Padoucah (fwd)

[Koontz John E]

>>From a non-subscriber interested in Padouca.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 12:57:05 -0500
From: duncan jimmy <duncanj at unionps.org>
To: john.koontz at colorado.edu
Subject: Padoucah

... I noticed a discussion of Pa doucah.

I am not a linguist, but as an ethnohistorian, my older Osage informants from
the 1970's and 80;s  insisted this did not mean just the Comanche, but any
Indian (enemy) to the west. In the mourning ceremony, a scalp would be added
to the sacred hawk and a bit buried with the dead Osage. These scalps had to
come from the "west"  of where the tribe actually was at that time. Maggie
Irons (Osage) and Hazel Harper (Osage) insisted that the term uki tse be used
for related Indians; Ponca, Omaha, the various Sioux, etc,. Scalps must come
from "pa ducah" They once "explained" (not translated) the word as "heads
from which hair (scalp) could be used or taken" I was wondering if the
westward movement of the Siouans over time may have led to this word being '
left behind', So to speak.

Jim Duncan