1892-93.] SOCIAL ORGANIZATION' OF THE BLACKFOOT INDIANS. 251 



commonly called "a runner," was sent to carry the news, or a chief 

 would be delegated as messenger, but generally one of the servants of 

 the head chief. If it were a grave matter, the head chief of the tribe 

 would undertake the mission, and upon his arrival would be treated in 

 an honourable manner, as became such an august personage. The head 

 chief and the minor chiefs of the tribe would then assemble and the 

 matter would be brought before them by their illustrious visitor and 

 discussed. 



The state life in each of the tribes is the same. There is not a 

 definite number of gentes in each tribe. There is not a common taboo 

 for the gentes. Some of the gentes have a taboo, but not all. There is 

 not one common to all, each gens which has a taboo has a distinctive 

 one. There is one, however, which partakes of the nature of a common 

 taboo, which relates to the Naaye gens. This gens will partake of fish, 

 but none other of the gentes will partake of them. Sometimes a single 

 individual will eat a piece of flesh of some bird or animal, and upon 

 learning what it is will spit it out, exclaiming, " That is against my 

 medicine." 



There is one common ancestor for all the Indian tribes. He is not an 

 ancestor in the proper sense, but a secondary creator. He is called 

 Napioa, the Old Man. He is not the creator of the gens, or tribe, but of 

 the whole Indian race. 



Individuals belonging to one gens can marry into any other gens. 

 The wife goes with her husband to his gens and lives there with him. 

 If he dies, the widow can remain in her husband's gens or return to her 

 own. 



The Blackfoot Confederacy have not any adoption ceremony. I have 

 seen women belonging to the Cree and Kooteenay tribes, and men 

 who in their youth were Ojibways and Crees. and these were treated as 

 members of the Blackfoot Confederacy, no distinction being made 

 between them. None of these had ever gone through any adoption 

 ceremony. In the matter of caring for orphans, they are looked after by 

 the nearest relatives, and when these fail they are provided for by the 

 tribe. They are never allowed to be in want, for the people say as they 

 are of the same flesh and blood they must be cared for by the people. 



There are several state classes, the most important being the chiefs. 

 They are called Ninaks, fathers, chiefs. Of these there are three kinds, 

 namcl}-, two principal chiefs, the peace or civil chief, and the war chief, 

 and the minor chiefs. The two principal chiefs have each one gens, 

 and are also the supreme heads of the tribe. Each minor chief has a 



