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S WANTON] CHOCTAW SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL LIFE 129
There was a peculiar custom among the ancient Choctaws, prior to 1S18,
which, according to tradition, was as follows: For many years after the
marriage of her daughter, the mother-in-law was forbidden to look upon her
son-iu-Iaw, Though they might converse together, they must be hidden the
one from the other by some kind of screen, and when nothing else offered,
by covering their eyes. Thus the mother-in-law was put to infinite trouble
and vexation lest she should make an infraction upon the strange custom
since, when travelling or In camp often without tents, they were necessarily
afraid to raise their heads, or open their eyes through fear of seeing the
interdicted object.
Another peculiarity, which, howeyer, they possessed in common with other
tribes, was, the Choctaw wife never called her husband by name. But ad-
dressed him as " my son or daughter's father " ; or more commonly using
the
real
child's name, when if Shah-bi-chih, (meaning,
name of a Choctaw whom I know) for instance,
to
she
make empty, the
calls her husband
" Shah-bi-chih's father.""
Gregg parallels this bit of information closely enough to indicate
that he obtained his knowledge from the same source.
There is [says he] a post-nuptial custom peculiar to the full-blood Indians
of the Choctaws, which deserves particular notice. For years, and perhaps
for life, after the marriage of her daughter, the mother is forbidden to look
upon her son-in-law. Though they converse together, he must be hidden from
her by a wall, a tent, a curtain, or, when nothing else offers, by covering the
eyes. During their emigration, it is said these poor superstitious matrons were
put to infinite trouble so as not to infract this custom. While travelling, or in
camp often without tents, the mother-in-law was afraid to raise her head or
open her eyes, lest they should meet the interdicted object.
It is another peculiarity, which they have in common with some of the
more northern tribes, that the Choctaw wife, of the " old school," can never call
her husband by name. But if they have offspring—she calls him " my son's
father " ; or, more commonly using the child's name, when, if " Ok-le-no-wa," for
instance, she calls the husband " Ok-le-no-wa's father." And yet another odd-
ity regarding names : the ignorant Choctaw seems to have a superstitious aver-
sion to telling his own name : indeed it appears impossible to get it from him,
unless he have an acquaintance present, whom he will request to tell it for
him.^^
In this connection a bit of folklore might be added as reported
by Cushman relative to the traditional first marriage between the
Choctaw and the whites
A white man at an early day, came into their country, and in course of time
married a Choctaw girl and as a natural result, a child was born. Soon after
the arrival of the little stranger, (the first of its type among them), a council
was called to consider the propriety of permitting white men to marry the
women of the Choctaws. If it was permitted, they argued, the whites would
become more numerous and eventually destroy their national characteristics.
Therefore it was determined to stop all future marriages between the Choctaws
and the White Race, and at once [they] ordered the white man to leave their
"'Cushman, Hist. Inds., pp. 201-202.
•8 Gregg, Commerce of the Praries in Early Western Travels, ed. R. G. Thwaites, vol.
20, pp. 313-314. See also p. 120.