558 ' KEPOET— 1892. 



cradle is often ornamented with beads, bits of far, silk, &c. In olden 

 times the cradle was a piece of board to which the child was fastened' 



Fig. 1. — Indian cradle, ornamented with bead-work and strips of weasel fur. The 

 original is 37 inches long by 14 inches broad (at the widest part). 



,f*StiS!f^^^:^!fBasss 



with buckskin thongs. The cradle is supported by straps around the 

 breast and a band around the forehead (see fig. 1.) 



Adoption. 



Adoption into the tribe by marriage, or by residence of more than a 

 year, was in practice. When the parents of small children died the 

 relatives came, each taking a child and bringing it up as his own. The 

 elder children seemingly had to take care of themselves. A very friendly 

 feeling between brothers and sisters existed, and the latter were well 

 taken care of on the decease of their parents. 



Property and Inheritance. 



Private property in land was unknown, the country belonging to the 

 tribe collectively. The Lower Kootenays still make, through their chief, 

 a demand for money of any stranger who intrudes upon their domain. 



The hunter had no absolute right in the product of his skill in the 

 chase ; it was distributed amongst the camp in order that all might have 

 food. 



Women could hold property as well as men. The horses were the 

 property of the grown-up male children, as well as of the father, and 

 could be gambled away by any one of them. The lodge seems to have 

 been secured to the widow and children on the death of the father ; the 

 women inherited also the kettles and other utensils, besides their saddles, 

 blankets, 'parfleshes,' &c. The horses, canoes, weapons, &c., went to the 

 male children, if of age. In early times it seems that the dead man's 

 relatives swooped down npon the lodge, soon after his death, and appro- 

 priated the property pretty much as they pleased. The exact nature of 

 this seizure could not be ascertained. If the dead man left no relatives a 

 ' strong man ' of the tribe took possession of his property. 



Crime. 



Stealing {na'iine, he steals) is little practised by the Kootenays ; and 

 though amongst them for months, when they had every chance to pilfer 



