The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-08
INDIiN LIFE IN THE NORTHWEST.
Courtship and Marriage of White Men to
Duslxy Maidens.

AMONG the Northwestern tribes OF In.
dians innocence is as marked among the
girls as their color. The impression
that the red maiden does not entertain
high standard of morality is an error.
for she is taught as other girls are, and
grows up with well-developed ideas OF
the responsibilities of life and firm
resolution to discharge them. Educated
in the faith that she was ordained to
work, she trains herself to undergo hard
labor, and at sixteen years of age she is
sturdy and strong, brave against ia
tigue, and perfect housewife. She
may not possess New England notions
of cleanliness, but she takes not little
pride in her personal appearance, and
in the arrangement of her lodge she
displays some crude ideas of taste and a
certain amount of neatness. If she
marry a white man, she makes him a
good wife as long as she lives with him.
His home is her sole care and his COM
fort her ambition. She thinks of him
and for him, and makes it her study to
please him and make him respect and
love her. She recognizes in him one of
the superior race, and by her dignity
and devotion endears herself to him and
struggles to make him happy.
At the agencies on the upper frontier
thousands of men are employed, and it
is not an exaggeration to say that the
majority of them have Indian wives and
live happily. They are not sought after
by the maidens, for the Indian girls
custom is to remain quiet until the mar
riage contract is made and the marriage
portion paid over. The husband must
have the dowry, with which he must in
vest his projected mother-in-law before
the ceremony takes place. The process
is little out of the usual run, and a
description may be of interest. The
aspiring bridegroom must be well
known in the tribe before he can
hope to win wife. Her people want
to thoroughly understand him and
know if he cam support not only her but
also her relatives in the event of pinch.
He must be kind hearted man, with a
temper warranted to keep in any do
mestic climate, and he must have good
lodge and at least half dozen horses.
II he be and have all these, he can a.
wooing 90. Selecting the lady, he
makes application to her mother, and at
a council the price is fixed upon. If the
girl be especially pretty, her mother will
demand gun, two horses and a lot of
provisions, blankets and cloth. A gun
is valued at $50, a horse at 500, and he
must furnish material to bring the
amount up to from 500 to $3.50. Then
he tries to beat the dame down, and if
he succeeds he knows there is some rea-
son for letting the girl go, if not, he un-
dersttnds that he is making good
choice. The courtship is left entirely to
the mother. She communicates the in
telligence to the bride-eleci, who duti-
fully sets upon preparing the lodge for
the nuptials. Relatives and friends con-
gregate, form a circle, pound drum and
have feast, at the conclusion of which
the man and girl stand up. A blanket
is thrown over their heads, under which
they exchange VOWS of fidelity, after
which the mother besses them and the
ceremony is complete. But it fares
badly With man who plentifully stocks
his wedding lodge. His wife win give
sway everything he gives her, and stores
intended to last Month WI. disappear
in an hour. He, if he be cautio,;s, will
give her barely enough to eat until he
teaches economy, lesson which once
thoroughly learned she never forgets.
For some little time after the wedding
the newly-made relatives haunt the
happy lodge, demanding that they be
Toasted and cared for. Woe unto him
Who accedes in the slightest. A firm
refusal, well persevered in, is all that
wi saVn him y life of misery
In Northern Montana and up through
the northwest territory, on the Domin-
ion side, is whole nation of people who
have sprung from such alliances. In the
early days the French explorers who set
led down had their two dusky wives
unto themselves and lived and died in a
plentitude of home comforts. Their
offspring partook Of the mercurial dispo-
sition of their fathers and the gregari-
Gus nature of their mothers. They live
together and marry and intermarry, and
though they have no notion of civilized
life, they are far above the Indians in
their habits and customs. They speak
French, "a little English aud all the Indian
dialects, love horses and whisky, have
no ambition beyond the care of their
families. They are the best plainsmen
on the prairies, and in fight will
soundly whip any Indian band that does
not outuumber them. The dread in
which they are held by their more saw
age neighbors they have honestly earned,
for, while they are not more brave in
warfare than the Indian, they are more
skillful and crafty. A popularity is the
holiness of the men and the rare beautV
of some of the women. In color they
are a light to a dark brown, with black
eyes and straight hair. The complexion
OF the women is soft, fairer than that of
The men, and the features are more reg
Allar and the expression pleasant
Leading sort of nomadic
life, travelling in carts and
living in tents. they have no
education, but in their address and bear
ing are cordial and courteous, and to a
stranger on the prairie are hospitable and
generous. They will brave any danger
to see horse-race, and are inveterate
gamblers. AS hunters they have nc
equal, and consequently are thoroughly
hated, for where they are there is nc
game for others.
The progeny of the agency "squav
man," on the contrary, takes but little
after his mother. A half-breed, like
himself, he holds in contempt, stunning
him as he would snake, and seeking
the companionship of the whites. Mex