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The Indian tribes of the North Pacific Coatit 317 The ludiiin tribes of the North I'uctUt ('oast form one ethnographical group, 1). 317; (•eogruphiciil character of the country, i». 317; Food, induHtries, habitations, p. 318; Languages, p. 320 ; PhyHical charac- teristics, p. 321 ; Social org-.ni/ation, p. 322; The nieanings of masks and carvings, p. 324. I II. The ""fi»l ftrgaiiiifiitiirn of the K wakiutl 328 Tribes and clans of the Kwakiutl, p. 328 ; Development of the present ' system of tribes and clans, p. 332; Mixture of i)aterniil and maternal characteristics in the social organisation of the tribes; Develop- ment, J). 331; Crests an. 336; The nobility, j). 338. III. Thepotlatch 311 Hates of interest, p. 341; liuilding up of fortunes, p. 34 1 ; Hpiial rank increased by distribution of property, p. 342; l{ivalr> of individuals and clans, p. 343; The use of copper i^'utes. p. 3U; Destruction «)f pvoperty. i>. 8.">3; I'otlatch masks and songs, p Soi). IV, Marriage 3r>8 Marriage a purchiise conducted on the same ]irincipler> as the pnrcha.se of a co|)]icr, ]). 3ri8 ; Description of a marriage of the Manuileleijala, jt. 359; Marriage of tlie Koskimo, p. 362; Marriage of the L'u'sfi'eiirtx, 1>. 3()l ; Return of purchase money by the fatlier-iu-la\v, j). 365. V. The clan legends 366 Description of tlio house, p. 366; .Spirits appearing to the ancestors of the clans, p. 371 ; The si'siui,, p. 371 ; The Ts'o'uoi|oa, p. 372 ; Q'6'mo(|oa, p. 374; Explanations of carvings, p. 375; hegeud of tlie NunEuia- sK(iiVlis, p. iiSl; < )'maxt'!i'lai.e legend, ]>. 382; Tiie deities meeting the ancestors, p. 389; Figures of B)>oakers, p. 3!tO; l)ish. .393. VI. The spirits presiding over the religious ceremonial and tlieir gifts 393 Spirits which are still in contact with the Indiiins, i». 393; They ' are also hereditary. )>. 393; The legeiul of ISuxbakurilauuXsi'wae and N'o'ai[ana, j). 396; |{.ixl)aiiurilanuXsi war iind the ancestor of the Oi'alitx, p. 401; liaxbakuiUanuXsi wae and the ancestor of the T'Kua xtax, p. 403; Haxbakui'ilanuXsi'wae and the ancestor of the Ninikish, p. 405; The ho'Xhok", p. 406; The ghost dance, p. 408; The sunrise dance, p. 410; MiVtKm, p. 411; Meiui, p. 413; Initiations as parts of clan legends, p. 414. VII. The organization of the tribe during tlu) season of the jvint er cerem onial . 418 Suspension of clans in winter, p.41!!(; The societies, p? 119; The ac(|ui- aition of membership in a society by nuirriage, p. 421 ; The ac,'<; lla'nm- banitrtKH, p. 4)S:t; Nii'iitHistahu,, p. KMS; (iri/xly hear, p. UMi; N'ui.niai., ]). Iti8; Na'na<|unulii,, p. 171 ; Ila'niaa, p. ITlt; Salmon, |i. 171; Salmon weir, p. 475; Wa-sp . 482; Ma'ti'.ni, p. 483; Na'xuak'uiiKmi. and Meii.a, p. 484 ; Ma'nuu|'a, p. 485; T'o'X'nU, jt. 487; A'nilala, p. 194; llawi nalar,, p. 4J»5; Xoa'nri(ication, ]>. 532. II. The Wi'xsA or Kne x- alak". p. .540. X. The winter ceremonial at Fort Knpert. 18-!I6 544 XI. t'eremonial8 of other tribes of KwakintI lineajre (>()6 1. The Koskimo, p. (506. 2. The l.a'i.asiqoala. p. (511. ;{. The T'Kna'xtax and Ts'a watKeiiox, p. (iK). XII. The i.aolaxa (i21 Preliminaries to the i.aoiaxR, p. (521; The cen-monial, ]>. (521; Songs and ma.'^''' P- <'=">• \]II The roliirioiis cc "'"'""" ''*'*' "*' '•'■''O'' irihes of the North I'acifu; Coast (532 I. Ihe Nootka, T»- ":'-• '2. Tl.c 1^'.''" ' i '^ '"•'». 3. The Mi Ixnia, p. (5»(>. I. The Tsimshian. Nisqa', llaioa, ai.. -»ingit, p. (551. XIV. The growth of the secret societies 660 Appendix.— Songs and texts 665 ■ Ml ill ^' r ' { fl r\' THH SOCIAL ()K(;ANIZATI()X AM) THH Sl-CRKT SOCIliTlIiS OF THli KWAKIiril INDIANS. Hy Franz Hoas. vi: PREFACE. Tho following piiper describes and illustnites tlit' coUoctions of tlio U. S. National Miisoum ruferiing to the social organization and secret societies of the Indians of tluj coajit^f -JBritisb-Coltwubia. It is based on studies made by the anthor during a series of years. The great body of facts presented here were observed and recorded l)y Mr. (leorge Hunt, of Fort Kupejt^ liritiah Columbia, who takes deej) interest in everything i)ertaining to the ethnology of the Kwakiutl Indians and to whom I am under great obligations. I am indebted to him also forexpla- ii.itions of ceremonials witnessed by myself, but the purport of which " ;••< dillicultto understand, and for Huding the Indians who were able to ^i • e.