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W'i"l!«»lVJ.",H||" l},jpi^p|j||jl|{p^J r. / KIN08T0N, ONTARIO ^ Seotion II, 1891. ( 43 ] Trans. Roy. Soo. Canada. IT, — Descriptive Notes on Certain Implements, Weapons, etc., from Graham Island, Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C. h H 'N \ ,;'. !\ By Mr. Alexander Maokbnzie, With an introductory note by Dr. Q-. M. Dawson. (Bead May 27, 1801.) I i' hi-wa' is Tshitasean for " a foreigner," as for instance a white man, 86 ALEXANDBE MACKENZIE ON CERTAIN !!i: Medicine-man's Ivory Charms (Haida Kun-si-kah). — [Nt3. 1278, 12'78a.] These were worn suspended round the neck by the Medicine man during the ceremony of operating on a patient. When the conjuring and rattling were concluded, the doctor very often detached one of these charms or amulets and suspended it round the sick person's neck. In other instances he sold or lent them as a protection to the wearer against evil influences. Medicine-man's Rattle (Haida Sissah). — [No. 1828.] This rattle belonged to a medicine- man, and was in use for a long time. It was supposed that the sound of the rattle assisted the doctor to draw out the sickness from the patient's body, and when exercised for a considerable time with an uninterrupted monotonous sound, produced by a peculiar motion of the arm and wrist, it had a soothing effect on the sick person, and often caused him to fall into a kind of stupor resembling sleep. Two Dance Rattles (Haida Sissa/i) .—[Nos. 1280 and 1283.] These were used only as an accompaniment in keeping time to songs and dances, and were invariably made after the same pattern, with beak of a raven in front and body ornamented with • frogs, etc. ' Carved Dish of Mountain Sheep's Horn (Haida Skoots-kud-thla}i). — [^o. 1307.]^ The horn of which dishes and spoons of this sort we're made was brought from the Upper Stikine river. Bone Spear-heads (Haida Skoots-kah). — [Nos. 1297 and 1299.] These were made at a time when iron was a rarity, and were used for spearing seals and other sea animals. Halibut Hook (Haida Khain-toiv). — [No. 1281 ] This kind of hook was universally used by the coast tribes in catching halibut before they procured iron hooks. It is made out of a knot of the spruce tree, cut out of the heart of the log and then steamed into the proper shape. ' Skyll Hook (Haida Skylllowl). — [No. 1282.] This hook is also made out of a spruce knot steamed into form, and is used for catching the skill or black cod ; a fish which inhabits very deep water, being sometimes hooked at the depth of 200 fathoms. "When the hook is baited, it requires to be set by springing it open and keeping it in that posi- tion by means of a small wooden pin about three inches long. "When the fish is hooked it pushes the pin out, and the strain on the hook being released it closes on the fish's jaw and thus effectually prevents its ridding itself of the barb and escaping. Whistles and Calls, named in the Haida tongue variously Sah-an and Hut-teeL — 'Nos, 1318 to 1327.] These were used in dances and merrymakings to imitate the voices oi the birds and animals which were often depicted on the carved wooden masks worn on the same occasions. and tlie compound Win-dum-fhi-tna' or " foreigner's tobacco" is now used to denote ordinary tobacco. It is inter- esting to note, further, that tlie place called Cumshiwa on the Queen Charlotte Islands was one of the chief locali- ties of cultivation of the native narcotic plant. This name i?, however, not the Haida name of the actual place, but that of its hereditary chief. The connection, if any, of the name with that of the tobacco has not been traced. Mr. R. H. Hall states that though the native narcotic weed is not now known, he has found reason to believe that it was a yellow-flowered poppy— P(i;)rti'er nvdicaxde f G. M. D. ' Cf. Report of Progress, Geol. Surv. Can., 1878-79, plate xi, fig. 26. ' Tliis resembles that figured in Report of Progress, Geol. Surv. Can., 1878-79, plate ix, fig. 18. » Cf. Report of Progress, Geol. Surv. Can., 1878-79, plate vii, fig. 10. IMPLEMENTS AND WEAPONS OP GEAHAM ISLAND. 