MOTHERRIGHT 299 



illustrates the position of the maternal uncle among 

 other tribes from usages of the time at which his 

 inquiries were made. " Amongst the Choctas," he 

 says, " if a boy is to be placed at school his uncle, 

 instead of his father, takes him to the mission and 

 makes the arrangement. An uncle among the Winne- 

 bagoes may require services of a nephew, or administer 

 correction, which his own father would neither ask 

 nor attempt. In like manner with the lowas and 

 Otoes an uncle may appropriate to his own use his 

 nephew's horse or his gun or other personal property 

 without being questioned, which his father would 

 have no recognised right to do. But over his nieces 

 this same authority is more significant, from his 

 participation in their marriage contracts, which in 

 many Indian nations are founded upon a consideration 

 in the nature of presents." l 



The foregoing will suffice to identify the persons in 

 whom the potestas is vested where mother-right is 

 supreme. In the first instance it vests in the elders of 

 the kin at large. As the consciousness of kin becomes 

 gradually more vivid and defined the elders of the 

 inchoate family absorb the headship of their more 

 immediate kin and administer its concerns. Gradu- 

 ally the headship becomes concentrated in the hands of 

 one man, often chosen by the family from among a 

 small number specially qualified by age experience 

 wisdom or courage, or designated by propinquity of 

 blood to the predecessor in office The way is thus 



the Iroquois recognised " no right in the father to the custody of 

 his children's persons or to their nurture " (McLennan, Studies^ 

 i. 271, quoting League, 327). 

 1 Morgan, Syst. Consang. 158. 



