

When it is decided among the members of the camp to take an Indian name, on the day of the ceremony all the camp should assemble early in the morning. When all have gathered, they should move toward a place where the sun can be seen when it rises over the lake, the hilltops or the woods. There all should pause.

The candidate for the name should not wear any head-band. The boy or girl should stand well to the front of the group, all of whom should face the East. The entire company should then join in the following song:

Song No. 1

  Skies proclaim a new day! We joyfully meet,
      We thankfully greet,
  His[A] new name this day shall repeat.
Music

The Leader of the camp must then intone the following:

  Hear! O Trees that gird our camp!
  Listen, ye Birds that fly through the branches!
  Harken, ye rippling waves on Stream and Lake!
          Hear me!
  Into your midst has come a friend,
      He[A] bears a new Name!
  Ye shall know him as ——(name)

[Footnote A: The pronoun should be changed according to the sex of the candidate.]

The announcement of the name should be distinctly made so as to be clearly heard by the entire company. The head-band or other camp insignia should now be officially put on the candidate.

All present should then join in singing the following song, clapping their hands as beats to the music as they skip back to breakfast and to the pleasures of the day:

Song No. 2

  Homeward we go, calling his[B] name;
  New is the name now we proclaim;
  No other change in our friend, he[B] is the same!

[Footnote B: Change the pronoun to the proper sex.]

Music
2
  Singing we go, way ha way ho!
  Dancing also, way ha way ho!
  No one more merry than we, way ha way ho!

The second stanza should be repeated and the steps kept in rhythm until the dancers finally disperse.

INDIAN NAMES FOR BOYS

All vowels have the Continental sound

The names here presented, for Boys, for Girls and for Camps, have been chosen out of many because the words are easily pronounced; none of them have any of the peculiar labial, nasal or guttural sounds common in the various Indian languages, which are difficult to represent by the letters of our alphabet and equally difficult for most Americans to pronounce.

1. A-di'-ta Priest Omaha.
2. An'-ge-da From every direction Omaha.
3. De'-mon-thin Talks as he walks Ponca.
4. E-di'-ton Standing as a sacred object Omaha.
5. Ga-he'-ge Chief Omaha.
6. Gu'-da-hi "There he goes!" A coyote Omaha.
7. Ha'-nu-ga-hi Nettle weed Ponca.
8. He'-ba-zhu Little horns Ponca.
9. He'-ga Buzzard Omaha.
10. He'-sha-be Dark antlers Omaha.
11. He'-thon-ton Towering antlers (elk) Omaha.
12. Ho-ho' Fish Omaha.
13. Hon'-ga Imperial eagle Osage.
14. Hu'-ton-ton Roar of thunder Omaha.
15. I'-ku-ha-be He who causes fear Ponca.
16. I-shta'-pe-de Fire eyes (lightning) Ponca.
17. Ka-ge'-zhin-ga Little brother Omaha.
18. Ka-wa'-ha Very old name, meaning lost Omaha.
19. Ka'-wa-sab-be Black horse Osage.
20. Ka'-wa-ska White horse Osage.
21. Ka'-wa-zi Yellow horse Osage.
22. Ke'-ton-ga Great turtle Ponca.
23. Ke'-zhin-ga Little turtle Ponca.
24. Ki'-ko-ton-ga Curlew Omaha.
25. Ki'-mon-hon Facing the wind Omaha.
26. Ki'-wa-go Male buffalo Pawnee.
27. Ku'-ge Sound of the drum Omaha.
28. Ku'-rux Bear Pawnee.
29. Ku'-sox Left hand Pawnee.
30. Le-sha'-ro Chief Pawnee.
31. Mi'-da-in-ga Playful sun Osage.
32. Mi'-ka Raccoon Ponca.
33. Mi'-ka-si Coyote Omaha.
34. Min'-dse Bow Osage.
35. Mon-chu' Bear Omaha.
36. Mon-chu'-pa Bear's head Omaha.
37. Mon-e'-ga-he Arrow chief Ponca.
38. Mon-ge'-zi Yellow breast Omaha.
39. Mon-ka'-ta He of the earth Ponca.
40. Mon'-sa Arrow shaft Osage.
41. Mon'-te-ga New arrows Osage.
42. Ni-ni'-ba Pipe Omaha.
43. Ni'-sho-sho Swallow Omaha.
44. Non-ke'-ne Graceful walker (deer) Omaha.
45. Non'-nun-ge Runner Osage.
46. Non'-pe-wa-the He who is feared Omaha.
47. Nu'-da-hun-ga Captain Omaha.
48. O'-pa Elk Omaha.
49. Pa-he'-ta-pe Seeking the hills Omaha.
50. Pa'-na-hoo Owl Omaha.
51. Pa'-sun American eagle Omaha.
52. Pa-thon' White-headed eagle Omaha.
53. Pe'-de-ga-he Fire chief Omaha.
54. Pe'-num-ba Seven Ponca.
55. Sha-ku'-ru Sun Pawnee.
56. Sha-thu' Sound of the water Ponca.
57. Shon'-ge Wolf Omaha.
58. Shon'-ge-sab-be Black wolf Omaha.
59. Shon'-ge-ska White wolf Ponca.
60. Shon'-ge-zi Yellow wolf Ponca.
61. Shon'-ton-ga Grey wolf Ponca.
62. Sho-sho'-ka Osprey Omaha.
63. Shu'-ka-bi Bunch of clouds Ponca.
64. Ski'-rik Grey wolf Pawnee.
65. Ta-de'-ta To the wind Omaha.
66. Ta-de'-u-mon-thin    Walking in the wind Omaha.
67. Te-thon' White buffalo Omaha.
68. The'-ha Soles Omaha.
69. U'-ba-ni Digging in the earth (little creatures)    Omaha.
70. U-ga'-e Spread out (herd of buffalo) Omaha.
71. Wa-he'-he Easy to break, fragile Omaha.
72. Wa-ke'-de One who shoots Omaha.
73. Wa-po'-ga Grey owl Omaha.
74. Wa-shis'-ka Shell Omaha.
75. Wash-kon'-hi Power of the thunder Omaha.
76. Wa-sho'-she Brave Omaha.
77. Wa-thu'-he Startles the game Omaha.
78. Wa-zhin'-ska Wisdom Omaha.
79. We'-kush-ton One who gives feast frequently Omaha.
80. Wi'-a-go Feather Dakota.
81. Zha'-be Beaver Omaha.