87 MlSC2LTiANE0U8 NOTKS. Tlie Sun. — The aiiciout Haida in a mauiicr worshipped the sun. They considered it to be a great spirit, and in times of distress or peril its assistance was invoked. When small-pox visited the Queen Charlotte Islands for the first time, presents of blankets, clothes, dance-dresses, ornaments, etc., were hung outside the lodge to propitiate the sun, while the people cried, " Preserve us sun, do not kill us," etc. Other spirits besides the sun were propitiated or invoked by the Haida. Origin of some of the Stars. — When the great flood took place which covered the face of the earth, a man had just stretched a sea-otter skin. As the waters rose he took refuge with his effects in his canoe. THe flood rose to the skies, the canoe was swamped and the man was drowncid. The sea-otter stretcher had been on top of the canoe and flrated. When the waters subsided the sea-otter stretcher remained in the skies, where now it is seen as the group of stars Koh-eet-ow, which white people call the G-reat Bear. Koh, a sea-otter. Koli-eet-ow, a frame for stretching sea-otter skins. The water-bailer and triangular foot-board of the canoe also remained on high after the waters subsided ; the former is now seen as the Pleiades, and the latter as the Hyades. {Hoot-uo a water-bailer, Pleiades ; Tultli-uk-thley or foot-board for a canoe, Hyades). The outline of the Pleiades resembles a water-bailer, and the outline of the Hyades that of the foot-board of a canoe. The ancient Haida are said to have had names for all the constellations, but most of these are now forgotten. Festivals — Lah-oul festival of the dead. Lag-un-ing festival of the house-building. Festivals for the dead were held as soon after the decease as sutficient food could bo amassed and guests collected. Festivals were tribal, and all were guests exoept those of the same crest or totem as the deceased who were non-participants. The ancient Haida are said to have always endeavoured to hold their distribution-of-property feasts at the full of the moon, but the reason for this is not now known. A Visit to Spirit-land. — A certain young man (name unknown) was mourning for his eldest brother and his sister's son, v/ho had both been murdered shortly before, and he resolved to try and penetrate the mystery of the place where their spirits had gone to in the heavens. He went to the top of a mountain with his bow and wood to make arrows. He sat down and made fifty arrows, which, one after another ho shot up into space, where they disappeared. He then made fifty more, which he shot up with the same result. He then made a third lot of fifty, which he disposed of in the same manner. Then a fourth lot followed, and he noticed that the arrows were now fixed one in another by the point of each entering into the notch of the preceding one. When he had finished shooting these last fifty arrows they reached nearly to the earth. So, to complete the connection, he stuck one end of his bow in tho earth and leant the other against the string of arrows. Seizing the pillar of arrows he put his foot on the bow and commenced to climb aloft. To his surprise he now observed that each arrow was transfixed through a human head, which was strung as it were on this line of arrows, crown of head down and under jaw uppermost. This afforded him good foot- Sec. II, 1891. 8. B8 ALEXANDRE MACKENZIE ON CERTAIN hold, and each time as he pat his foot on a jaw to raise himself up, the jaw closed sharply, making a noise as the upper and lower teeth met. At length he reached the realms above, where he was hospitably entertained by the chief of the spirit-land. He saw his eldest brother and his sister's son, who told him not to mourn for them, for they were very happy and well off where they were. When he was ready to descend to earth again, the chief of the spirit-land told him that if he now killed a man on earth the spirit of the deceased could easily find its way to the spirit-land, as he (the young man) had made a path with steps of human heads to reach it. The young man then safely descended to the earth. Here the story suddenly ceases. Stories such as this were very popular amongst the Haida. They seem to have no moral to inculcate or point to illustrate, but are apparently related merely for pastime and are often most inconguous and contra- dictory. . TImnder (Eelung) is said to be caused by a large bird " Eelung " flapping its wings. This bird, of immense dimensions, lives on whales, which it catches in its talons made of copper. It flies away with a whale into space, and conceals itself in a dark cloud. Light- ning is caused by the eyes of the bird opening and shutting. Eelung is said to have had two helpers, a man and a woman, spirit-pe' pb who assisted in whale catching. The Greek cross (+ Scalim) was used to mark the skins of animals, such as bear, otter, etc., after