1902.]' Kroeber, The Arapaho. 15 



Once a young man was said to have sat with the women too 

 frequently, and to have teased them too much. A number 

 of them seized him, stripped him, and then buffeted and mal- 

 treated him without delicacy. Young men were ashamed to 

 be alone with a number of women too long. There were a 

 few bachelors, who were half-witted, or considered so. 



At the sun-dance an old man, crying out to the entire camp- 

 circle, told the young people to amuse themselves; he told 

 the women to consent if they were approached by a young 

 man, for this was their opportunity; and he called to the 

 young men not to beat or anger their wives, or be jealous 

 during the dance : they might make a woman cry, but mean- 

 while she would surely be thinking of some other young man. 

 At such dances the old women say to the girls: "We are old, 

 and our skin is not smooth; we are of no use. But you are 

 young and plump; therefore find enjoyment. We have to 

 take care of the children, and the time will come when you 

 will do the same." 



Women do not spend several days in solitude during men- 

 struation, as is the case among the Sioux, the Utes, and many 

 other neighboring tribes. They sit quietly, keeping away 

 from other people, especially from women and yoimg men. 

 But they eat with other people, and cook for them. They 

 wrap their clothes tightly about the waist. They change 

 their clothes every day, and wash themselves. There is no 

 practice or ceremony connected with a girl's first menstrua- 

 tion. A menstruating woman is not allowed to enter the 

 mescal (peyote) tent; and if a man who has had intercourse 

 with a menstruating woman takes part in this ceremony, he 

 is found out by the smell. Sickly people and menstruating 

 women are not allowed to enter a tent in which there is a sick 

 person. The smell of the discharge would enter the body of 

 the patient and make him worse. A woman just delivered 

 also refrains from going into the tent of a sick person. Medi- 

 cine-women, after delivery, go into the sweat-house (steam- 

 bath) to cleanse themselves. Menses were called baata'ana" 

 ("medicine," "supernatural," "mysterious"), or naniige'hina" 

 (naniigext, baataat, "she menstruates"). 



