Marriage in Tribal Families

Mrs. Ludson talked about marriage within the tribe. "You can marry a relative if not too close." To marry a first cousin would be too close, but maybe their children could marry.
The Alsea were not allowed to marry step daughters or step sons.
Mrs. Ludson's grandfather was married simultaneously to three sisters. When men had multiple wives, usually the first-married of the wives was more of a boss to the other(s). Men couldn't divorce women for not being able to have children. So they got another wife

...usually the first-married of the wives was more of a boss to the other(s).

(All co-wives lived in one house). Some older man Mrs. Ludson
remembered had a whole house full of wives. He killed one of his young wives, so her people killed him in revenge.
If some other man wanted to marry a widow he had to pay the husband's side of the family.
When a man wanted to marry a woman from a neighboring tribe the chief would arrange a price and the intermediary returned and was paid. The intermediary took the payment over. The man (soon to be husband) stayed at the woman's house for awhile or took her home.
If a wife was to die, her fanilly had to give the husband another wife, to replace the lost one. "You can give them a little present if you want, but they HAVE to give you a wife or they will think you want your money back. The wife's side of the family would be furious, maybe even enough to kill the husband.

Sometimes a married partner was unfaithful and might have to pay the

other partner for their mistake. The men could collect from the wife's lover and also from her people. Her

father might bring her back and

If a wife was to die, her family had to give the husband another wife, to replace the lost one.

offer to pay. If the husband didn't want her he would send her away again.
If the husband stepped out the wife might leave, but he could get his wife back by paying. If he didn't want to pay, he would lose not only his wife, but the dowry or gifts he received when they were married.

Life of Men in the Alsea Tribe

The men's hair was covered with grease, and was sometimes worn loose but was tied in two braids for the most part. The men also plucked facial hair with a knife blade.
Both men and woman used red paint on their faces, and sometimes other body parts where skin was revealed. Mrs Ludson believed that the paint was used to prevent sunburn, or keep out the cold from their bodies, depending on the weather.
On special occasions the men had some special clothes. Both the shirts and pants were made of buckskin and decorated with

beautiful beads.
For tribal ceremonies, the Alsea Indians used redhead woodpecker skins on their headdresses for decoration because they were very colorful. They used them with the beak and all. Big ones usually sold for 5O cents each, which made them very valuable.
A young man might have tattooed a picture of his Sol-Hut-Lio

(guardian spirit) on the inside of his arm. That was for good luck. Also for good luck, men slept in the gaino (sweat house), but only when they wanted to communicate with their guardian spirit... Etc... Men went to the sweathouse the night before their hunt. They would sit in there and sing and play.

A young man might have tattooed a picture of his Sol-Hut-Lio (guardian spirit) on the inside of his arm.