SOCIAL ORGANIZATION 91 



scheme by which each "band" has a fixed placeororder, 

 generally enumerated sunwise, from the opening of the 



circle in the easternmost segment (Fig. 34). When form- 

 ing a camp, the leaders selected the site and marked off 

 the two sides of the opening, or gap, whence the respec- 

 tive bands fell-in, in proper order and direction, to form 

 the circle. At the center was a council tent, where the 

 governing body met and at symmetrical points were the 

 tipis of the "soldiers," or police. While the camp circle 

 was the most striking and picturesque trait of Plains 

 culture, it was probably no more than a convenient 

 form of organized camp for a political group composed 

 of 4 ' bands." It is likely that some of the typical tribes 

 developed it first, whence, because of its practical 

 value, it was adopted by the others and even some of 

 the Village and Plateau tribes when they used tipis. 

 It is, however, peculiar to the Plains. 



Marriage. There seems to be nothing distinctive in 

 the marriage customs of the Plains, even in the matter of 

 exogamy (p. 89). A man was permitted to marry as 

 many women as he desired, yet relatively few men had 

 more than three wives. Everywhere the rule was to 

 marry sisters, if possible, since it is said they w 7 ere less 

 likely to quarrel amongst themselves. As no slaves w r ere 

 kept and servants were unknown, the aristocractic 

 family could only meet the situation by increasing 

 the number of wives. Further, it was usual to regard 

 the first wife as the head of the family, the others as 

 subordinate. 



