Marriage Among the California 
Indians. 
BY T. S. PRICE. 
The research necessary to the acquire- 
jnent of a knowledge of the customs of a 
people involves much labor and time, and 
great, patient and untiring industry ; besides 
.an acquaintance with their habits is only to 
be secured by years of constant, persistent 
•effort and observation. In attempting to 
treat the question of ‘marriage relation’ of 
any paiticular tribe or class, the essayest is 
of necessity compelled to treat of some 
phases which are not peculiar to that people, 
but common to all classes of that race or 
blood; nor is this the exception, but the 
general rule. And while California tribes 
are in some respects like others, in most 
part they stand contra-distinct—single and 
alone in those characteristics which go to 
make up the savage or semi-civilized bar¬ 
barians. Unlike most other western tribes 
they haye not been warlike, unless we 
except the Modocs of the Lava Beds, who 
for a few years made war upon the whites; 
this has wrought an important influence on 
their domestic habits. It has been a nota¬ 
ble fact that in those tribes where wars 
'have been prevalent, there has been a corre¬ 
sponding inequality of numbers in the 
sexes, and a proportional preponderance of 
polygamy. In those tribes free from war¬ 
like strife, this preponderance is not found, 
-and if the bent were towards a plurality of 
wi\es, such inclinations would be counter¬ 
acted by the equality of sexes. True, there 
are instances where bigamy or polygamy 
lias been practiced but such instances are 
rare indeed, monogamy being almost uni- 
veisal. 1 he code of morality varies greatly 
among the different tribes and sub-tribes. 
The greater number have a marriage cere¬ 
mony more or less comprehensive as they 
conform to their ideas of domestic civiliza¬ 
tion; while in those tribal organizations 
less distinct, it hardly approaches a rite, 
resulting in a sort of choice—though in 
none are there any barteriug of wives 
which has marked the customs of the race 
an other parts of the continent. The nup¬ 
tial vows, if the consummation of the mar¬ 
riage rite can be so styled, are in many 
cases held inviolate and kept with as much 
regard to sacredness as among civilized 
peoples. However there are some tribes 
that do not pay this proper regard to the 
means of domestic felicity, and as a se¬ 
quence, those tribes have deteriorated men¬ 
tally and physically in a ratio conformable 
with the looseness of their morals. Of this 
latter class may be considered a number of 
sub-tribes which are noted for their licen¬ 
tiousness. Though professedly in the mar¬ 
ried state, very little regard is paid to its 
meaning and violations are common with 
the women—more so than with the men, 
owing perhaps to the frequent absence of 
the latter. Judging from the past history 
of the Indians in California, it is fair to say 
that the nearer he approaches the Anglo- 
Saxon standard of civilization, the more 
does lust enter his organism and the more 
depressed are his notions of the nuptial 
obligation. 
Apropos of this mention of the connubial 
relations sustained might be mentioned the 
plan of manual labor as followed by the 
California Indians at the present time. 
Much that is false in this particular has 
been asciibed to individuals by those who 
have not been familiar with their subject. 
The popular notion that the mass of man¬ 
ual labor has been imposed on females, is 
to a great extent erroneous; for while the 
lot of the women is no easy one, it is not 
uncommon to see the man bearing the bu r- 
den of the labor in fact such is almost 
universally the case. And as the Indian 
approaches civilization, so increases his 
good guardianship and the larger the share 
of domestic care and responsibility he 
assumes. lor although the consciousness 
of the marriage obligation is very lax, his 
iders are often on an equal footing with 
those of his Caucasian brother. While the 
v ife is expected to prepare the necessaries 
of life for her lord, it is also expected that 
their providence reposes in the husband 
himself. 
Keeping the peace requires not only that 
you refrain from abusing your neighbors, 
but that you prevent others from doing so, 
as far as you can. 