\i)lanations on certain i>oints. My thanks are diu^ to Mr. ('. (). Hastings, of Victoria. British Colombia, Avho took a series of ])hotographs. reproductions of which will tie found in this report. A series of phonographic records of songs I. ('longing to the cerenuuiials were transcribed by Mr. .T<)hn C. Fillnioii and myself. I also had opjjortunity to verify many of the phonogiiijildc records )>y letting the Imlians repeat the songs two years after the vccnrds had l>een taken. 1 have iilMtto thank Prof. A. Hastian, director of the Royal Kthno- graphicai Museum at Uerlin, .Sir .Vngustiis W. Franks, keeper of the ethnogrii.phical dej)artment of the IJritish Museum, Mr. I'ran/ Ileger, (lirector of the ethnographical department of the lmi)erial I'oyal Museum of Natural History at N'ienna, and Prof. F. W. Putnam, curator of the de))artment of anthropology of tiu' American Museum of Natural History at New York, for permission to use spe as in English, n ) ' a pause; when following a consonant combined with in- crease of stress of articulation. ' accent. The texts of Indian songs, plirases, and legends do not lay any claim to philological jiccuracy. They are merely inserted here as authen- ticating the trauslations and the material presented in this paper. It may be that a further study of the songs will modify the transla- tions in many respects. The obscurity of the songs is often very great, a, e II K d A 6 d t ai ail 1 1 a .i k k- g* X X iv Report of U. S National Museum, 1895 Boa> Plate 18. Statue of Chief Selling a Copper. From A. Uiistiuii. " Xdrthwcst Coast of America." OriKinal in Royal EthnoKrapl.i.-al Miisfiim, Beilin. ( ollected by A. Jaoobsen. Rfport of U S Nitional Muieum. 1895- &)(• Plate 19. Statue of Chief breaking a Copper. Kroni A. Bastian, "Northwest t'oo-st of AiiuTiua." Original in Koyal KthnoKrHpliieal Jtii.seuin. Kerlin. CoUeoli'd by A. Jaoobsen. I"' Rop'Vt '>f U S NtlMina, Muwutr., I tf '4S Bm.i, Plate 20. Carved Dishes used by the Fort Rupert Indians. IV A 1116, 1R18. isas. l.Mlt, l.Vje. 431). nnii .V.l. R.iyiil KthiioKriiplilfnl Miis«uiii, Rfrll.i. I « * 1 i— ^' i i I EXPLANATION OF PLATE 2" U ^'^K. 1. Fijr. 2. Tig. 3. Fig. 4. Fig. 5. Carved Dishes of the Fort Rupert Indians. Kepreskntatiox ok the Sea Otter. (IV A 1520, Itoyal Ktlinographical JIiiBLM.in, IJerlin ) IfEPKKSKNTATION OF THE CUANE. (IV A 1523, Royal Kthnographical Museum. Herliii.) (IV A 1525, Koyal Kthnosraphical Muse.itn, Iterli.i.) KkI'UESENTATION (.1- THE BeaU. (IV A 1527, Koyal Ktlinographical Museum, Berlin.) Keprkseniatiox of a Max. (IV A 1528, Itoyal Etlmograplii.al Museum, Uerlin.) 'I ) "».^'3 L. T^l THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 317 and my knowledjje of the language is not sufficient to overcome the difficulties of an adequate translation. I. The Indian Tribes of the North Pa(!ific Coast. The Pacific, Coast of America between Juan de Fuca Strait and Yakutat Bay is inhabited by a great many Indian tribes distinct in physical characteristics and distinct in languages, but one in culture. Their arts and industries, their customs and beliefs, differ so much from those of all other Indians that they form one of the best defined cultural groups of our continent. While a hasty glance at these people and a comparison with other tribes emphasize the uniformity of their culture, a closer investigation reveals many peculiarities of individual tribes which prove that their culture has developed slowly and from a number of distinct centers, each ])eople adding something to the culture which we observe at the present day. The region inhabited by these people is a mountainous (ioast inter- sected by innumerabh! sounds and fiords and studded with islands, large and small. Thus iutercourse along the coast by means of canoes is very easy, while access to the inland is difficult on account of the rugged hills aiul the density of the woods. A few fiords in their villages dogs which assist the hunters. The staple food of the Indians is, however, furnished by the sea. Seals, sea lions, and whales are found in considerable numbers; but the p«'ople depend almost entirely upon various si)ecies of salmon, the hali- but, and the or.lachon or candletish {ThalcivhthifH pacijivux, (lirard), which