366 OMAHA SOCIOLOGY. 



PROPERTY LAAV. 



§ 303. Public property, provisions, and stock are not known. Hence, 

 there are no revenue laws. 



(a) Tribal property. — Each tribe claimed a certain extent of territory 

 as its own, for purposes of occupancy, cultivation, bunting, and fishing. 

 But the right of a tribe to sell its land was something unheard of. 

 Portions of the Omaha territory were sold because the people feared to 

 refuse the white men. They consented just as a man would "consent" 

 to hand his purse to a highway robber who demanded his money or his 

 life. Laud is enduring, even after the death of all of a generation of 

 Omahas; for the men of the next generation succeed and dwell on the 

 land. Land is like water and wind, " w6f i Q wi n -<fi'a-wa£e," what cannot 

 be sold. But horses, clothing, lodges, etc., soon perish, and these were 

 the only things that they could give away, being personal property. 

 The tribe had a common language, the right to engage together in the 

 chase as well as in war, and in certain rites of a religious and civil 

 character, which are described in connection with the hunting customs, 

 etc. 



(b) Gentile property. — Each gens had its special " wewaspe," such as 

 the sacred pipes, chiefs, sacred tents, area in the tribal circle, etc. These 

 " wewaspe" also belonged, in a measure, to the whole tribe. (See Gen- 

 tile System, Chapter III.) 



(c) Household property. — This consisted of the right of occupancy of a 

 common dwelling, the right of each person to shares of fish, game, etc., 

 acquired by any member of the household. When game was killed, it 

 belonged solely to the household of- the slayer; members of any other 

 household had no right to take any part, but the slayer of a buffalo or 

 other large animal might give portions to those who aided him in cut- 

 ting it up. (See §§ 147, 159.) 



(d) Personal property . — When a father gave a horse or colt to his child, 

 the latter' was the sole owner, and could do what he wished with the 

 property. Each head of a household held a possessory right to such a 

 tract or tracts of land as the members of his family or household culti- 

 vated; and as long as the land was thus cultivated, his right to its en- 

 joyment was recognized by the rest of the tribe. But he could not sell 

 his part of the land. He also had a right to cultivate any unoccupied 

 land, and add it to his own. The husband and wife who were at the 

 head of the family or household, were the chief owners of the lodge, 

 robes, etc. They were joint owners, for when the man wished to give 

 away anything that could be spared he could not do so if his wife was 

 unwilling. So, too, if the wife wished to give away what could be 

 spared, she was unable to do it if her husband opposed her. Sometimes? 

 when the man gave something without consulting his wife, and told her 

 afterwards, she said nothing. The wife had control of all the food, and 

 the man consulted her before he invited guests to afeast saying : " Ew6ku 



