S6 IM)I kNS OP THE PLAINS. 



The Camp Circle. 



Among the typical tribes and even in most places 

 where tipis were used, we find an organized camp, or 

 circle. In its pure form, this is a tribal scheme by 

 which each "band" has a fixed place or order, generally 

 enumerated sunwise, from the opening of the circle 

 in the easternmost segment (Fig. 30). \Vhen forming 

 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 " bands." It is likely that somo 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. 84). A man was permitted to many as many 

 women as he desired, yet relatively few men had more 

 than three wives. Everywhere the rule was to marry 



