Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 40

Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 40

She then fled to a place of rendezvous appointed by her brothers,

taking her child along. They returned to their home with their sister,

and when they arrived held a council and condemned the child to death,

to prevent the propagation of the race of cannibals. It was killed by

the mother, and on killing it she was changed into a body of fire,

caught up into the heavens and placed as the first star in the north,

which was the polar star. The seven brothers were also changed into

stars and form the constellation known as the Great Bear and are

appointed to walk around and keep guard over their sister forever.

 

After the narrator had concluded I inquired if it had any other meaning

than a story told to excite interest. He said it had, and that it

showed the woman was revenged on all her persecutors, and for her

resolution and good in cutting off the first cannibal and her own

son, thereby destroying the species, was rewarded by being placed as

a star; likewise her brothers who had protected her through life were

stars also and guard her from harm. That if she had not acted thus a

great part of the Indians would be cannibals. This he said was the

commencement of stars, and their traditions named many other instances

of like manner in which stars were created.

 

 

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS

 

CONSTITUTION OF THE ASSINIBOIN FAMILY; KINSHIP.—There are terms

for each degree of relationship and the collateral branches. These

affinities are traced as far back as the great-grandfather, and the

line of descent is distinguished by their referring to the names of

the grandfather, father, or parents through some of their descendants

living. The names for collateral relatives are the same by the father’s

as by the mother’s side. All stepchildren become the children of all

the wives the Indian has. The terms aunt and uncle are the same on

both sides. The elder brother is called Ma-chin´-ah and the rest of

the brothers Mis-soon-kah; the youngest is named the last. The eldest

sister is called Me-tun´k-ah and the rest of the sisters Me-choon-ah.

Their names are the same on either part. The name of a dead person is

seldom mentioned, or if so, in a very low voice. Usually they name

some living relative, and add his or her dead father. Where confusion

exists as to a distant collateral relative they are all classed under

the general head of cousins, though they are generally correct. They

always address one of their nation as kindred if there is reason to

believe the least possible degree of relationship is acknowledged,

and never use their proper names if they are of kin. The name of the

mother-in-law or father-in-law is never pronounced by the son-in-law.

She never speaks to him nor he to her, neither do they ever look at the

face nor go into the same lodge.

 

Should the father-in-law happen to go into a lodge where his son-in-law

is seated, the latter would cover his face with his robe and not

speak while the former remained. Usually they stop the one entering

by crying out, “He of whom you are ashamed is here,” when the other

goes away and postpones his visit. All communications on business to

these people by their son-in-law is transacted through his wife or

strangers. To speak to or name the father or mother of an Indian’s wife

would excite the ridicule and laughter of the whole camp. They refer

to them in speaking by mentioning my father- or mother-in-law, as the

case may be, or sometimes say “my wife’s father,” or “her mother.” A

woman does not mention the individual name of her husband nor he hers,

but always say “my husband” or “my wife.” Most of the bands being made

up of relatives, the terms denoting kindred are in constant use in

conversation.

 

The hunter state with all these prairie tribes is precarious and

uncertain. They are often weeks and months without enough meat and

not infrequently reduced to absolute famine. Whenever the buffalo are

plenty they have no difficulty in procuring more meat than they can use

and then do dry some, but they are very improvident and their small

supplies are soon exhausted.

 

Indians who have numbers of horses, like the Crows and Sioux, follow

the buffalo at all seasons, with their camp, but those who have but

few horses, like the Assiniboin, can not follow them through the deep

snow. When they are far from their lodges the men go over the snow on

snowshoes and pack the hides to camp on dogs. From observation and

experience they know that the buffalo approach the timber when the snow

is deep on the plains to eat twigs and wild rosebuds. They therefore

place their camps along some stream in the commencement of the winter

and await their approach. None of these nations except the Cree are

good elk and deer hunters, consequently their whole dependence is on

the buffalo, which, as we have stated, is precarious. Their raiment

made of skins is durable, one suit being sufficient for a year, and

game is always found in sufficient number to furnish them with garments

before they actually need them. There is no distress on this score.

Their habits and pursuits, as will be seen through these pages, do not

admit of their wearing any other material than that made of skins;

except in warm weather and for show on occasions, none other is worn.

 

Inasmuch as women are of great advantage to the Indians by their labor,

a plurality of wives is required by a good hunter. The domestic peace

of a family does not suffer much on that account. There are, to be

sure, quarrels among the women occasionally, but these generally end

in personal abuse and recrimination, or are quelled by the master, if

present.

 

Upon the whole the domestic arrangement is benefited by having the

labor divided, which would be too much for one woman. The Indians,

mostly, treat their wives well, but these women require a hard ruler

and sometimes they are obliged to strike severely. Jealousies among the

women of the same lodge are nothing and do not affect the actions of

the man further than to stop the disturbance. But jealousy on the part

of the man toward some one of his women supposed to be unfaithful are

accompanied by terrible punishments, not infrequently by death. Among

the Blackfeet the noses of the women are cut off for this offense;

others stab, strike, or kill as it happens. Women are not interfered

with by the men in their management of household affairs. Such

interference would excite too much ridicule for their pride.

