美国印第安人--Section IV Special Customs of Native Americans.doc

Section IV. Special Customs I. Marriage and Family Life i. Introduction: Public relationship between two families In contrast to industrial societies, where marriage is usually a private relationship between two individuals, marriage in Native American tribal societies was more a public relationship between two families. Instead of simply taking a spouse, a person assumed obligations to a group of in-laws. For example, among certain Apache tribes of the Southwest, when a man married, he assumed the support of his wife’s parents for the rest of his life—even if his wife died. Kinship played an important role in organizing family and work life. Kin ties helped to determine potential marriage partners, where a person lived, whom a person farmed or hunted or gathered with, and whom a person called on for aid and advice. ii. Selecting a Partner (i). When were they allowed to get married? In most Native American societies, children married at a relatively young age. Girls were considered eligible for marriage after first menstruation, around age 13. Boys usually married before the age of 20. However, many young men waited to marry until their early 20s, so they could prove their ability as a good provider. Most societies tolerated sexual activity before marriage, although some, like the Cheyenne and Crow, placed a high value on sexual abstinence before marriage. (ii). Who chose a mate? Parents usually chose a mate for their children. A child’s older relatives might also participate in the choice of marriage partner. In some tribes, marriages were arranged far in advance, during a child’s infancy or early childhood. In other areas—particularly the Arctic, Subarctic, and Great Basin—young people had greater control over their choice of spouse. If a boy and a girl expressed interest in each other, their families would decide whether to permit them to marry. (iii). What are prohibited to select the mate? Marriage to someone from another tribe was unusual but not prohibited u