306 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 196 



But many of them are against public welfare, at least in principle. 

 Callie, one of my Generalized Indian informants, reflected a commonly 

 held view when discussing one of her Rural White neighbors. "He 

 draws about $150 per month from the welfare . . . says he's sickly, 

 but he's just lazy and won't work." Others express concern over the 

 illegitimacy rate on the reservation. 



Usually the Generalized Indians feel that the people are not ready 

 for land allotment. One man said: 



I can manage my own afifairs and I could get a bank loan to build my house, too, 

 if I had title to the land . . . but look at "old Lady" Littlejohn. She has a good 

 piece of land on the highway. If somebody went to her with $300 in one-dollar 

 bills, she'd think that was a lot of money and she'd sell it to the first White man 

 who came along. Then where would she go? 



In summary. Generalized Indian values are somewhat muddy. 

 Oiu- facts support the contention that they are oriented more closely 

 to the Protestant Ethic, despite a few resemblances to Conservatives. 

 After we have presented all the evidence, we shall return to this 

 subject for a consideration of its meaning and implications for 

 acculturation. 



NONEMPIRICAL BELIEFS 



According to Weber, one aspect of the Protestant Ethic is a rejection 

 of magic and the attainment of mastery over the world (Bendix, 

 1960, pp. 156-157). Assm-edly, the Cherokee Middle Class meets 

 this criterion as much as middle class people do elsewhere. They 

 reject the esoteric beliefs to which the Conservatives cling. Many 

 label them "silly superstitions," while others disavow the beliefs 

 but are more tolerant of the "old timey" Indians who do believe. 

 A former nm-se said, "I never interfered with their beliefs if I could 

 help it; they took the placenta and buried it. It's a funny thing, too, 

 some of those people did have babies several years apart." ^^ Many 

 of the younger Middle Class people are not even conversant with the 

 lore. I explained some of the lore to one informant who said, "Here 

 I am supposed to be an Indian and you know more about them than 

 I do." Although most of these people have discarded the old Cher- 

 okee folklore they are not mthout some form of nonrational beliefs; 

 black cats, broken mirrors. But by and large, they place their 

 faith in science and technology. 



Rural Whites and Generalized Indians sometimes talk about the 

 omens in which the Conservatives have faith, although they do not 

 admit to belief in them. One Rural White man carries a buckeye for 

 luck. Occasionally, older Generalized Indians reflect some uneasiness. 

 Annie, a Carlisle graduate of many years ago, and a pUlar of her 



K See p. 296 for a discussion of placenta burial and its relationship to spaced pregnancies. 



