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  THE 
  OMAHA 
  TRIBE 
  [eth. 
  ann. 
  27 
  

  

  Polygamy 
  existed, 
  although 
  it 
  was 
  not 
  the 
  rule; 
  in 
  the 
  majority 
  

   of 
  families 
  there 
  was 
  but 
  one 
  wife. 
  A 
  man 
  rarely 
  had 
  more 
  than 
  

   two 
  wives 
  and 
  these 
  were 
  generally 
  sisters 
  or 
  aunt 
  and 
  niece. 
  These 
  

   complex 
  families 
  were 
  usually 
  harmonious 
  and 
  sometimes 
  there 
  seemed 
  

   to 
  be 
  little 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  feeling 
  of 
  the 
  children 
  toward 
  the 
  two 
  

   women 
  who 
  were 
  wives 
  to 
  their 
  father. 
  No 
  special 
  privileges 
  were 
  

   accorded 
  to 
  the 
  first 
  wife 
  over 
  the 
  others. 
  Polygamy 
  was 
  practised 
  

   more 
  among 
  the 
  prominent 
  men 
  than 
  among 
  any 
  other 
  class. 
  On 
  

   the 
  former 
  devolved 
  the 
  public 
  duty 
  of 
  entertaining 
  guests 
  from 
  

   within 
  and 
  without 
  the 
  tribe. 
  This 
  duty 
  brought 
  a 
  great 
  deal 
  of 
  labor 
  

   on 
  the 
  household. 
  There 
  was 
  no 
  serving 
  class 
  to 
  render 
  help 
  to 
  man 
  

   or 
  woman, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  wife 
  could 
  not 
  hire 
  anyone 
  to 
  assist 
  her 
  in 
  any 
  

   extra 
  labor 
  or 
  in 
  her 
  daily 
  work 
  or 
  her 
  varied 
  avocations, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   dressing 
  and 
  tanning 
  of 
  skins, 
  the 
  making 
  of 
  tent 
  covers 
  and 
  clothing, 
  

   not 
  to 
  mention 
  the 
  embroidery 
  put 
  on 
  garments 
  and 
  regalia. 
  It 
  will 
  

   be 
  remembered 
  that 
  embroidered 
  garments, 
  robes, 
  pipestems, 
  and 
  

   other 
  articles 
  were 
  required 
  for 
  gifts 
  that 
  went 
  toward 
  a 
  man's 
  

   "count," 
  which 
  led 
  to 
  his 
  tribal 
  honors. 
  Looking 
  at 
  the 
  duties 
  and 
  

   customs 
  of 
  the 
  tribe, 
  it 
  seems 
  that 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  domestic 
  labor 
  

   had 
  a 
  good 
  deal 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  polygamy. 
  "I 
  must 
  take 
  

   another 
  wife. 
  My 
  old 
  wife 
  is 
  not 
  strong 
  enough 
  now 
  to 
  do 
  all 
  her 
  

   work 
  alone." 
  This 
  remark 
  was 
  made 
  not 
  as 
  if 
  offering 
  an 
  excuse 
  for 
  

   taking 
  another 
  wife 
  but 
  as 
  stating 
  a 
  condition 
  which 
  must 
  be 
  met 
  

   and 
  remedied 
  in 
  the 
  only 
  way 
  which 
  custom 
  permitted. 
  

  

  Divorce 
  was 
  not 
  uncommon, 
  although 
  there 
  were 
  many 
  instances 
  

   hi 
  the 
  tribe 
  in 
  which 
  a 
  man 
  and 
  woman 
  lived 
  together 
  throughout 
  a 
  

   long 
  life 
  in 
  monogamous 
  marriage. 
  If 
  a 
  man 
  abused 
  his 
  wife, 
  she 
  

   left 
  him 
  and 
  her 
  conduct 
  was 
  justified 
  by 
  her 
  relations 
  and 
  by 
  tribal 
  

   opinion. 
  As 
  the 
  tent 
  or 
  dwelling 
  always 
  belonged 
  to 
  the 
  woman, 
  

   the 
  unkind 
  husband 
  found 
  himself 
  homeless. 
  The 
  young 
  children 
  

   generally 
  remained 
  with 
  the 
  mother, 
  although 
  the 
  father's 
  brothers 
  

   would 
  be 
  expected 
  to 
  assist 
  the 
  woman 
  in 
  their 
  support. 
  If 
  the 
  

   woman 
  was 
  immoral, 
  she 
  was 
  put 
  away 
  and 
  sometimes 
  punished 
  by 
  

   her 
  husband. 
  In 
  that 
  case 
  no 
  one 
  interfered 
  to 
  protect 
  her. 
  These 
  

   punishments 
  were 
  sometimes 
  very 
  severe. 
  Generally 
  speaking, 
  the 
  

   family 
  was 
  fairly 
  stable 
  ; 
  tribal 
  sentiment 
  did 
  not 
  favor 
  the 
  changing 
  

   of 
  the 
  marriage 
  relation 
  from 
  mere 
  caprice. 
  

  

  The 
  Omaha 
  woman 
  worked 
  hard. 
  Upon 
  her 
  depended 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  

   livelihood 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  — 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  food, 
  of 
  shelter, 
  of 
  cloth- 
  

   ing, 
  and 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  the 
  garden 
  patches. 
  In 
  return, 
  she 
  was 
  

   regarded 
  with 
  esteem, 
  her 
  wishes 
  were 
  respected, 
  and, 
  while 
  she 
  held 
  

   no 
  public 
  office, 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  movements 
  and 
  ceremonies 
  of 
  the 
  tribe 
  

   depended 
  on 
  her 
  timely 
  assist 
  ance. 
  In 
  the 
  family 
  she 
  was 
  generally 
  

   the 
  center 
  of 
  much 
  affection. 
  There 
  were 
  many 
  happy 
  Indian 
  fami- 
  

   lies 
  in 
  which 
  affection 
  bound 
  all 
  hearts 
  closely 
  together. 
  

  

  