THE WESTERN DENES. 



121 



6° Slhi- stands for paternal uncle and spizyan for paternal aunt ; 

 S'ez'e meaning my maternal uncle and sahe, my maternal aunt. 



7° Maternal c.ousins of both sexes are szit to theii- co-relative male 

 cousin and sunU if male or szit if female to their co-relative female 

 cousin, whilst paternal cousins are always called V)rother or sister in 

 the indefinite mood. 



8° Schi- does duty for grand-children of any sex and also for the 

 other offspring alluded to in the first remark. In the same way, 

 brother-in-law and sister-in-law receive the common appellation of sre. 



The clan organisation obtains also among the Western Nah'anes, 

 who have frequent intercourse with the Coast Indians from whom it 

 is derived ; but it is unknown among the Sekanais and Eastern Nah'- 

 anes, who owing to the geographical position of their territory, have 

 adhered to their primitive usages and kept aloof f)'om foreign practices. 

 As a consequence father-right is the only law which regulates 

 succession among them. 



Y. 



Marriage in the Christian sense of the term, is rather a misnomer 

 when intended to designate native unions such as were contracted 

 before the advent of the Missionaries in the (.Country. Co-habitation 

 would better answer the purpose. ■ In fact, it is the corresponding 

 ex.pression they employ themselves when referring to a man married 

 to such and such a woman. They say yerasta, "he stays with her.' 

 For as there was no valid contract and no intention on either side to 

 consider their union as a permanent connection, divorce resulted as a 

 matter of course whenevei' one of the partners was tired of the other. 

 In that case, the ci-devant husband would take back anything he had 

 bestowed upon his so-called wife, and both of them would try life 

 with a new partner. Naturally the man, especially if in easy cir- 

 cumstances, would have a better chance of success than his former 

 wife. Supposing children had been born to them, divorce was more 

 difficult, Jjut by no means impossible. In that event, the father 

 would ordinarily take possession of the offspring. For among the 

 Indians, as among many of their civilized brethren " might is light," 

 and as they are exceedingly fond of their children, the late husband 



