wawaN (Re: More regarding "wa")

[Koontz John E]

On Wed, 17 Dec 2003, Tom Leonard wrote:
> I think you are correct in stating wa'waN has a conventional translation as
> "pipe dance". My dad Joe Rush (Ponca) always said "wa'waN" meant "to sing
> over (a person or group)" (Right again, John!). He also said the WaWaN never
> used a pipe at all. ...

It's nice to have my guess at "over" concide with your dad's translation.
I think that the expression "pipe (dance)" arises because in some groups a
pipe was actually used in lieu of the pipe-like wand used among the Omaha
and Ponca.  The pipe-dance adoption existed in variants among many
different groups in the Eastern part of North America.  As I understand it
it is a sort of alliance or pledge of good relations between the adopter's
clan and the adoptee's clan.  I believe that the Dorsey texts suggest
indirectly that the use of the causative in kinship terms indicates this
sort of adoption between ego and members of a clan or group in which ego's
clan has adopted someone.  The adoptee is the child of the adopter and
relationships between the two clans or lineages proceed on that basis.

JEK