they were stretched and dried, for the purpose of propitiating the spirit of the dead animal. Four crosses were used in a line down the middle of the back on the flesh side, and the color of the crosses was invariably red. The custom is still practised. This symbol was not used in any other way. Certain clouds occasionally seen in the western horizon are termed Qyoic. It is said qyow clouds indicate good weather. These clouds have the form of a T and the base-line of the T is supposed to represent the horizon. Spirit-people are said to inhabit the region of the qyow. An old medicine-man saw the place in a vision. These spirit -people's ■ heads were elongated on each side like the upper end of the T. They were called Qyow people. There were no prescribed stages or degrees in the initiation of a medicine-man. (Haida Sah-gah.) The aspirant to that office was instructed by another medicine-man. generally his uncle, to whom he succeeded, and on his aptitude to learn the system did the length of his probation depend. An old doctor says that there are a great many spirit doctors, who assist the medicine- man by advice, and whom the medicine-men continually see in visions. There is, however, one spirit doctor pre-eminent above all the rest. He is known by two different names Kon'-cull-at and Yee-kan-eek. I can find no meaning attached to these names. Haida doctors never used the drum by way of divination, nor did they employ passes or signs among themselves. Their great aim was to avoid meeting, as they professed to be afraid of each other, and the custom was for each doctor to magnify himself and traduce his rival. They professed to fight in visions. When the doctor exorcised a spirit of divination or conjuration, he uttered words and language which neHher he himself nor others understood. This unknown speech was prompted by the spirit medicine-man who attended on him. The Haida never believed in the transmigration of souls, that is to say, the soul of a mwinnniiiiinn tfiilHiiiiili MH Mil f OS BBBEBOgs: IMPLEMENTS AND WEAPONS OP GEAHAM ISLAND. 09 human being taking possession of a beast or bird, but they formerly believed, and to a great extent still believe, that the spirit of a human being deceased enters the flesh again in the person of a now-born babe, and it was the medicine-man's business to reveal whose soul it was and the name of the child. They also believed that every living thing, beasts, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects had spirits, which after death returned to their spirits abodes. Great regard was paid by the ancient Haida to the number eight. For instance, eight products of the chase, as seals, otters, etc., was a cause of rejoicing. To catch eight halibut was a subject for congratulation. Eight times ten was favourably regarded, and eight hundred was the ne plus ultra or summit of good fortune. A chief who could give away eight hundred pieces of property in a '-^ast was pre-eminent. [In a late communication, Mr. Mackenzie states that he has found, on a small island named Tee, opposite the mouth of Lignite brook in Naden Harbour, a considerable portion of a stone arrow-head. The portion of an arrow-head in question is nearly two inches in length, but wants both tip and base. It is formed of streaked red jasper, narrowly tapering in form, but rather thick, one side being distinctly more convex than the other. It is rather neatly chipped, and a stone identical with it in character is found commonly in pebbles at the same place. [No. 2680.] Mr. Mackenzie regards this as a very interesting discovery, as it is the only specimen of a chipped arrow-head or spear-head which he has ever known to have been found on the Queen Charlotte Islands. He further states, that with one exception, the Haida to whom he showed it were much surprised, and said that they had never seen or heard of such a thing before. The exception was an Indian who hunts a good deal on the west coast of the islands, where he stated that he had found such chipped stones at one place there.] G. M. D. Tr ( Trans. R. S. C, 1891. Sec. 11. Plate VII. /-w- N.i!, ii/e. 1326- L M. LAMBE, D(l l2jS To illustrate Mr. Mackenzie's Paper on Implements from Queen Charlotte Islands. Trt V-- J • lie c o i i i "1 :■.- ■* - ^ ■ • 1 q >g - - "- ' j '' "r.L'- ' ^". ! j ! ";j! ' F-irtarr^ i^ "^'' :i' a. i^«".«^*ji,i Trann. K. S. C. l89l^ Se. II Flatc VIM. L M LAMBE. On. To illustrate Mr. Mackenzie's Paper on Implements from Queen Charlotte Islands.