The Spartans of the West 37 



Catlin, in 1832-40, enthusiastically writes of the Plains 

 Indians and their hospitality: 



" I have been welcomed generally in their country, and treated 

 to the best that they could give me [for eight years], without 

 any charges made for my board. " (Vol. I., p. 9.) 



"No matter how great the scarcity of food might be, so long 

 as there was any remaining in the lodge, the visitor received his 

 share without grudging." (Grinnell, "Ind. of To-day," p. 9.) 



The same authority writes me: 



"When Lone Chief had gone into the Lodge of the Chief of 

 the enemy, and food and water had been given to him, the Chief 

 stood up and spoke to his tribespeople saying, ' What can I do? 

 They have eaten of my food, I cannot make war on people who 

 have been eating with me and have also drunk of my water.'" 

 ("Pawnee Hero Stories," pp. 59-60.) 



TREATMENT OE THEIR WOilEN 



"The social condition of the North Americans has been 

 greatly misunderstood. The place of woman in the tribe was 

 not that of a slave or of a beast of burden. The existence of 

 the gentile organization, in most tribes, with descent in the fe- 

 male line, forbade any such subjugation of woman. In many 

 tribes, women took part in the councils of the chiefs; in some, 

 women were even the tribal rulers; while in all, they received a 

 fair measure of respect and affection from those related to 

 them." (GrinneU's "Story of the Indian," p. 244.) 



This is GrinneU's summing up of what every student of 

 Indians has known for long. Here in addition are the 

 statements of other good authorities: 



" I have often heard and read that Indian women received no 

 consideration from their husbands, and led a hfe of exceedingly 

 hard and thankless work. That is very wide of the truth, so 



