Cultural Resources Contact Information: Paiute Tribe Cultural Resources 440 North Paiute Drive Cedar City, UT 84721 Phone: (435)-586-1112 x107 Fax: (435)-586-7388
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PAIUTE GREETINGS Southern Paiute have no word for hello or good-by. Commonly, people greet one another with “Good morning” or “How are you?” Greetings are done with a handshake among men, or a nod in passing. Men and women did not shake hands. Today, Southern Paiutes commonly just say "Hi" or "Maik'w" (meaning hello) "Maik" "Mike" for short. Some traditional Southern Paiute women will not look you in the eye when greeting you. Names were only given to a baby after they were born. They are named from one's physical appearance, characteristics, or an experience the baby went through. Sometimes it would take a year to name a child. Today, that tradition carries on in choosing a name. A person has a legal name, but they rarely go by that. Instead they are known by a nickname chosen in a traditional manner.