164 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Boll. 196 



To understand the significance of this "gift," something must first be 

 said about kinship obHgations and witchcraft belief. 



It is difficult to overemphasize the importance of kin and clan ties 

 in Western Apache culture. In a very real sense, the Apache cate- 

 gorizes all other human beings on the basis of whether or not they are 

 related to him. As individuals with whom he fives, works, and 

 participates in ceremonial activities, relatives stand fundamentally 

 opposed to nonrelatives, who are generally distrusted and approached 

 with cautious formality. Whenever serious difficulty arises (lack of 

 food, funds, or transportation), or when a major ceremonial is under- 

 taken, the Apache refies exclusively on his relatives for support. 

 Thus it is imperative that he do everything possible to stay on friendly 

 terms with them. 



I have seen an Apache go to considerable lengths to help a clan 

 member who lived miles away from Cibecue. But as he himself 

 explained, he did so for a practical reason. "I helped him because he 

 is related to me. Our clans are close together. When I give na ih es 

 for my daughter next summer, he will be glad to help me." The 

 principle of reciprocity which underscores all kin ties is reflected in the 

 kinship terminology. Outside the nuclear family, all consanguineal 

 kinship terms are self-reciprocal (Goodwin, 1942, p. 193). 



As the following example shows, the consequences of antagonizing 

 relatives can be dire indeed. A woman who drank heavily refused to 

 work around her camp. She roamed about at night looking for 

 liquor. Occasionally, she got into fights. One night, when drunk, 

 she went to the camp of her female parallel cousin. While there she 

 was discovered trying to steal some tulipay belonging to her cousin's 

 husband. A violent quarrel ensued, and she was forcibly expelled 

 from the camp. Some days later, while on her way to the trading 

 post, the same woman tripped in an irrigation ditch and broke her 

 ankle. She was near her cousin's camp and called for help. The 

 latter refused, recalling the liquor incident. The injured woman, 

 unable to move, was left alone for nearly an hour before a nonrelative 

 took pity on her. 



One need only consider the part clan relatives play in presenting 

 na ih es to understand the importance of keeping on good terms with 

 them. If clan kin should refuse to contribute food, or help with the 

 preparation of the dance ground, it would be impossible for the 

 pubescent girl's family to hold the ceremony. 



The possibility of being "witched" makes offending nonrelatives 

 just as dangerous, if not more so, as antagonizing relatives. Witches 

 (il kashn) are people who are believed to use their power to harm 

 others. They cause sickness and death, seduce women, and kill 

 livestock. With their surreptitious techniques, they are active mostly 



