ON HUMAN NATURE Cronk Kinuko Craft, Reagan's Gift, 1988 things attached ring a trek through the Rockies in is unclear, but the poet Lewis Hyde, in through most of the world, the strings 1830s, Captain Benjamin Louis his book The Gif, has imagined a scenario themselves are the main consideration. In E.de Bonneville received a gift of a fine that probably approaches the truth some societies, gift giving is a tie berween young horse from a Nez Perce chief. Ac Say that an Englishman newly arrived friends, a way of maintaining good rela- cording to Washington Irvings account of in America is welcomed to an Indian tionships, whereas in others it has devel- the incident, the American explorer was lodge with the present of a pipe. Think- oped into an elaborate, expensive, and aware that"a parting pledge was neces- ing the pipe a wonderful artifact, he takes antagonistic ritual designed to humiliate sary on his own part, to prove that this it home and sets it on his mantelpiece. rivals by showering them with wealth and friendship was reciprocated "According- When he later learns that the Indians ex- obligating them to give more in return ly, he"placed a handsome rifle in the pect to have the pipe back, as a gesture of In truth, the dichotomy between the ands of the venerable chief; whose be- goodwill, he is shocked by what he views two traditions of gift giving is less behav nevolent heart was evidently touched and as their short-lived generosity. The new. ioral than rhetorical: our generosity is not atified by this outward of amit the point of the gift was not to provide an lieve. L ike European colonists. most Even the earliest white settlers in New interesting trinket but to inaugurate a modern Westerners are blind to the pur- natives required reciprocity, and by 1764. tained through a series of mutual ex.non-Western societies but also,to some "Indian gift"was so common a phrase changes. Thus, his failure to reciprocate extent, in our own. Public declarations to that the Massachusetts colonial historian appeared not only rude and thoughtless the contrary, we, too, use gifts to nurture homas Hutchinson identified it as"a but downright hostile. "White man keep- long-term relationships of mutual obliga ent for which an equivalent return is ex- as" Indian giving"was to settlers to foster feelings of indebtedness. And pected. "Then,over time, the customs In fact, the Indians' tradition of gift this ethic touches all aspects meaning was lost. Indeed, the phrase giving is much more common than our porary life, from the behavior ofs now is used derisively, to refer to one who own. Like our European ancestors, we esearch networks to superpol nts ought to be offered macy. Failing to acknowledge demands the return of a gift. How this think that preser strings attached. But I especially as we give money, machines, cross-cultural misunderstanding occurred I freely, without