•](i SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 33 



Teaching is often clarified by means of diagram or demonstration. 

 A 70-year-old man made a diagram of the qillatun and the machitun 

 on paper when explaining the location of the activities of each. A 

 38-year-old man made a graphic sketch of mountains and valleys to 

 show the location of land (which was being considered for distribution 

 among the people) that he hoped to obtain for his children. A 60- 

 year-old woman gave a lively and detailed demonstration of the 

 manner in which a marriage was formerly arranged : leaves from an 

 apple tree, in whose shade we sat, represented members of the groom's 

 family ; leaves of lettuce from the garden, members of the bride's 

 family; a blade of grass, the messenger, who was not a member of 

 either family. Stem ends, she pretended, did the conversing. She 

 resorted to this demonstration because the writer had asked her to 

 clarify several points of an account which she had given the previous 

 day. She noted with some annoyance that she was having recourse 

 to a method used in teaching children. 



In occupations the child is taught and made responsible for simple 

 things first and more complicated ones as it grows older. A 70-year- 

 old man said, "As soon as my boys walked, I trained them to pick up 

 sticks and carry them to the fireplace. With this as a beginning, they 

 worked at whatever they could do as they grew older. Whenever they 

 saw me go out to work, they followed me to help me. When they were 

 still quite small, they directed my oxen when I plowed or pulled logs." 



Quoting a mother : "I taught my girls from little on how to tend to 

 chickens and pigs, to wash dishes, prepare food, and wash clothes. 

 When a girl is about 12 years old, the mother — or the grandmother, 

 if the girl has no mother or the mother is sick — will say to her, 'Some- 

 time you will be a housewife; in order to be a good one, you must 

 from now on rise early with me, every day.' They rise then, each 

 morning, when the birds begin to chirp; this trains the girl to rise 

 early. The mother from then on teaches the girl one thing at a time 

 and observes and directs her in her work. They sit opposite each 

 other when the girl is learning so that the mother can direct the girl's 

 work. The girl must work diligently. If a visitor comes to their ruka, 

 the mother teaches her daughter how to serve him, and to do things 

 for him." The mother motivates an older daughter by saying to her, 

 "If you are industrious, you will more easily have a suitor; before 

 long then a suitor will come for you. Some day I will die, and then 

 you must know how to do all things expected of a woman. You must 

 learn how to serve a husband well, too." Then in a very serious mien, 

 the informant added: "The mother tells her daughter, too, that she 

 can be a mother. T gave birth to you and reared you ; you will have 



