Chapter II. 

 SOCIAL ORGANIZATION. 



Museum collections cannot illustrate this important 

 phase of culture; but since no comprehensive 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 organi- 

 zation, the community and what we call the state, under 

 the head of social organization. So, 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 Black- 

 foot, Sarsi, Crow, Northern Shoshone, Nez Perce, 

 Assiniboine, Teton-Dakota, Omaha, Hidatsa, 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 



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