May 16, 1915. 
Canada 
Geological Survey 
Museum Bulletin No. 10 
ANTHROPOLOGICAL SERIES, No. 5. 
The Social Organization of the Winnebago Indians. An 
Interpretation} 
By Paul Radin. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The social organization of the Winnebago is based upon a 
twofold division of the tribe, which seems to represent an historic- 
ally ultimate social grouping, not only for the Winnebago but 
likewise for a majority of the other Siouan tribes— the Dhegiha 
group, 1 2 the Tciwere group, 3 the Hidatsa, and the Mandan. 
What its original significance for these tribes was, it is now 
impossible to determine, for the different re-interpretations it 
has undergone necessarily preclude, in the absence of historical 
data, the possibility of satisfactorily demonstrating this point. 
As a matter of historical fact, we do not even know whether we 
are to regard the above social grouping as having been a common 
possession of these tribes before they parted company, or as 
having developed among one of them and subsequently spreading 
among the others. Could we unhesitatingly assume as criteria 
the tenacity with which these people adhere to this grouping 
when in contact with other groupings and the intimate linguistic 
and cultural relationship that seems to exist, at least between 
1 Based on notes in the private possession of the author. 
* Includes Omaha, Ponca, Osage, Kansas, and Quapaw. 
3 Includes Oto, Iowa, and Missouri. 
