File:Ridpath's Universal history - an account of the origin, primitive condition and ethnic development of the great races of mankind, and of the principal events in the evolution and progress of the (14747347956).jpg

Identifier: ridpathsuniversa08ridp (find matches)
Title: Ridpath's Universal history : an account of the origin, primitive condition and ethnic development of the great races of mankind, and of the principal events in the evolution and progress of the civilized life among men and nations, from recent and authentic sources with a preliminary inquiry on the time, place and manner of the beginning
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Ridpath, John Clark, 1840-1900
Subjects: World history
Publisher: Cincinnati : Jones
Contributing Library: University of Pittsburgh Library System
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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e presenttime may be studied in their nativemanifestation. Such has been the per-sistency of opinion and practice, the ob-duracy of custom, among the Indiansthat they have preserved their institu-tions intact with only limited modifica-tions brought about by the overwhelm-ing influence of the White race. Wehave here before us still the typical Al-gonquin nations ; but our notice of gov-ernment and law among them may wellbe taken as a sketch of the correspond-ing facts for nearly all our nativetribes. GREAT RACES OE MANKIND. The government of the Indians wasfundamentally a chieftainship. This is,Philosophy of no doubt, the first natural the chieftain- i -, ,. , ship; hereditary development of human au-influence. thority above that of the father. The chieftain is not, like the its leader; he furnished in himself thevisible bond of union and rallying pointfor all the tribesmen. As to his office, that came in part, butby no means wholly, from hereditaryconditions. The son of the chief was
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CHIEF OF THE BLACKFEET-TYPK.-Brawn by Emile Bayard. patriarch, the father of his clan, butrather the leader. The system of In-dian authority was not a patriarchy, buta military localized hegemony. Everytribe had its chief. He was the head ofthe tribe, its representative, its first man, himself a prospective chieftain, but inthis respect polyandry played havocwith the right line of descent. We haveseen that the Indian son was no morethan a nephew, and the nephew was theson. It frequently happened that the NOR THERN A BORIGINES.—GO IrERNMENT, 489 son of the sister of the chieftain was re-garded as the heir apparent rather thanthe son of the chieftain, for the latterwas, perhaps, not his son, and thereforeof no blood relationship to him, whilethe sisters son was necessarily, inevita-bly his kinsman. There was thus a strong disposition tolook to the female line for the prospec-The chieffoi- tive chieftain of the tribe.iTtSrScause Heredity, however, wasof polyandry. not the only consider

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