are caught in enormous quantities. Various specimens of cod and other sea fish also furnish food. Herrings visit the coast early iu spring. In short, there is such an abundance of animal life in the sea that the Indians live almost solely upon it. Besides fish, they gather various kinds of shelltish, sea urchins, and cuttlefish. The people are, therefore, essentially fishermen, all other pursuits being of secondary importance. Whales are pursued only l)y the tribes of the west coast of Vancouver Island. Other tribes are satisfied with the dead ther kind of blanket is made of soft cedar bark, the warp being tied across the weft. These blankets are trimmed with fur. At the present time woolen blankets «ii'e most extensively used. At festive oc(!asions "button blankets" are worn. Most of these are light blue blankets with a red border set with niother-of-i)earl buttons. Many are also adorned with the crest of the owner, which is ^neu of the most nortliern tribes (from about Skeena River north- ward) wear labrets. A great variety of baskets are used — large wi(!ker baskets for (!arry- ing fish and clams, cedar-bark baskets for purposes of storage. Mats made of cedar bark, and in the south such made of rushes, are used for bedding, packing, seats, dishes, covers of boxes, and similar purposes. In olden times work in wood was done by means of stone and bone implements. Trees were felled with stone axes and split by means of wooden or bone wedges, lioards were split out of cedar trees by means of these wedges. After the rough cutting was tinislied, the surface of the wood was planed with adzes, a considerable nund)er of which were nmde of jade and serpentine bowlders, which materials are found in several rivers. Carvings were executed with stone and shell knives. 320 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. Stono mortars and pestlos were used for iiiashiiig berru's. Paint pots of Htoiie, brushes, aud stencils inadtt (if codar bark formed tlu^ outfit of the Indian paintor. Pipes were made of shite, of bone, or of wood. Canoes are ma4le of cedar wood. Tiie types of canoes vary some what amonjT the different tribes of tlu»- coast, depending also larjjely upon whether the canoe is to be used for hunting, traveling, or lishing. The canoe is propelled and steered by means of paddles. The houses are made of wood and attain consiilerable dimensions. The details of construction vary considerably among the various tribes, but the general appearance is much alike from ('oniox to Alaska, while farther south the s. B (liineiisions. /^arioiiH tribes, Alaska, while long house of will be given a great many following Un- its, as follows: )art of I'rince I the adjacent j aeon t islands, anncl to Cape d; V'aneouver luox to Sooke els. rs Iidet. icouvcr Island id the eastern s, the southern {ange, and the tana; also the m. nerly north of nlet. • Fraser Eiver. 7. Lku'BgEn, on the southeastern part of Vancouver Island. This dialect is nearly identical with the S'iVniic, SEmiiVmo, XLu'nii, and LaMani, the last of which is spoken south of Fuca Strait, while the others are spoken east of the <}ulf of (ieorgia. 8. Ns4(oa'li and affiliated dialects of I'nget Sound. 9. Twa'nuX, at Union City, Tuget Sound. 10. Sqau'elitsk, on Cowlitz River. 11. SiVtsEpc, on Chehalis River. 12. Tsx«i'lis, on Greys Harbor. 13. KwI'naiuL, north of Greys Harbor. 14. T'ile'mukc, south of the mouth of Columbia River. B. Salishan languages of the interior. 1. NLak'iVpamuX, on the canyon of Fraser Itiver and the lower course of Thompson liiver. 2. SLa'LiumX, on Douglas and Lillooet lakes. 3. SExua'pamuX, from Ashcroft to the northern extremity of Okanagan Lake, the Big liend of the Columbia, and Quesnelle. 