Blackfoot Lodge Tales Part 20

_Kut'-ai-im-iks_ They Don't Laugh.

_I'-pok-si-maiks_ Fat Roasters.

_Sik'-o-kit-sim-iks_ Black Doors.

_Ni-taw'-yiks_ Lone Eaters.

_Ap'-i-kai-yiks_ Skunks.

_Mi-ah-wah'-pit-siks_ Seldom Lonesome.

_Nit'-ak-os-kit-si-pup-iks_ Obstinate.

_Nit'-ik-skiks_ Lone Fighters.

_I-nuks'-iks_ Small Robes.

_Mi-aw'-kin-ai-yiks_ Big Topknots.

_Esk'-sin-ai-tup-iks_ Worm People.

_I-nuk-si'-kah-ko-pwa-iks_ Small Brittle Fat.

_Kah'-mi-taiks_ Buffalo Dung.

_Kut-ai-sot'-si-man_ No Parfleche.

_Ni-tot'-si-ksis-stan-iks_ Kill Close By.

_Mo-twai'-naiks_ All Chiefs.

_Mo-k.u.m'-iks_ Red Round Robes.

_Mo-tah'-tos-iks_ Many Medicines.

It will be readily seen from the translations of the above that each gens takes its name from some peculiarity or habit it is supposed to possess. It will also be noticed that each tribe has a few gentes common to one or both of the other tribes. This is caused by persons leaving their own tribe to live with another one, but, instead of uniting with some gens of the adopted tribe, they have preserved the name of their ancestral gens for themselves and their descendants.

The Blackfoot terms of relationship will be found interesting. The princ.i.p.al family names are as follows:--

My father _Ni'-nah._

My mother _Ni-kis'-ta._

My elder brother _Nis'-ah_

My younger brother _Nis-kun'._

My older sister _Nin'-sta._

My younger sister _Ni-sis'-ah._

My uncle _Nis'-ah._

My aunt _Ni-kis'-ta._

My cousin, male Same as brother.

My cousin, female Same as sister.

My grandfather _Na-ahks'._

My grandmother _Na-ahks'._

My father-in-law _Na-ahks'._

My mother-in-law _Na-ahks'._

My son _No-ko'-i._

My daughter _Ni-tun'._

My son-in-law _Nis'-ah._

My daughter-in-law _Ni-tot'-o-ke-man._

My brother-in-law older than self _Nis-tum-o'._

My brother-in-law younger than self _Nis-tum-o'-kun._

My sister-in-law _Ni-tot'-o-ke-man._

My second cousin _Nimp'-sa._

My wife _Nit-o-ke'-man._

My husband _No'-ma._

As the members of a gens were all considered as relatives, however remote, there was a law prohibiting a man from marrying within his gens. Originally this law was strictly enforced, but like many of the ancient customs it is no longer observed. Lately, within the last forty or fifty years, it has become not uncommon for a man and his family, or even two or three families, on account of some quarrel or some personal dislike of the chief of their own gens, to leave it and join another band. Thus the gentes often received outsiders, who were not related by blood to the gens; and such people or their descendants could marry within the gens. Ancestry became no longer necessary to membership.

As a rule, before a young man could marry, he was required to have made some successful expeditions to war against the enemy, thereby proving himself a brave man, and at the same time acquiring a number of horses and other property, which would enable him to buy the woman of his choice, and afterwards to support her.

Marriages usually took place at the instance of the parents, though often those of the young man were prompted by him. Sometimes the father of the girl, if he desired to have a particular man for a son-in-law, would propose to the father of the latter for the young man as a husband for his daughter.

The marriage in the old days was arranged after this wise: The chief of one of the bands may have a marriageable daughter, and he may know of a young man, the son of a chief of another band, who is a brave warrior, of good character, sober-minded, steadfast, and trustworthy, who he thinks will make a good husband for his daughter and a good son-in-law. After he has made up his mind about this, he is very likely to call in a few of his close relations, the princ.i.p.al men among them, and state to them his conclusions, so as to get their opinions about it. If nothing is said to change his mind, he sends to the father of the boy a messenger to state his own views, and ask how the father feels about the matter.