﻿;54 
  INDIAN 
  LINGUISTIC 
  FAMILIES. 
  

  

  whether 
  applicable 
  elsewhere 
  or 
  not, 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  applied 
  to 
  the 
  Indians 
  

   of 
  this 
  country. 
  Everywhere 
  bountiful 
  nature 
  had 
  provided 
  an 
  un- 
  

   failing 
  and 
  practically 
  inexhaustible 
  food 
  supply. 
  The 
  rivers 
  teemed 
  

   with 
  fish 
  and 
  mollusks, 
  and 
  the 
  forests 
  with 
  game, 
  while 
  upon 
  all 
  

   sides 
  was 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  nutritious 
  roots 
  and 
  seeds. 
  All 
  of 
  these 
  

   sources 
  were 
  known, 
  and 
  to 
  a 
  large 
  extent 
  they 
  were 
  drawn 
  upon 
  by 
  

   the 
  Indian, 
  but 
  the 
  practical 
  lesson 
  of 
  providing 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  

   plenty 
  for 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  scarcity 
  had 
  been 
  but 
  imperfectly 
  learned, 
  

   i 
  ir, 
  when 
  learned, 
  was 
  but 
  partially 
  applied. 
  Even 
  when 
  taught 
  by 
  

   dire 
  experience 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  laying 
  up-adequate 
  stores, 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  

   almost 
  universal 
  practice 
  to 
  waste 
  great 
  quantities 
  of 
  food 
  by 
  a 
  con- 
  

   stant 
  succession 
  of 
  feasts, 
  in 
  the 
  superstitious 
  observances 
  of 
  which 
  

   the 
  stores 
  were 
  rapidly 
  wasted 
  and 
  plenty 
  soon 
  gave 
  way 
  to 
  scarcity 
  

   and 
  even 
  to 
  famine. 
  

  

  Curiously 
  enough, 
  the 
  hospitality 
  which 
  is 
  so 
  marked 
  a 
  trait 
  

   among 
  our 
  North 
  American 
  Indians 
  had 
  its 
  source 
  in 
  a 
  law, 
  the 
  

   invariable 
  practice 
  of 
  which 
  has 
  had 
  a 
  marked 
  effect 
  in 
  retarding 
  

   the 
  acquisition 
  by 
  the 
  Indian 
  of 
  the 
  virtue 
  of 
  providence. 
  As 
  is 
  

   well 
  known, 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  social 
  organization 
  was 
  the 
  

   kinship 
  system. 
  By 
  its 
  provisions 
  almost 
  all 
  property 
  was 
  possessed 
  

   in 
  common 
  by 
  the 
  gens 
  or 
  clan. 
  Food, 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  of 
  all, 
  

   was 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  left 
  to 
  be 
  exclusively 
  enjoyed 
  by 
  the 
  individual 
  or 
  

   the 
  family 
  obtaining 
  it. 
  

  

  For 
  instance, 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  game 
  among 
  the 
  families 
  of 
  a 
  

   party 
  was 
  variously 
  provided 
  for 
  in 
  different 
  tribes, 
  but 
  the 
  practi- 
  

   cal 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  customs 
  relating 
  thereto 
  was 
  the 
  sharing 
  of 
  

   the 
  supply. 
  The 
  hungry 
  Indian 
  had 
  but 
  to 
  ask 
  to 
  receive 
  and 
  this 
  

   no 
  matter 
  how 
  small 
  the 
  supply, 
  or 
  how 
  dark 
  the 
  future 
  prospect. 
  

   It 
  was 
  not 
  only 
  his 
  privilege 
  to 
  ask, 
  it 
  was 
  his 
  right 
  to 
  demand. 
  

   Undoubtedly 
  what 
  was 
  originally 
  a 
  right, 
  conferred 
  by 
  kinship 
  con- 
  

   nections, 
  ultimately 
  assumed 
  broader 
  proportions, 
  and 
  finally 
  passed 
  

   into 
  the 
  exercise 
  of 
  an 
  almost 
  indiscriminate 
  hospitality. 
  By 
  reason 
  

   of 
  this 
  custom, 
  the 
  poor 
  hunter 
  was 
  virtually 
  placed 
  upon 
  equality 
  

   with 
  the 
  expert 
  one, 
  the 
  lazy 
  with 
  the 
  industrious, 
  the 
  improvident 
  

   with 
  the 
  more 
  provident. 
  Stories 
  of 
  Indian 
  life 
  abound 
  with 
  

   instances 
  of 
  individual 
  families 
  or 
  parties 
  being 
  called 
  upon 
  by 
  

   those 
  less 
  fortunate 
  or 
  provident 
  to 
  share 
  their 
  supplies. 
  

  

  The 
  effect 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  system, 
  admirable 
  as 
  it 
  was 
  in 
  many 
  particu- 
  

   lars, 
  practically 
  placed 
  a 
  premium 
  upon 
  idleness. 
  Under 
  such 
  com- 
  

   munal 
  rights 
  and 
  privileges 
  a 
  potent 
  spur 
  to 
  industry 
  and 
  thrift 
  is 
  

   wanting. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  an 
  obverse 
  side 
  to 
  this 
  problem, 
  which 
  a 
  long 
  and 
  inti- 
  

   mate 
  acquaintance 
  with 
  the 
  Indians 
  in 
  their 
  villages 
  has 
  forced 
  

   upon 
  the 
  writer. 
  The 
  communal 
  ownership 
  of 
  food 
  and 
  the 
  great 
  

   hospitality 
  practiced 
  by 
  the 
  Indian 
  have 
  had 
  a 
  very 
  much 
  greater 
  

   influence 
  upon 
  his 
  character 
  than 
  that 
  indicated 
  in 
  the 
  foregoing 
  

  

  