POWELL] SOCIOLOGY CV 



in the stage of transition. But more than this — all of the 

 tribes of North America have come into association to a 

 greater or less degree with the Enropean invaders, and have 

 thus taken on some of the elements of civilized culture, so 

 that the Columbian period has been one of verv rapid devel- 

 opment in tribal organization. Now, again and again we find 

 abundant evidence that the savage tribe yields its pecTiliarities 

 by exchanging them for barbaric characteristics. A review of 

 the evidence which has been accunu;lating through a series 

 of years on this subject demonstrates that clanship organiza- 

 tion develops into gentile organization. To set forth in a 

 summary manner how this development is accomplished will 

 perhaps be the best method of explaining the nature of a 

 barbaric g-overnment. 



In savagery there are societies which are organized for the 

 purpose of securing the cooperation of ghosts in the affairs of 

 mankind. These societies are often called phratries or l)rother- 

 hoods, and are the custodians of the lore of unseen beings. 

 They occupy themselves with ceremonies and various practices 

 intended to secure advantages and to avert evils which are 

 attributed to nudtitudinous ghostly beings which are supposed 

 to have tenuous bodies and to live an occult and magical life 

 as they take part in human affairs. Everything unexplained 

 is attributed to ghosts. The leader in these tliaumaturgic 

 societies is called by white men a medicine-njan, or sometimes 

 priest, or even a thaumaturgist; a better term is shaman. The 

 ])lu-atrv over which the shamaii presides has a special care of 

 health and the occult agencies of welfare, so he jjresides 

 over elaborate ceremonies which have a religious significance. 

 These phratries, called by some of oiu- writers societies, take 

 a very active part in savage society, for much of the time of 

 the people is occupied in the i)erformance of the rites of thau- 

 maturgy antecedent to any enterprise of importance in which 

 the clan may engage. 



These jjhratries which are organized to obtain the assistance 

 of ghosts develop periodical ceremonies which are designed to 

 secure the annual productions of nature upon which human 

 welfare depends. Thus the fishing tril)es of the Pac'ific coast 



