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THE HOTCAÑGARA OR WINNEBAGO

The Winnebago call themselves Ho-tcañʹ-ga-ră, "First or parent speech." While they have gentes, they have no camping circle, as their priscan habitat was in a forest region. The following names were obtained from James Alexander, a full-blood of the Wolf gens, and from other members of the tribe:

1. Wolf gens—Common name, Cŭñk i-kiʹ-ka-raʹ-tea-da, or Cŭñk-tcañk‘i-kiʹ-ka-raʹ-tca-da, Those-calling-themselves-after-the-dog-or-wolf; archaic name, C̸e-go'-ni-na, meaning not recorded.

2. Black-bear gens—Common name, Hoⁿtcʹ i-kiʹ ka-raʹ tca da, They-call-themselves-after-the-black-bear; archaic name, Tcoʹ-na-ke-ră, meaning not recorded.

3. Elk gens—Common name, Hu-waⁿʹ-i-kiʹ-ka-raʹ-tca-da, They-call-themselves-after-the-elk; archaic name not recorded.

4. Snake gens—Common name, Wa-kaⁿʹ i-kiʹ-ka-raʹ-tca-da, They-call-themselves-after-a-snake; archaic name not recorded.

5. Bird gens—Common name, Wa-niñkʼ i-kiʹ-ka-raʹ-tca-da, They-call-themselves-after-a-bird; archaic name not recorded. This gens is composed of four subgentes, as follows: (a) Hi-tca-qce-pa-ră, or Eagle; (b) Ru-tcke, or Pigeon; (c) Ke-re-tcŭⁿ, probably Hawk; (d) Wa-kaⁿʹ-tca-ra, or Thunderbird. The archaic names of the subgents were not recorded.

6. Buffalo gens—Common name, Tceʹ i-kiʹ-ka-raʹ-tca da, They-call-themselves-after-a-buffalo; archaic name not recorded.


  
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7. Deer gens—Common name, Tcaʹ i-kiʹ-ka-raʹ-tca-da, They-call-themselves-after-a-deer; archaic name not recorded.

8. Water-monster gens—Common name, Wa-ktceʹ-qi i-kiʹ-ka-raʹ-tca-da, They-call-themselves-after-water-monster; archaic name not recorded.

Some of the Winnebago say that there is an Omaha gens among the Winnebago of Wisconsin, but James Alexander knew nothing about it. It is very probable that each Winnebago gens was composed of four subgentes; thus, in the tradition of the Winnebago Wolf gens, there is an account of four kinds of wolves, as in the corresponding Iowa tradition.

The Winnebago lodges were always built with the entrances facing the east. When the warriors returned from a fight they circumambulated the lodge four times, sunwise, stopping at the east just before entering.

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