Where the husband
is to settle in the family of the wife, a test is consequently often
made of his ability as a provider. Among the Zuni Indians there is
no purchase price, no general exchange of gifts; but as soon as the
agreement is reached, the young man must undertake certain duties:
He must work in the field of his prospective mother-in-law,
that his strength and industry may be tested; he must collect
fuel and deposit it near the maternal domicile, that his
disposition as a provider may be made known; he must chase
and slay the deer, and make from an entire buckskin a pair of
moccasins for the bride, and from other skins and textiles a
complete feminine suit, to the end that his skill in hunting,
skin-dressing, and weaving may be displayed; and, finally, he
must fabricate or obtain for the maiden's use a necklace of
seashell or of silver, in order that his capacity for long
journeys or successful barter may be established; but if
circumstances prevent him from performing these duties
actually, he may perform them symbolically, and such
performance is usually acceptable to the elder people.
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