The Osage tribe is theoretically separated into twenty-one fireplaces. These fireplaces were grouped into three divisions:
- The Seven Tsi-shu Fireplaces
- The Seven Hanka Fireplaces
- The Seven Osage Fireplaces (the Wa-sha-she Fireplaces)
Each fireplace is a gens, so the Osage tribe is composed of twenty-one gentes, or clans. When the two sides of the tribe were fixed – the War Side and the Peace Side – there were but fourteen gentes in the Nation. At that time the Osage camping circle, or tribal circle was adopted. Positions for the fourteen gentes were provided. At some period after the adoption of this camping circle the tribe was enlarged by the admission of the Seven Hanka fireplaces. It was not practicable to enlarge the camping-circle, for it had of necessity, to contain an even Hanka fireplaces. It was not practicable to enlarge the camping-circle, for it had of necessity, to contain an even number of fireplaces, that it should show an even balance of sideseach side an equal number of fireplaces. In making the adaptation of the tribe, as enlarged, to the old tribal circle, the seven Hanka gentes were counted as but five, and the seven Osage gentes were reckoned as only two.
In the tribal ceremonies it was the law that each fireplace should have a pipe, or be assigned a pipe, or to be in some way associated with or represented by a pipe. The Hanka brought in seven such pipes when it joined the tribe. The Wa-sha-she had seven of these pipesone for each of their fireplaces. For some reasonyet unexplainedthe Tsi-shu had no pipes of this nature. To remedy this defect, the Wa-sha-she, or Osage, gave their seventh ceremonial pipe to the Tsi-shu, with authority to the Tsi-shu to make for themselves seven pipes from it. The Wa-sha-she have now but six ceremonial pipes, though the ceremonies for the seventh are still retained.
- Elder Tsi-shu, or Tsi-shu-wearing-a-tail (of hair) -on-the-head
- Sun and Comet People
- Wolf People
- Buffalo-bull face
- (Not known.)
- Sun Carriers. Carry-the-sun (or Buffalo hides) -on-their-backs
- Sun People
- Swan People
- Tsi-shu Peacemaker, or Villagemaker, or Giver of Life
- Touches-no-blood, or Red Eagle
- Bald Eagle, or Sycamore People. The principal gens of the left side of the tribal circle
- Night People, or Tsi-shu-at-the-end
- Night People proper
- Black Bear People
- Buffalo Bul
- Buffalo Bull
- Reddish Buffalo. (Corresponds to the Yuqe of the Kanss.)
- Thunder Being, or Camp-last, or Upper World People, or Mysterious Male being (Subgentes not ascertained.)
- Elder Osage, or Wa-sha-she Wa-nun. This gens embraces six of the seven Wa-sha-she or Osage Fireplaces, as follows:
- White Osage
- Turtle Carriers
- Tall Flags
- Deer Lights, or Deer People
- Fish People
- Turtle People. (Turtle-with-serrated-crest-along-the-shell. Possibly a mythical water monster.)
- Real Eagle People, or Hanka-apart-from-the-rest. The War Eagle gens. One of the original Hanka Fireplaces. The guards, policemen, or soldiers for the right side of the tribal circle are taken from the eight and ninth gentes.
- Ponka Peacemaker. This is the principal gens on the right side of the tribe circle. It was one of the original seven Osage Fireplaces
- Pond Lily
- Dark Buffalo. Or, as some say
- Red Cedar
- White Eagle People, or Hanka-having-wings. These Subgentes were two of the original seven Hanka Fireplaces:
- Elder White Eagle People
- Having Black Bears
- Black Bear
- (Meaning not ascertained.)
- 2. Dried Pond Lily
- 13. Elk, One of the seven Hanka Fireplaces
- 14. Kansa, or Holds-a-firebrand-to-the-sacred-pipes-in-order-to-light-them, Or, South Wind People, Or, Wind People, Or, Fire People
Each of the divisions A and B of the twelfth gens were originally a Fireplace of the Hanka.
There are four divisions of the Osages which have not yet been identified, the:
- Beaver People
- Crane People
- Owl People
- Earth People
The religious beliefs of the Osages are similar to those of the Kansas and other Siouan tribes. The term Wakanda had almost the same meaning. There were seven great Wakandas Darkness, the Upper Worl