§ 98. Widows.—A widow was obliged to wait from four to seven years after the death of her husband before marrying again. This was done to show the proper respect to his memory, and also to enable her to wean her infant, if she had one by him, before she became enceinte by her next husband. When a woman disregarded this custom and married too soon, she was in danger of being punished by the kindred of the deceased husband. If they could catch her within a certain period, they had the right to strike her on the head with knives, and to draw the blood, but they could not inflict a fatal blow. Now, if widows are under forty years of age they can marry in two or three years after the death of the first husband; but if they are over forty years of age, they do not remarry.
§ 99. Stepmothers.—Some are kind, others are cruel. But in the latter event there are certain remedies—the husband may separate from his wife, or else some of the kindred of the children may take charge of them.
§ 100. Widowers.—Men used to wait from four to seven years before they remarried; now they do not wait over one or two years. The kindred of the deceased wife used to take a man's ponies from him if he married too soon. Sometimes they became angry, and hit him; but if he waited a reasonable time, they had nothing to say. There is a similar custom among the Otos and Pawnees. Sometimes a man loved his wife so dearly that after her death he remained a widower a long time. At last some of the kindred of the deceased woman would say to one another, "See! this man has no one to sew his moccasins; seek a wife for him (among our women)." Then this would be done, and he would be induced to marry again.
RIGHTS OF PARENTS AND OTHERS.
§ 101. Rights of parents and other kindred.—Parents had no right to put their children to death; nor could they force them to marry against their will. Mothers' brothers and brothers seem to have more authority than the father or mother in matters relating to a girl's welfare. They were consulted before she was bestowed in marriage, unless she eloped with her husband. A mother could punish a disobedient daughter when the latter was a child and refused to learn to work. Kindred had the right to avenge the death of one of their number.
§ 102. Ú¢iqě, or Refugees.—They have no special rights, as such; but they share the privileges of the people with whom they dwell, and with whom they sometimes intermarry. Omahas have joined the Ponka tribe, as in the case of Mantcu-sĭnde-¢iñge, and Ponkas have been incorporated into the Omaha tribe, as in the cases of Jabe-skă, [P]enicka, and Mr. La Flèche himself.
§ 103. Isínu.—An isínu is an unmarried youth, or man who dwells in the lodge of one of his friends or kindred. He may be the kinsman of the husband or of the wife. He is also called a wamanhe.
Waman´he and Ámanhe.—The owner of a lodge, whether a man or a woman, is the amanhe, and the isínu is the wamanhe, who has no lodge of his own, and is obliged to ask for shelter of some one who is more favored than himself. While the wamanhe has shelter he is expected to do his share of the hunting of game, etc., just as all the other male members of the household do, and he must bring it in for the benefit of his host and the household. Sometimes the amanhe gives a skin tent to the wamanhe, who then goes elsewhere, as he has a lodge of his own.
Only those men are celibates who cannot get wives. There are no single women, as the demand is greater than the supply.