4. Okina'qiMi, with the closely related Kalispclm, Spokane, Flathead s. VI. Chemakum, south of ('ape Fl.attery and near Port Townseud. VII. Chinook, on Columbia River. Among these languages, Tlingit Jindllaidaon the one hand, Kwakiutl, Salishan, and Chemakum on the other, show certain similarities in form which induce me to consider these groups as more closely related among themselves th.an to the other languages. The physical characteristics of the Indians of this region show also that they are by no means a homogeneous people. So far as we know now, we may distinguish four types on the coast of British Columbia: The northern type, embracing theNisared to the height of the face, and at the same time broad. Its elevation over the face is also very slight only. The bridge is generally concave, and very Hat between the eyes. The Kwakiutl are somewhat shorter, the trunks of their bodies are relatively longer, their arms and legs shorter than those of tiie tirst group. The dimensions of the head are very nearly the sann^, but the face shows a remarkably different type, whise, which ery great, rch, their ' strongly Inch type ist This p may be rni of the head is lier forms , but very of which are much dy higher is, at the lears very from that ance from heads are ibia or of rht of the Indians, wide, and rts of the isiderable e a mater - lly organ- i peculiar The Tlingit, Ilaida, Tsimshian, and Heiltsaq have animal totems. The llrst of these iiave two phratries, the raven and wolf among the Tlingit, raven (Q'oa'Ia) and »'agle ((l-itKna') among the Haida. The Tsimshian have four t^items — raven ((M'd'a'da), eagle (^Laxsklvek), wolf (Laxk-elx)'), and bear ((x'ispawatlawK'da); the lleiltsuii three — raven (Qo'ix-tenox), eagle (Wi'lv'oaiix-tenox)", and iiiller whale (Ha'lx'- aix-tenox); the .Xuisla^ »ifc-'>eloug. The (dans of the northern tribes bear the names of their respective totems and are exogamous. It must be clearly understood, however, that the natives du^uutjwi- sider themselves descendants of the totem. All my endeavors to obtain information regarding tke supposed origin of the relation between man and animal have invariably led to the telling of a myth, in which it is stated how a certain ancestor of the clan in question obtained his totem. The (diaracter of these legends is uniform anunig all the peoples of this region; even farther south, anmng the Kwakiutl and the northern tribes of tlie Coast Salish, who have no animal totem in the restricted sense of this term. The ideas of the Kwakiutl regarding these matters will be described fully later on. As these legends reveal the fundamental views the natives hold in regard to their totem, I shall give abstracts of a few of them. The following is a legend of the Tsimshian: The firar Chin. — An Indian went mountain-goat hunting. When he had reached a remote mountain range, he met a black bear, who took him to his home, taught him how to catch salmon, and hoM' to build canoes. For two years the man stayed with the bear; then he returned to his own village. The people were afraid of him, because he looked just like a bear. One man, however, caught ium and took him home. He could not speak and could not eat anything but raw food. Then they rubbed him with magic herbs, and gradually he was retransformed into the shape of a man. After this, whenever he was in want, he called his friend the bear, who came to assist him. In winter wheti the rivers were frozen, he alone was able to catch salmon. He built a house and painted the bear on the house front. His sister made a dancing blanket, the design of which represented a bear. Therefore the descendants of his sisters use the bear for their crest. It is evident that legends of this character correspond almost exactly to the tales of theaccpiisition of manitows among tb» Eastern Indians, and they are evidence that the totem of this group of tribes is, in the main, the hereditary manitow of a family. This analogy becomes still clearer when we consider that each man among these tribes acquires a guardian spirit, but that he can acquire only such as belong to his dan.^ Thus, a person may have the general crest of his clan an^end concerns. The extreme case is the narrative of alaced in front of the house, and are also shown as masks in festivals of the I EXPLANATION OF PLATE 2. Masks of the Clan Qanha'da. Fig. 1. GiTooo'YiM. HHKht, 9 inches; lips and no«e re.l; face not painted. ((.at. .N... ,,v;',, Ani..n<-iiu Jrusciiiii of Natural History New York ) Fig. 2. Ca'cA. Height, 7f inches; red, bine, and black. (Cat. No. „Vi,, American Miist'iiin of Natural History, Ni-«- York ) Fig. 3. Ca'cA. Height, 7J inches- black and red. (Cat. No. ,yj„ Amoricaii Jlus.