Civil and military distinctions were based on
bravery and generosity. Say informs us that the Kansa had been at peace
with the Osage since 1806; that they had intermarried freely with them, so
that "in stature, features, and customs they are more and more closely
approaching that people." He states also that the head chief of the Kansa
was Gahinge Wadayinga, Saucy Chief (which he renders "Fool Chief"), and
that the ten or twelve underchiefs did not seem to have the respect of the
people.
Unmarried females labored in the fields, served their parents, carried
wood and water, and cooked. When the eldest daughter married she
controlled the lodge, her mother, and all the sisters; the latter were
always the wives of the same man. Presents were exchanged when a youth
took his first wife. On the death of the husband the widow scarified
herself, rubbed her person with clay, and became careless about her dress
for a year. Then the eldest brother of the deceased married her without
any ceremony, regarding her children as his own.
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