50 



NECHIMUASATH NEEDLES 



[b. a. e. 



tribes dependent on the Neches mission 

 (probably including the Nabedache, Na- 

 cono, Nechaui, and Naeachau) was esti- 

 mated by Espinosa, former president of 

 the missions, at about one thousand (see 

 Francisco de Jesus Maria, Relacion; Ra- 

 mon, Derrotero; Espinosa, Chronica Apos- 

 tolica, 439 ) . This estimate must have had 

 a good foundation, for the missionaries 

 kept lists of all the hamlets and house- 

 holds. If Rivera be correct, it would 

 seem that l;)y 1727 part of the Neche tribe 

 had moved across the Rio Neches and 

 occupied the Nabedache site of San Pedro 

 ( Rivera, Diario, leg. 2140, 1736). Before 

 the end of the 18th century the tribe 

 apparently Ijecame merged with the 

 Nabedache and Hainai tribes, for in the 

 reports of Sob's (1767), Barrios (1771), 

 Mezieres (1778-79), and others, it was 

 not separately distinguished. 



In its main features the social organiza- 

 tion of this tribe was similar to that of all 

 the tribes of the group. They lived in 

 agricultural hamlets or single house- 

 holds scattered around a main village. 

 A household consisted of several families 

 living in a large conical grass lodge. The 

 semicommunal households seem to have 

 been organized on the basis of paternal 

 right; but an elder woman served as the 

 economic head. An exogamous clan or- 

 ganization existed, thedetailsof which are 

 not evident. The outlines of the tribal 

 organization are clear. There was an 

 hereditary civilchief (caf?f//orcaa^f?/) who 

 also had priestly functions. He ruled 

 through a council composed largely of 

 elder and distinguished men, and was 

 assisted by several grades of administra- 

 tive functionaries or public servants, such 

 as the cnnahas and the tcniniim^. The lat- 

 ter were messengers and overseers, and 

 inflicted the lesser corporal jninishments. 



The confederate relations of this tribe 

 with its neighbors were more religious 

 than governmental. The caddi of the 

 Hainai tribe ranked as head chief of the 

 group, but of greater avithority than any 

 caddi was the head priest, called chenesi, 

 or .rinesi, who kept the central fire 

 temple, situated on the edge of the 

 Hainai domain. From this temple all 

 the households of the surrounding 

 tribes kindled their tires, directly or 

 indirectly. For lesser religious and social 

 functions the Neche and the Hainai tribes 

 (together with the Nabedache, perhaps) 

 formed one grouj), while the Nasoni and 

 the Nacogdoche were the leading tribes of 

 another suV)group for religious purposes 

 (see Francisco de Jesiis Maria, Relacion, 

 1691, MS.; Teran, Descripcion y Diaria 

 Demarcacion, 1691, MS.; Espinosa, 

 Chronica Aj)ost61ica, 424, 430, 1746). 



Agriculture, semicommunal in method, 

 was an important source of food supply. 



The chief crops raised were corn, beans, 

 sunflowers, melons, calabashes, and to- 

 bacco. Besides hunting the deer and 

 small game abounding in the vicinity, the 

 Neche hunted buffalo in season beyond 

 the Brazos, and bear in the forests toward 

 the N. (Francisco de Jesiis INIaria, Rela- 

 cion; Joutel, Relation, in Margry, Dec, III, 

 311, 1878; Pena, Diario, 1721, MS.; Espi- 

 nosa, Chron. A postolica, 422). (II.E.B.) 

 Naches. — Linares (1710) in Margry, Doc, vi, '217, 

 1886. Naicha. — Espinosa, Chronica A]iost61ica, 

 •130,1746. Naichas.— Ibid., ■124, 425, 430. Nascha.— 

 Representation of Missionary Fathers, 1716, MS. 

 Necha.— Francisco de Jesus Maria, Relacion, MS. 

 Nechas.— Ibid.; Rivera, Diario, leg. 2140, 1736; 

 Rivera, Proyecto, 1728, MS.; Peiia, Diario of 

 Aguayo's entrada, 1721. Neita.— Francisco de 

 Jesiis Maria, op. cit. (probably identical). 



Nechimuasath {NEtciuni^asath). A sept 

 of tlie Seshart, a Nootka tribe. — Boas in 

 6th Rep. N. W. Tribes Can., 32, 1890. 



Necoes. A town, perhaps of the Cape 

 Fear Indians, in 1663, about 20m. upCape 

 Fear r. , probably in the present Brunswick 

 CO., N. C. 



Nachees.— Lawson, Voy., 115, repr. 1860. Necoes. — 

 Long et al. (1663) in N. C. Col. Rec, i,68, 1886; 

 Martin, Hist. N. C, i, 131, 1829. 



Neconga. A former village, probably 

 of the Miami, in Miami co., Ind. — Hough 

 in Ind. Geol. Rep., map, 1883. 



Necootimeigh. A tribe formerly living 

 at the Dalles of the Columbia in Oregon 

 (Ross, Fur Hunters, i, 186, 1855). It was 

 probably Chinookan, as it was within 

 Chinookan territory; but the name may 

 have been that of a temporary village of 

 a neigiiboring Shahaptian tribe. 



Necotat. A former Clatsop village at 

 the site of Seaside, Clatsop co., Greg. 



Nakotla't.— Boas, Chinook Texts, 140, 1894. Ne- 

 co-tat. — Lvman in Oreg. Hist. Soe. Quar., i, :-;21, 

 litOO. 



Necpacha. The tribal name assigned 

 to an Indian l)aptized at mission San 

 Antonio de Valero, Tex., Apr. 12, 1728 

 (Valero Bautismos, partida 221, MS. in 

 the custody of the Bishop of San Antonio). 

 He died shortly after, and the burial 

 record gives his tribal name as Nacpacha. 

 The name may mean Apache; but this 

 latter form was quite well known at San 

 Antonio at the date named, (n. e. b. ) 

 Nacpacha. — Fray Salva de Amaya in Valero En- 

 tierros, partida 79, MS. in the custody of the 

 Bishop of San Antonio. 



Nedlung. A Talirpingmiut fall village 

 of the OkomiutEskimotribe near the s. e. 

 extremity of L. Netilling, Baffin land. — 

 Boas in 6th Rep. B. A. F)., map, 1888. 



Neecoweegee. An unidentified Dakota 

 band, possil)ly of the jNIinneconjou. 

 Nee-cow-ee-gee. — Catlin, X. Am. Inds., I, 222, 1841. 



Needles. The true needle with an eye 

 was extremely rare among the Indians, 

 the awl (q. V. ) being the universal imple- 

 ment for sewing. The needle and needle 

 case came to be generally employed only 

 after the advent of the whites, although 

 I)one iieedles3to5in. long are common in 

 Ontario and the Iroquoisarea of New York, 