INDIAN NAMES FOR GIRLS

1. A'-bey Leaf Omaha.
2. A'-bey-tu Green leaf Omaha.
3. A'-bet-zi Yellow leaf Omaha.
4. A'-ka-wi South wind Omaha.
5. A-sin'-ka Youngest daughter Osage.
6. Chon'-ku-sha Robin Dakota.
7. Chon'-wa-pe Leaf Dakota.
8. Chon'-wa-pe-ska Red leaf Dakota.
9. Chon'-wa-pe-tu Green leaf Dakota.
10. Cho-xon'-zhe-da    Willow Dakota.
11. Da'-a-bi The visible sun Omaha.
12. Don'-a-ma The sun visible to all Omaha.
13. Ha'-ba-zhu-dse Red corn Osage.
14. Ha'-ba-zi Yellow corn Osage.
15. Ha'-ba-tu Blue corn Osage.
16. Ha'-ba-ska White corn Osage.
17. Hon'-ba-he Dawn Dakota.
18. I-shta'-sa-pa Dark eyes Dakota.
19. I'-ni-a-bi Home builder Omaha.
20. Ka-shi'-a-ka Meadow lark Omaha.
21. Mi'-a-kon-da Sacred moon Omaha.
22. Mi'-gi-na Returning moon Omaha.
23. Mi'-mi-te Standing new moon Omaha.
24. Mi'-na Oldest daughter Osage.
25. Mi'-pe Good moon Omaha.
26. Mi'-ta-in Crescent moon Ponca.
27. Mi'-the-be Shadowy moon Ponca.
28. Mi'-ton-e New moon Omaha.
29. Mi'-wa-thon White moon Omaha.
30. Ni'-da-wi Fairy girl Omaha.
31. Pa'-zi Yellow head (bird) Ponca.
32. Pa'-ha-zi Yellow hair (young animal) Ponca.
33. Raw-ska' Anemone Omaha.
34. Raw-tu' Violet Omaha.
35. Raw-zi' Sunflower Omaha.
36. Ta'-de-win Wind maiden Omaha.
37. Ta'-in New moon Ponca.
38. Ta'-in-ge Coming moon Ponca.
39. Wa-ha'-ba Corn Omaha.
40. Wa-ha'-ba-ska White corn Omaha.
41. Wa-ha'-ba-tu Blue corn Omaha.
42. Wa-ha'-ba-zi Yellow corn Omaha.
43. Wak'-cha Flower Dakota.
44. Wak'-cha-zi Sunflower Dakota.
45. Wa-shu'-dse Wild-rose Omaha.
46. Wa-te'-win Victory woman Omaha.
47. Wa-zhin'-ga Bird Omaha.
48. Wa-zhin'-ga-tu Blue bird Omaha.
49. We'-thon-ki-tha To come together (as in a society)    Omaha.
50. We'-ton-a Old name, meaning lost Omaha.
51. We'-ton-be-the One who gives hope Omaha.
52. Wi'-he Younger sister Omaha.
53. Wi'-te-ga New moon Dakota.
54. Zit-ka'-la Bird Dakota.
55. Zit-ka'-la-sha Red bird Dakota.
56. Zit-ka'-la-tu Blue bird Dakota.
57. Zit-ka'-la-zi Yellow bird Dakota.

INDIAN NAMES FOR CAMPS

E'-zhon U-ti A Camp among the Elms.
Hin'-de-hi U-ti A Camp among the Lindens.
Ney'-a-ti A Camp by the Lake.
Tosh'-ka-hi U-ti A Camp among the Oaks.
Wa-shis'-ka A-ti    A Camp by the Brook.