442 



ETIPSIKYA ETIQUETTE 



[b. a. e. 



of the property taken, flogging, and a de- 

 gree of social ostracism constituted tlie 

 punishment of the thief. Instances could 

 be multiplied to show the security of per- 

 sonal effects in a tribe. The Zuni, for 

 example, on leaving home, close and seal 

 the door with clay, and it remains invio- 

 late. The Nez Perces and many other 

 tribes lean a pole across the door to indi- 

 cate the absence of the family, and no 

 one molests the dwelling. 



Murder within the tribe w'as always 

 punished, either by exile, by inexorable 

 ostracism and the making of gifts to the 

 kindred of the slain, or by suffering the 

 murderer to become the lawful victim of 

 their vengeance. 



Truth, honesty, and the safeguarding 

 of human life were everywhere recognized 

 as essential to the peace and prosperity 

 of a tribe, and social customs enforced 

 their observance; the community could 

 not otherwise keep together, much less 

 hold its own against enemies, for except 

 where tribes were, allies, or bound by 

 some friendly tie, they were mutual ene- 

 mies. An unaccredited stranger was al- 

 ways presuma])ly an enemy. 



Adultery was punished. The manner 

 of punishment varied among the tribes, 

 the choice being frequently left to the 

 aggrieved party. Among the Apache it 

 was the common custom to disfigure an 

 erring woman liy cutting off her nose. 



The care of one's family was regarded 

 as a social duty and was generally ob- 

 served. This duty sometimes extended 

 to one's relations. 



While the young were everywhere 

 taught to show respect to their elders, and 

 while years and experience were supposed 

 to bring wisdom, yet there were tribes 

 among which it was the custom to aban- 

 don or to put to death the very old. 

 Where this custom prevailed the condi- 

 tions of life were generally hard, and the 

 young and active found it difficult to 

 secure food for themselves and their 

 children. As the aged could not take 

 care of themselves, and were an encum- 

 brance to travel, they acquiesced in their 

 fate as a measure of prudence and econ- 

 omy, dying in order that the young might 

 live and the tribe maintain its existence. 



The cruel punishment of witchcraft 

 everywhere among the tribes had its 

 ethical side. The witch or wizard was 

 believed to bring sickness or death to 

 members of the community; hence for 

 their secui'ity the sorcerer must be put to 

 death. The custom was due to a lack of 

 knowledge of the causes of disease and to 

 mistaken ethics. (a. c. f. w. m. ) 



Etipsikya (the name of a shrub). A 

 traditional village of the Squash people 

 of the Hopi; situated on the s. side of 

 Rio Colorado Chiquito, on the brink of a 



canyon, not far from the point where the 

 river is crossed by the Santa Fe Pac. R. R., 

 Arizona. — Stejjhen and Mindeleff in 8th 

 Rep. B. A. E., 26, 1891. 



Etiquette. The interior of most native 

 dwellings was without complete parti- 

 tions, yet each member of the family had 

 a distinct space, which was as inviolable 

 as a separate apartment inclosed by walls. 

 In this space the personal articles of the 

 occupant were stored in packs and bas- 

 kets, and here his bed was spread at niglit. 

 Children played together in their own 

 spaces and ran in and out of that Ijelong- 

 ing to the mother, but they were forbid- 

 den to intrude elsewhere and were never 

 allowed to meddle with anyone's posses- 

 sions. When more than one family 

 occupied a dwelling, as the earth lodge, 

 the long Ijark house, or the large wooden 

 structure of the N. W., every family had 

 its well-known limits, within which each 

 member had a place. A space was gen- 

 erally set apart for guests, to which, on 

 entering, a visitor made his way. Among 

 the Plains tribes this place was at the 

 back part of the dwelling, facing the en- 

 trance, and the visitor when entering a 

 lodge and going to this place must not 

 pass between his host and the fire. 

 Among many tribes the place of honor 

 was at the w., facing the entrance. If he 

 was a familiar friend, greetings were at 

 once exchanged, l)ut if he had come on a 

 formal mission, he entered in silence, 

 which was unbroken for some little time 

 after he was seated. On such occasions 

 conversation was opened by reference to 

 trivial matters, the serious purpose of the 

 visit not being mentioned until consider- 

 able time had elapsed. W^hen a delega- 

 tion was received, only the older men of 

 the party or of the tri])e spoke; the 

 younger members kept silentunless called 

 on to say something. Among all the tribes 

 haste was a mark of ill breeding, particu- 

 larly during official or ceremonial pro- 

 ceedings. No visitor could leave the 

 dwelling of his host without some parting 

 words to show that his visit was at an end. 



Among many tribes etiquette required 

 that when speaking to a person a term of 

 relationship rather than the personal 

 name should l)e used. An elderly man 

 or woman was usually addressed as grand- 

 father or grandmother, and a similar title 

 was also applied to a man of distinction, 

 fncle or aunt might be used for persons 

 of about the same age as the speaker, but 

 to a younger man or woman the term of 

 address would signify younger brother or 

 sister. A friendly visitor from outside 

 the tribe was addressed by a term mean- 

 ing "friend." A member .of the tribe, 

 although of a different clan or- gens, was 

 spoken to by a term of relationship; 

 among the Iroquois, for example, one of 