-um of Natural History, New York.) (Report of U. S. National Museum, 1895. Boas. Plate 2. Masks of the Clan Qanha'da, Nisqa' THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 327 After the squid and the rock had disappeared again, a man wearing the sun mask appeared in the door, and when the ])eople began to sing his song, a movable sun which was attached to the mask began to turn. Tlie sun belongs to the G'ispawaduwE'da; the S(iuid commemorates the niisfortuncH of one of the ancestors of the deceased, who, when hunting s<|uids at ebb tide, was captured by aliuge animal. His friends tried to liberate him, but were unable to do so. VMien tiie water began to rise, they pulled a bag of sea lion guts over his head, hoping that the air in it might enable him to survive, but when they looked for him at the next tide they found him dead. After the festival a memorial column was erected. It represented, from below upward, first four men called Loayo^is, or the commanders. These are a crest of the (MspawaduwE'da. Tradition says that one night some men for some purpose dug a hole behind a house near a grave tree. They saw au opening in the woods and a lire in the middle of it, around which ghosts were dancing. They were sitting there as though they were in a house, but the men saw only a pole where the door of the house would have been. Four meu called Loayo'qs were standing at the door, and called to them nagwi't! (to this side). Since that time the G-ispawaduwE'da have used these figures. On top of the four men was the sea bear (niEdl'ek Km ak"s) with three tins on its back. Each tin has a human face at its base. The tradition of the sea bear tells how four brothers went down Skeena River and were taken to the bottom of the sea by Hagula'ci, a sea monster, over whose house they had anchored. His house had a number of platforms. Inside were the killer whales, HaguliVq's ni^n. lie had four kettles called Lukewarm, Warm, Hot, Boiling, and a hat in the shape of a sea monster, with a number of rings on top. Tlie name of his house was Uelahji'idEq (near the Ilaida country). He gave the brothers the right to use all these objects and with them their sonf?s, which are sung at all the great ceremonies of the clan. The song of the house is as follows: Q6. mi la yo eq - (lea kii Uii do SM: • • 1— «-•- -•-- i -^ :±2: -1 — I — -•-#- qa a - mila yc des - ku - uii do hela - liai - degi sy- ,^, liSl m saJEa^ ,_• ^1 -0- -V- -JtZM. ^ ye deya ^o c - mi - Gl - wi hagu - lil(i aya n". That is: My friend, walk close to the country of the Ilaida, the great iiaguUV(j[, 328 REPORT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. Hagula'q also j,'ave tliein two cradle sougs, which are sung for the children of the ulaii, and also at funerals: ALgwa'sEm guna't, aLgwa'sBni guua't, aLgwa'sEm guna't. O real HtTong friuiid, () runl strong friend, O real strong friend. MaaXLuwilwetk"L Lgok-camxk" Lguts'alt Lguyo'haq'ala'X yaSaba't. Wliorc bo cainu from with bis littlu black littlul'uuu with liU little ulub running dowu. And the other one : (Tiinfi'det, guniX'det, guna'det, gunsl'det. O friend, <) friend, O friend, (> friend. WuluixMnVoLe, sEinLia'n, hanxaa'nr>, hang-a'Aksgo. They are very wbite tiio real elks, whicb be won whieli be found when gambling they drifted dowu to bini. II. The Social Organization of the Kwakiutl. The Kwakiutl are divided into a great many tribes, which are in their turn subdivided into septs and clans. Each clan of the Kwakiutl proper derives its origin froin a mythical ancestor who descended from heaven, aro^e from the nnder world, or emerged from put of the ocean. Their crests and privileges, which will be discussed later on, are based upon the ad venturea-^ -the ir auo eatQr8,.Jrom whom, they^ajce. supposed to have descended. First of all, I will give a list of the tribes and their subdivisions: A. XA-xSLA' DIALECT. QTy^aisla'. . Clans: lieaver, eagle, wolf, salmon, raven, killer whale. ^ 2. Xana'ks'iala, called by the He'iltsuq Gi'manoitx. 15. HE'ILTSUQ DIALECT. 1. Xr le from the heiul wiiters of tlie river). H. T'Eiia'xtax. Knight Inlet. Clans: 1. •)'a'niij'amtKlaL (=tho i)Vmti;laLs). li. (I'e'xsEin ( = the chiefs). .'{. Qof'^qoaainox (=:pcopl(' from the liver (Joa'is). 4. Yaai'x-aqEmaE (=the crabs). '). l"e'i)aLr'n6x (=the fliers). 9. A'wa-iLala ( = those inside the inlet). Kiiiyht Inlet. Cljins: I. (J -rgMlqani ( = those who receive first). 2. Ts'o'ts'ena (= thunder birds). .'J. K-ek-k-Vnox. 10. Ts'a'watKenox (=people of the onlaclion country). Kingcoinbe Inlet. Clans: 1. Le'lEwag-ila (=the heaven makers — mythical name of raven). 