Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 115 



relatives were not present. Early in life, division in their play and 

 work activities was emphasized by the parents lest a son take an 

 undue interest in girls' toys and dress and become a berdache. Thus, 

 a boy was treated like a boy and a girl like a girl so that a brother and 

 sister quickly developed many different interests. Less concern 

 was shown over a girl who played with bows and arrows than was 

 shown over a boy who played with a baU or doll. 



It was not considered proper for an adult male to carry on prolonged 

 conversations alone with a sister, particularly if they were alone in the 

 same lodge. A man would have a great deal in common with a 

 younger brother or an older sister but very little with a younger sister. 

 An older sister would tan hides and make clothing for a brother even 

 when he lived in another household. It was expected that he would 

 frequently return to eat with the sister's household. They aided each 

 other in assembling goods whenever one of their relatives was giving a 

 feast, and a brother often gave horses or other property for a sister at 

 dances. Each would put up goods when the other married and do all 

 that they could to bring honor to the sister's household. A sister 

 would look to her brother for help against an abusive husband and one 

 frequently hears an informant say even today, "She got pretty 

 saucy with her husband for she had many brothers." However, 

 brothers did not always defend a sister from her husband's wrath. 

 If she was found meeting a lover in the cornfield or while out for wood, 

 the brothers would do nothing when she was severely beaten. If the 

 husband was a good provider for the household, the brothers would 

 recognize this and endeavor to put her straight. (Although no one 

 thought the less of a runaway woman who returned to her husband, 

 everyone thought ill of a man who cried around because his wife had 

 left him and who made overtures to get her to return.) 



When there were several mothers in a lodge there were likely to be 

 brothers and sisters of different ages. If the mothers had died or 

 were feeble, the younger brothers and sisters were invariably cared for 

 by older sisters living in the lodge with their husband. These older 

 sisters cared for them as they did their own children and the children 

 would come to respect their older brother-in-law and treat him as a 

 "father." Although older brothers had an interest in the household, 

 living in a different lodge after marriage their interests were divided. 

 They would advise and discipline their younger brothers and sisters 

 but the principal responsibility for their training rested with the older 

 sisters. A married brother would bring meat to the family and see 

 that they were provided with horses for his brother-in-law's use. In 

 return he would get assistance from his sisters in his social advance- 

 ment. 



