40 The Book of Woodcraft 



ures was sanctioned by public opinion, as properly avenging a 

 gross violation of woman's inalienable right — the control of 

 her own body. The dower or bride-price, when such was given, 

 did not confer it, it seems, on the husband, absolute right over 

 the life and liberty of the wife: it was rather compensation to 

 her kindred and household for the loss of her services." 

 ("Handbook American Indian," pp. 972,3.) 



"It is the universal testimony, as voiced by Portlock (1787), 

 that they [the Coast Indians] treat their wives and children with 

 much affection and tenderness. " ("Voyages," p. 290.) "In the 

 approach to political and industrial equality of the sexes, and in 

 the respect shown for the opinions of their females, these 

 Indians furnish another refutation of the old misconception 

 concerning the systematic mal-treatment of the women by 

 savages. Such a thing is incompatible with the laws of nature. 

 Good treatment of the female is essential to the preserv- 

 ation of the species, and it will be found that this ill-treatment 

 is more apparent than real." (Niblack, "Coast Indian," 1889, 

 p. 238-9.) 



That is, the sum of evidence, according to all reliable 

 authority, plainly shows that the condition of the women 

 among the primitive Indians was much as with white folks. 

 They had the steady, dreary work of the household, while 

 the men did the intermittent, yet much harder work of por- 

 taging, hunting and fighting. But the Indian woman had 

 several advantages over her white sister. She owned the 

 house and the children. She had absolute control of her 

 body. There could be no war without her consent; she 

 could and often did become the Head Chief of the Nation. 



Awashonks, the Woman Chief of Seconset, R. I. (1671), 

 and Wetamoo, the beautiful woman Sachem of the Massa- 

 chusetts Wampanoags (1662) were among the many 

 famous women whose lives and positions give the lie to the 

 tiresome calumny that the "Indian women were mere 

 beasts of burden; they had no rights, nor any voice in their 

 public affairs." 