2. G-rg-EqEmae (=:chiefs). 3. WroqEniaO ( = whom no one dares to look at). 4. G-ag-g-ilak-a (=always wanting to kill people). 5. Qa"«iawatilik'a (=the Qa'watili(|alas). 11. (iuau'aenox. Drury Inlet. Clans: 1. G'T'gMhiani (=those to whom is given first). 2. Kwl'koaenox (=those at the lower end of the village). 3. Kwa'kowenox. 12. Tlaxua'mis, Wakeman Sound. Clans: 1. G-I'g-ihjam (=th()se who receive first). 2, G-e'xsEni ( = the chiefs). 3. Haai'alik-auae (=the shamans). 13. L»''kwiltoq. From Kniglit Inlet to Bute Inlet and on the opposite part of Vancouver Island. They consist of the following septs: loa. VVl'weqae (=the We'qaf's). Clans: 1. G'I'g'ihiain (=those who receive first). 2. G-C'/xsEm (=the chiefs), 3. ? 4. Wl'weaqani ( = the We qacs). ]3h. Xfi'xamatsEs (=old mats, so called because slaves of the Wl'weqae). Recently they have taken the name of Wa'litsum (=tlie great ones). Clans: ? 13c. Kue'xa (=the murderers). Clans: 1. Wi'weaqam (=the We'qaes). 2. Q'o'moyne (the rich ones). 3. Kue'xa (=the nmrderers). 332 REPOKT OK NATIONAL MUSEUM, 18»5. IM. Laa'luis. l.'Je. (^'n'niV'iiAx. TliiH list is not quite <'oin]»l('te, biU very lu'urly so. A iiuinber of the claiiH are subdivided into snuUlei- jjiooP'^i 1>"' '^ i** very dini'te, the descendants of (r-'o'te, and tlu^ Hil'lietiolaL, the descendants of IIa'(iolaL. The La'alaxsEnt'aio of the Kwakiutl projier consist of three divisions: The La'alaxsEnt'aio proper, the A'lk'unweE (=lower corner, speakers of the first division), and the IIe'ha'mr''tawe, the descendants of Ha'nn"''tawc. The Ts'E'nts'Enx-qaio of the WiVlas Kwakiutl are divided in two divisions — the Ts'E'nq'am and Hai'niilaxsto. These divisions are jjiven merely as examples, .is I have not been able to discover all the subdivisions of the ditterent clans and tribes. The recent history of these tribes and clans explains the develop- ment of this exceedingly complex social system. Historical tradition has it that the (lue'tEla and th<^ (^)'o'moyue, both septs of the Kwakiutl, not very long ago formed one tribe. At one time a (piarrel arose between them, in which i.ri'qoag'ila, the head chief of the Gne'tEla, was killed. Theti they divided, and since that time form two septs. There is a saying indicating the close relationship of the two, to the eft'ect that the Gue'tEla and the Q'o'moyiic are twins — the foiiner suckled at the mother's right breast, the latter at the left. Still another tribe, which, however, 1 have not included in the above list on account of its recent origin, has branched off froju the Kwakiutl. These people call themselves Mfi'tilpe, i. e., the highest Maa'mtag-ila, and include the septs Maa'mtagMla, G*r''xsEm, and Ilaai'lak'Emae, all of which are found among the Gue'tEla and Q'o'moyur'. While in these two oases new tribes were formed by a process of division, in one other case, at least, a tribe lias recently become a clan of another tribe, namely, the Laa'luis of Iho Le'kwiltoq, who have joinen the Kue'xa of the same group and forsa a fourth clan of the latter. The event happened during the jicwit war with the southern Saliahan tribis, which was waged in the middle of this century, the cause of the amalgamation being the great reduction of the tribe. The Q'o'm'enox have become entirely extinct. Another tribe which lived near the (^o'sciemox, of which, however, we have only traditional reports, the Xoya'les, have been exterininatepears in the case of the Mfi'tilpc. We obsi'rve that (piite a number ul' such clan names are comincui to several tribes. Thus the Si'siiiLae, the descendants of Si'iiLac, are found ainouf'' the (loasi'la, Na'(|'oa<|to(i, (iuc'tEla, Lau'itsis, and Nimkish. The Yaai'x-aciEmac, *he descend- ants of Vix'il'qKmac, are found among the Q'o'moyuc and' T'Eiia'xtax. I believe that in all these cases part of the original elan has drifted away from its original home, keeping its old name. This view is sus- tained l)y the tramal1x8tr- m what we know of the development of myths we should expeci. to find in them traces, at least, of the old maternal institutictns, if they iiiid ever existed. The fact that they invariably and always arc explained i)y genealogies, such as the above, seems to my mind (;onclusive proof that a paternal organization of the tribe i)rcce(led the present one. 336 