122 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BuU. 194 



meant to bring you a piece of it but a White man gave him a bottle of 

 whisky for it." Repeated successes in warfare without recognizing 

 the mother-in-law often led to divorce. Giving the mother-in-law 

 a scalp was no guarantee that the marriage would be successful, but 

 it did help in changing the status of the son-in-law in the wife's house- 

 hold. He could help himself to food when the women were out, bring 

 in his friends, and do about as he would in his own household. Al- 

 though his status was somewhat improved after children had come, 

 there was still general avoidance unless the taboo was broken in the 

 above manner. 



Father-in-Law-Son-in-Law 



Although the taboo was not as extreme in the case of father-in- 

 law and son-in-law, it was not considered proper to sit around and 

 visit. If they had business to transact, they discussed it and then 

 separated. The same reserve prevailed through hfe and was not 

 modified by long residence together or the presentation of scalps to 

 the mothers-in-law. The avoidance was not as strict when the 

 father-in-law and son-in-law were of the same clan, for there were 

 many situations when cooperation outside of the household was 

 necessary. Unlike the Mandan, there seems to have been no effort 

 to get a son-in-law of the same clan. 



Brother-in-Law-Brothkr-in-Law 



This was a relationship based on marriage. One classified as 

 brothers-in-law the husbands of "sisters" and the "brothers" of one's 

 wives. In terminology and behavior no distinction was made 

 between the two groups. There was mutual assistance between 

 them. Brothers-in-law generally hunted together and if one was 

 unmarried and hving in the same lodge, they would pool their meat 

 and bring it to the same household. The wife's brother would 

 bring back horses from raids and give them to his sister for her 

 husband's use to show respect for his sister's husband who was hunt- 

 ing to provide for the family. Assistance was interpreted in terms of 

 the welfare of the sister's household since it was not considered proper 

 to give a brother-in-law horses when residence was patrilocal. 



There was usually a certain amount of rivalry between them in 

 ceremonial matters. Although a woman would assist either a brother 

 or a husband in obtaining sacred rites, a man would receive assistance 

 from a brother and a sister but never directly from a sister's husband. 



When the wife had small brothers whom she was caring for in the 

 lodge, her husband frequently assumed the role of a "father," pro- 

 viding for the younger "brothers-in-law's" physical needs and instruct- 

 ing them in sacred matters. If a man was mean to his wife, beating 

 her too severely or accusing her falsely, brothers-in-law were likely 



