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267 shaking their heads and grunting left him. as one in where the Bad spirit dwells. had they scalped him the Bad Spirit would have mal treated them. The Dakota has a great dread of becoming insane and for this reason he always erects a small wikiup at night to cover his head if nothing more so that the moon can not look at him and take away his senses.

   Superstition is inborn in the indian mind and they do not like to deal with anything they do not understand.   The Ojibway has a dread of having a photograph taken.  This writer inadvertently incensed the Lac du Flambeau band by snapping a Kodak at them while they were engaged in their "Big Dance."  the apparatus was a new thing and they did not understand it:  And they did not want their soul taken away from them.  The logic by which they reach this conclusion is that the photograph is their selves. every line and feature is there and as they know that they are still in the body. that must be their soul. and they object to its being taken from them.
  Law is a matter of customs entirely.  no written [?] in fact any settled [?] exists.  among the indians whether Dakota or Ojibway that can be Justly designated by the dignity of law as with the white man a practice becomes a law if custom sanctions it, and this is equally true of the indian.
   Among the Dakota as well as the Ojibway custom has decreed that the wife, and children of an indian are his absolute property. and he is at liberty to do with them exactly as he sees fit he may take the life of a squaw or child. with impunity and it would be no more crime in the eye of the indian than if he had killed a poney or dog.
  Should a Dakota squaw elope from her husband he may if he choses so to do kill her and her newly acquired protection: may not interfere.  But in such cases the [?averice?] of the injured man generally saves her life.  He calls a council of the chief men of the village and they [?] the merits and demerit of the case determine how much she is worth. and the [?] husband is obliged to pay that for her in lieu of damages. when he acquires the squaw     Should a wife be guilty of infidelity to her husband. he may kill her. or which is  more commonly the practice he cuts off he nose and turns her out upon the village. a common woman   This identical law or custom prevailed in Ancient Egypt.
  Among the Dakota A son in Law never enters the lodge of his mother in law. and if he meet her and wish to