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. I referred several times above to tlie fa«t that the claus have certain rights in which the others do not share. These are mainly the use of certain crests and of semi-religions i)erfornuince8. All of these are acciaired by marriage, as described above. In the village coranninities of tlie southern tribes we flnean to say that the ideas have been bodily bor- rowed by the Kwakiutl, but that their manifestation in the social organization of the tribe is largely due to suggestion on the i)art of the northern tribes. The American idea of the acquisition of the manitou was evidently also fundamental among the Kwakiiitl, as all their tales refer to it, and, as we shall see later on, the whole winter ceremonial 's based on it. But it has assumed a peculiar form in so 1'ar as the manltTv'i: was acquired by a mythical ancestor and is now handed down from gei. eration to generation, and the connection has in many cases become so slight that the tutelary genius of the clan has degenerated into a crest. : ■ O ■= : s r; iP ui .= : uj ^ : 1 :■ ! I- ■< - — ^ oi!l I £ c ^ 1= ^ ° r^- 3 I- = r > U3 -' r r o -tr- >. < - 1' :' ^ " ■-* ^ it ^ - :z -- r - 1 '- '■ — X T H. = i'o =: .- ^ ; ul i % I « - sr 3 CL uJ a: I- z -I L'; S •= ^ -. 2 :- • O C ; 2 ■^■- > i o I' .11- I II I , II' THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 337 Later on, a chief of the (^oc'xsot'enox wanted to have tlie carved Ho'Xhoq. His name was LEk'ama'xot. He tried to find out how to obtain it, and learned that he had to marry the 'xana-H8. 2. ijageHilwri. 3. 0"r''xk*liitHV' (too >?reat a chief). 4. A'mawiyim (always giving pot.latcli). 5. WiVlas Kwa'x-ilanokiiiiir. (5. 'la'fioalai, ((topper daiioc). 7. LtVjjoLas (from wboiu coppoiH are ob- taiuod). 8. ][ai'ai,(iKu. 9. Q'u'mx-ilajjf-illH (always rolliug dowu). 10. ITa'mts'idr- (giving food). 11. Poti-idr- (satiating). 12. Qain(iola;f'alit8fi. 13. K'ori'niaxA'las (around whom people Nit). 14. Hf-'nak-alaso (envied). 15. r.iilukKnSanir'. 16. Tsox'tsa-r'saqamO. 17. f^r'wit't"' (to wliom]ieoplt) i)addlo). 18. f)ri "iiyalakwam. 19. PE'nqoOt'f' (giving soft food). 20. Ha'uits'idf' (giving food). 21. i.fi'qoag'ila (copper maker). V. Ma'ma 1. WiT'mls (catching salmon). 2. f)aSnyalakwam. 3. Sfi'siixolas. 4. £)(')dalag'ill8. 5. Kwfi'usdf'ts'as. 6. Ma'Xnag'ila (giving })otlat(h). 7. YA'(iaL'Enala (whose body is all wealth). 8. K'oiVmaxfi'laH (around whom people sit). 9. G'f'X'LalatsT'. 10. YiVqai/Enala (whose body is all wealth). 11. Yrqoi.r-qalas ( from whom presents are expected). 12. LK'lak'inIs (rising too high). 13. MiVXmawi8a([amr' (always giving blankets away while walking). 22. Sc'saxolas. 23. Hil'inisKlai, (dance of reout 400 bhinkets. The next June he pays liis "*, Kitynl Kthnograpliii'al Mtiseuni, Berlin. THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 343 iavor sion of wealth as tho ability to give great festivals wliieh makes wealth/ a desirable object to the Indian. As the boy ac(|uires his second ' iiauic and man's estate by means of a distribution of property, which in course of time will revert to )iim with interest, the man's name ac(|uires greater weight in the councils of the tribe and greater renown among tlj whole peoide, as he is able to distribute more and more property at each subse«|uent festival. Tlierefore boys and men are vying with each other in the arrangement of great distributions of property. Boys of different clans are pitted against each other by their elders, and each is exhorted to do his utmost to outdo his rival. And as the boys strive against each otlier, so do the chiefs and the whole clans, and the one object of the Indian is to outdo his rival. Formerly feats of bravery counted as well as distributions of prop- erty, but nowadays, as the Indians say, "rivals fight with proi)erty only." The: clans are thus perpetually pitted against each other according to their rauk. The Kwakiutl tribes are counted as the high est in the order given in the above list. In intertribal rivalry they do not strive against each other, but the (lUc'tKla iij;ain8t the Ma'iiialrleqala. (/O'liioyur" aj^iiiiist tlui Qo^'xaot'onox. Q'o'iiik'rifm aji;aiii8t tlio Ni:'imiic or i.aO'koatx. Wa'las Kwakiutl against the i.au'itsiaor Ts'a'inas. I referred several times to the distribu- tion of