Identifier: handbooktoethnog00brit (find matches)
Title: Handbook to the ethnographical collections
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: British Museum. Dept. of British and Mediaeval Antiquities and Ethnography Joyce, Thomas Athol, 1878-1942 Dalton, O. M. (Ormonde Maddock), 1866-1945
Subjects:
Publisher: (London) : Printed by order of the Trustees
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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. N. America. The tribal and clan system prevailed over the whole NorthAmerican continent, each clan usually having as its symbola particular kind of animal called a totem (see p. 19). The totem-animal might not be eaten by any member of the clan, and noclansman might marry a woman having the same totem ashimself. Descent was usually reckoned in the female line, andwhere a family owned land it would often belong to the motherrather than the father. Land was considered to belong to thetribe as a whole, l>ut families who cultivated plots acquireda prescriptive right to their ownership. Marriage was almost universally a question of ))iirehase, and thenumber of a mans wives was regulated by his means. On reaching jc T 274 AMERICA udult years, Ijotli sexes were subjected to painful trials of endurance,especially severe in the case of youths aspiring to bo warriors. The Indians had hardly any musical instruments other thansmall drums and rattles, l)ut they were fond of dances in which as
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Fig. 257.—Basket with inwoven pattern. Umqiia Indians. California. a rule only men took part; they were usually of a ceremonialcharacter, intended to secure success in hunting or for similarpurposes. Athletic games were popular, especially a ball game,of the type now familiar under the form of Lacrosse. The poAvers of nature, the winds and the four quartei-s ofheaven, were reverenced by the North American Indian, and NORTH AMERICA 375 there were numerous myths and creation legends. All kinds ofspirits were feared and propitiated, the Shaman or medicine-manalways holding an important position in the tribe. Templesand graven figures only begin to appear in the south-eastern statestowards the borders of the Central American civilizations. Amongmany tribes there existed important religious societies, thememljers of which were initiated into particular mysteries, andwere known by particular symbols. There was a universal l^eliefin a future life. In addition to his clan totem, each Indian

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