Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-09-17
turioms Habits ~ Indians.


Among the WAND a, lhri,palc sex
l.. more socially imporIal than The
nialc. The head al the family j. II
woman; kinship through the female
line constitutes the ''gcnS. n IL IL
called 10y indian cthnologists; in each
gems there is n council, composed of
four women, who, with n male chief
selected by them. form the gentle
council. The aggregated gentle
councils form the tribal council, so
that tribal civil government is in
trusted To a body composed of four
women for every man. This system,
however. j. departed from upon special
occasions. when the leading men of the
tribe are added To- the council The
>aclicm. or tribal chief, too j. chosen by
the chiefs Of the gcntc> from among
their number. Lastly. the military
government. which is sharply ,listn-
guishcl from the civil is carried un 10y II
council consisting of all the ablc-bodied
men of the tribe. The nomenclature of
an Indian tribe j. M haphazarlarrangc
ncnt. but regulated upon strict prnci-
pies. Each gems among the WyandotS
has the name of some animal. and each
some special characteristic of that
animal. Thus the eleven gcntcs of the
WNandots are the Deer. Bear, Striped
Highland Turtle, Black ighland'rurilc
Mud Turtle, Smoothc Large Turtle
Hawk. Beaver, Wolf. Sea Snake, and
Porcupinc. \ man of the Bear gems,
then. for instance j. called by such u
name ~ Long Claws y; a women of the
same Irn> ''Grunting for her
Young n man Of the Mud Tur-
tie gems Hard Skull" woman
of the Smooih Large Turtle
gcns 'SluW Walker" woman Of the
Wolf gems Always Hungry II man of
the Snake gems Sitting ia Curlcd Posi-
ion:" and 81 on These picturesque
namcs have become by long usage less
vivid To the Indian than they appear Ia
~ when literally translated. The same
t. of course. true in amy language. our
own included. Once Il wear. NJ the
grccn-corn festival. the coltncilWomcn
uf The gems select the names for the chill
drcn born during the previous year. M
person may change hi> name, but every
person. man or woman. may win Il Sec
ond name 10y honorable behavior or by
incidents in his career. We have said
that the gems il collection of persons
related through the female line. Strange
10 our IDEAS, a man may marry n blood
relation. provided she is not u member
Of his own gcns. Thus he may marry
his aunt or his cousy by the fathers
side. but not by the mother : side, be
cause these last belong To his own ycn>.
llcmaN have >cvcralwivc> but they must
belong Ia different gc'nirs. In the rule
that every man or woman must marry
within the tribe we see some likeness to
the connubal laws of earl, Rome. II II
man wishes 10 marry outside the tribe.
he must get hi, intended bride adopted
into some gems. 80 IL Ia g't over the
difficulty In tho event of the death of
Il mother. the children belong Ia her
sister or Ia her nearest female kin.
Each elan or gems has a'di-iincl method
of painting the face. II has allotted To
II Il regular place in the tribal cncaunp-
mcnt. which l. in the form of u circle or
open horseshoe. Throughout North
America the tenure of landed property
among thc Indians j. communal. Within
the area occupied by the tribe each Gems
has IN allotment of lis own, determined
! 10y the tribal council. The gentle alot-
mcnl. again, is parcclcd out 10y the
women councillors among the house
holders every two wears. Cultivation i,
usually carried on by the women. The
mans province j. To fish the stream OF
Ia Scour the forest for gamc. The wig
wan and all articles OF the household
belong To- the woman. who j. the head
of the household and at her death j.
inherited 10y her eldest daughter or
nearest OF female Kin. Here Is another
remarkable instance of the woman po-
, Siiion in the social scale. The hI>-
band property consists Of his clothing
and weapons uf the chase. and such
articles n are used PERSONAL, by him,
Taunton Times.