90 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



FELLOWHOOD. 



There is an interesting institution found among the 

 Wyandots, as among some other of our North American 

 tribes, namely, that of fellowhood. Two young men agree 

 to be perpetual friends to each other, or more than brothers. 

 Each reveals to the other the secrets of his life, and coun- 

 sels with him on matters of importance, and defends him 

 from wrong and violence, and at his death is chief mourner. 



The government of the Wyandots, with the social organ- 

 ization upon which it is based, affords a typical example of 

 tribal Government throughout North America. Within that 

 area there are several hundred distinct governments. In so 

 great a number there is great variety, and in this variety 

 we find different degrees of organization, the degrees of 

 organization being determined by the differentiation of the 

 functions of the government and the correlative specializa- 

 tion of organic elements. 



Much has yet to be done in the study of these governments 

 before safe generalizations may be made. But enough is 

 known to warrant the following statement : 



Tribal government in North America is based on kinship 

 in that the fundamental units of social organization are 

 bodies of consanguineal kindred either in the male or female 

 line: these units being what has been well denominated 

 " gentes." 



These "gentes" are organized into tribes by ties of rela- 

 tionship and affinity, and this organization is of such a 

 character that the man's position in the tribe is fixed by his 

 kinship. There is no place in a tribe for any person whose 

 kinship is not fixed, and only those persons can be adopted 

 into the tribe who are adopted into some family with arti- 

 ficial kinship specified. The fabric of Indian society is a 

 complex tissue of kinship. The warp is made of streams 

 of kinship blood, and the woof of marriage ties. 



With most tribes military and civil affairs are differenti- 

 ated. The functions of civil government are in general 