 

Are the labors of husband and wife equally divided? The occupations of

the man are as follows: Setting aside that of war which he occasionally

follows after having a family, though not often, he is obliged to keep

the family in meat and skins, and this occupies about one-third of

his time. He makes his own bows and arrows, snowshoes, powder horns,

and all implements of war and the chase, not purchased. He furnishes

horses, either by war, bargains, or other means; collects, waters,

and guards his horses; makes traps for wolves and foxes and kills and

skins them; attends councils, feasts, and ceremonies; protects his

family from insult and injury, and risks his life for them in hunting

in different ways; all of which should be taken into consideration as

forming a portion of his time and labor.

 

Sometimes his women will accompany him to the hunt and aid in skinning

and butchering the animal, but this is only when the buffalo are near

the camp. She never participates in his labors on other occasions. The

usual occupations of the women are, to prepare the skins and dress

them, which is a tedious and laborious operation; to cut up the meat

in thin slices and dry it; to make all the clothing for the family,

make lodges, cook, take care of their children and dogs, bring wood

and water, pack and unpack animals, erect the tents, strike them,

arrange the interior, carry burdens in traveling, render grease, pound

meat, work at garnishing with beads and porcupine quills, make dogs

travailles, saddle and unsaddle the master’s horse, etc. In nations

where canoes are used, the men make the frame and the women sew and

stitch over it the bark or skin. Men make the paddles, pans, bowls,

cradles, and pipes. This is among the Cree and Chippewa. With those who

plant, the labor of hoeing, planting, gathering, drying, and shelling

the corn is all done by the women and children; but with these less

hunting is done.

 

Owing to the length of time required to scrape, stretch, dry, dress,

and smoke even one skin it will be seen that the labor of the woman is

much greater than that of the man, and she must have help or she could

not attend to the domestic affairs of a large family.

 

A surplus of dressed skins is also necessary to buy the supplies they

can not and do not make and to replace stolen or crippled horses. Thus

an Indian with but one wife can not amass property, as the whole of

her time would be employed in the absolute requisite domestic labors

without being able to collect any skins for trade.

 

The first woman an Indian marries and the last are generally his

favorites, the first because he has become accustomed to her ways,

has children by her, and who manages the lodge in all its domestic

arrangements, and the last because she is youngest and often

handsomest. The actual labor performed by either of these is not near

as great as by the other women. Indeed, all the others are looked upon

in the light of laborers. To support several women, of course, requires

greater exertions on the part of the man in hunting, but this is more

than compensated for by their labor in dressing skins, which enable

him to purchase horses, guns, and other means to hunt with greater

facility. When buffalo are plenty, anyone can kill. The raw hide of the

animal has no value. It is the labor of putting it in the form of a

robe or skin fit for sale or use that makes its worth. Women therefore

are the greatest wealth an Indian possesses next to his horses. Often

they are of primary consideration, as after war by their labor is the

only way he could acquire horses, the only standard of their wealth.

 

There is never any difficulty regarding raiment. Skins are durable

and during the summer (when they make it) every Indian will kill

enough animals for that purpose. He must do so or die, as but a small

portion of the skins of the animals requisite for food will furnish the

clothing. As it stands in the winter season, the women are never idle,

the men also have pretty constant employment, but from spring till fall

they both have a comparatively easy life. Domestic discords are not

very common in their lodges.

 

They do, however, happen, and jealousy on the part of the master is

the principal cause. All Indians have great forbearance with their

families. When not excited or disappointed in some other way they will

put up with almost everything their women say or do, and endeavor to

laugh it off. The women study their humor, choose their time for this,

and never press it so far as to enrage their husbands. If an Indian

has returned from an unsuccessful hunt, lost his horses, or any other

circumstance has taken place, to sour his temper, all his family

immediately perceive it, and the greatest attentions are paid to him or

his wants as long as this humor lasts. Some men will on these occasions

tease and find fault with everything in the lodges, but they are not

contradicted nor quarreled with. It is now their time to forbear, and

well they know that punishment of no trifling kind hangs on a slender

thread.

 

Discords of a nature to bring on contention and blows are uncommon

except those arising from the jealousy of the man toward some one of

his women. Even a look or a word in secret to a strange man is often

sufficient to produce a blow or a stab. Upon the whole, however, they

live in tolerable harmony, much more so than would be supposed to

exist among savages. The loss of youth and youthful attractions is

not a cause of neglect, particularly if the woman has children by her

husband. An Indian seldom exhibits any ill feeling toward his first

wife, but on the contrary depends upon her to employ and manage the

others. In this and all the domestic labors she is the principal and

is addressed as such and possesses more influence over the man at

middle age than ever or than any of the others. No doubt the youngest

is a more attractive but not so useful an inmate, and gain is the

principal object of the master. Wives are even more valuable in extreme

age than parents, though but few live a great length of time. Their

labors are too severe. Men of family are not very amorous; they study

their interest. Children give the wife great additional power over

the husband, so much so that even if afterwards they prove unfaithful

or very obstinate they are punished but retained, whereas without

offspring they would be cast off for the same offenses. The first wife,

though not necessarily, nor always, the eldest, retains the preference, as has been stated; she is the domestic councillor.