Chapter II. 

 SOCIAL ORGANIZATION. 



MUSEUM collections cannot illustrate this im- 

 portant phase of culture; but since no compre- 

 hensive view of the subject can be had without 

 its consideration, we must give it some space. It is 

 customary to treat of all habits or customs having to do 

 with the family organization, the community, and what 

 we call the state, under the head of social organization. 

 80, in order that the reader may form some general idea 

 of social conditions in this area, we shall review some of 

 the discussed points. Unfortunately, the data for many 

 tribes are meager so that a complete review cannot be 

 made. The Blackfoot, Sarsi, Crow, Northern Shoshoni, 

 Xez Perce, Assiniboin, Teton-Dakota, Omaha, Hidat- 

 sa, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Kiowa have been carefully 

 investigated, but of the remaining tribes, we know very 

 little. 



As previously stated, it is customary to accept the 

 political units of the Indian as tribes or independent 

 nations. Thus, while the Crow recognize several 

 subdivisions, they feel that they are one people and 

 support a council or governing body for the whole. The 

 Blackfoot, on the other hand, are composed of three 

 distinct political divisions, the Piegan, Blood, and 

 Blackfoot, with no superior government, yet they feel 

 that they are one people with common interests and 



