The Life of Primitive Woman 1655 



through their own efforts and through contact with the civilized people 

 who have entered their midst. These women and their children are the 

 wards of the more highly developed world races, whether the husbands 

 and the fathers are uncivilized men of their own race, or white men from 

 Europe and America. Which of their many myths and legends, games 

 and amusements, shall Americans encourage and perpetuate? Americans 

 have already taken " Brer Rabbit " from African negroes, and lacrosse 

 from the Indians of the western plains. Shall they hope and help to 

 educate primitive peoples, keeping the best and worthiest results these 

 peoples have attained while they add the finest of their own? Or, are 

 they to keep on giving only the white man's fire-water to make the Indians 

 drunk, teaching deceit in trade and selfishness to the islanders of the 

 Pacific at the same time they take the Christian faith and ideals to them? 

 All American women, whether in cities or in the country, ought to 

 know and care about their primitive sisters. There are persons who 

 have traveled among them with seeing, sympathetic eyes, and have put 

 their stories in print. There are books to read that will make a woman 

 quickly and surely know and care about the daily life of primitive 

 woman and all her problems and achievements. Certain phases of her 

 life, certain duties and privileges, can be taken for each program of 

 the club for a series of eighteen meetings. Programs that have been 

 used by some of the Cornell study clubs last winter, are given here for 

 future use in scores of other clubs, with the encouraging assurance that 

 they have already proved practicable as well as stimulating to many 

 women in this State. 



PROGRAMS AND STUDY TOPICS FOR CLUB MEETINGS 



On the following pages are given programs for each of the eighteen meet- 

 ings to be devoted to the study of primitive woman. Since fewer topics 

 can be treated in any one meeting than will serve to give each club member 

 a satisfactory view of the main topic for that day, a carefully selected 

 Hst of study topics is given for each member to use in her own preparation, 

 in order that she may be ready to appreciate the papers and to join in- 

 the general discussion. 



The titles and authors of books with definite references are printed on 

 pages 1674 to 1692 of this lesson, following a discussion of libraries and 

 special collections of books that are available in the State of New York 

 for the study of primitive woman. 



The club members who are responsible for papers on programs should 

 be notified in writing by the secretary or the chairman of the program 

 committee at least two months ahead. A leader should always be 

 chosen beforehand for the general discussion that is arranged for a pro- 

 gram. 



