| OCR Text |
Show i9oo] NORTHERN INTERIOR INDIANS 119 and the Shahaptian area. In all its branches the Shoshonean family exhibits transitions to or mixtures with surrounding culture. Its most important tribes are the Ute, Shoshone, and Comanche, with their constituent bands. * The distinguishing features of the culture of the area we are discussing are the following: extreme looseness of social organization, which stands in sharpest contrast with the close systems of the coast; lack of elaborate ceremonials; a complete change in the character of the art; and possibly, also, the development of a mythology which, while not very different from that of the tribes to the east, bears little resemblance to that of the northwest coast, except in places where intimate affiliation has modified the normal type. . In general the clan system disappears entirely on the plateaus, and even tribal organization can hardly be said to exist. Independent local bands, under leadership determined by circumstances or individual capacity, are the rule. These bands would often affiliate for purposes of war or other ends, and since common dialects and customs would determine the lines of the unions, tribal limits would tend to appear! Local interests, however, often proved stronger than tribal bonds, as was shown clearly in the dealings with the whites during the settlement of Oregon and later. The Nez Perc6 war of 1876 is a good example, when a few bands under Joseph conducted an active campaign, while the |