blankets. The recipient in such a distribution is not at liberty to refuse the gift, although a-icording to what 1 have said it is nothing but an interest- bearing loan that must be refunded at some future time with J (X) i)er cent interest. This fes tival is called p'a'sa, literally, flattening something (for instance, a basket). Tliis means that by the amount of property given the name of th'- rival is flattened. There is still another method of rising in tlie social scale, namely, by showing one's self superior to the rival. This may be done by inviting the rival and his clan or tribe fo a festival and giving him a consider- able number of blankets. He is compelled to accept these, but is not allowed to do so until after he has placed an ecjual number of blankets on top of the pile offered to him. Tliis is called dapKiitg-ala and the blankets idaced on top of the first pile are called da'pEno. Then he receives the whole ])ile and becomes debtor to that amount, i. e., he must repay the gift with 100 per cent interest. Fig. 3. I lil'PKlt I'l.ATE. Tilt; paintint; on this plate lopreHents t lie hawk. Till- iippcr face mIiows the liawk's licad, and tho lower faro itn liod.v. Till' thrtM^ liiie.-f on each wide of Ihe body arc probably tho talons. Till. N... ■JliTTs, I-. S. \. M. 344 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 18!>5. i A siiuilur proceeding takes place wbuu a canou is given to a rival. The latter, wlien tlie gift is ottered to liim, must put bluiiliets to tlie amount of half the value of the canoe on to it. This is called da'g-ot, taking hold of the bow of the canoe. Tliese blankets are kept by the iirst owner of the canoe. Later on, tlie recipient of tlie canoe must return another (;anoe, together with an adequate nuntber of blankets, as an "anchor line" for the canoe. This giving of a canoe is called sfi'k-a. Still more complicated is the purchase or the gift, however one chooses to term it. of a "copper.'' All along the North Pacific Coast, from Yakutat to Comox, curiously shaped cop|)er plat«s are in use, which in olden times were made of native copper, which is found in Alaska and probably also on Nass Kiver, but which nowadays are worked out of imported copper. The typical shape of these copper plates may be seen in figs, l' and .'5 and Plate 4. The j shaped part (qa'lii's), which forms two ridges, it; hammered. The top is called "the face" (o'nuxi.Eine), the lower part tlie hind end (o'nutsBxste). The front of the coi)per is covered wich black lead, in which a face, repre- senting the crest animal of the owner, is graven. These coppers have the same function wliich bank notes of high denomiimtions have with us. The actual value of the piece of copi)er is small, but it is made to represent a large number of blankets and can always be sold for blankets. The value is not arbitrarily set, but depends upon the amount of property given away in the festival at which the copper is sold. On the whole, tlio oftener a copper is sold the higher its value, as every new buyer tries to invest more blankets in it. Therefore the purchase of a 'topper also brings distinction, because it proves that the buyer is able to bring together a vast amount of property. Each copper has a name of its ownV and from the following list of coppers, which were in Fort Itupert in 1893, the values attached to some of them may be seen : Mfi'xts'olEm {— (ill other coppers are ashameil (o look at it), 7,50(t blankets." L'u'xolamaH (= steel-head salmon, i. c, it fjlides ont of one's hands like a salmon), 6,000 blankets. Lo'pr'i.ilii (= making? the honst- empty of blankets), 5,000 blankets. DK'nt'alayo (=:abont whoso possession all are (piarrelinj.;). Man'ak''a (=8ea lion). Qau'lo'ma (—beaver face). Lo'ita (=:lookinj; bolow; namely, in order to find blankets with which to bny it). Nu'8o( = moon; its engraving represents tlie half moon, in which a man is sitting). G'a'waqa (^^a spirit. Hr^'iltsmi dialect, corresponding to the Kwakiutl Ts'o'miqoa. See p. 372). NE'lqEmala (=^ day face), NE'nqKmala (=bear face). K-'a'na (i=(Tow; He'iltsnci dialect). Qoayl'ra (:= whale). Ma'x'enAx (;=killer whale). Qoayl'mk'in ( = too great a whale). Wi'na (r=war, against the blankets of the purchaser). 'This copper has two crosspieces. n to a rival, iikot.s to the Ih'd dil'tj'ot, kept by the canoe niiist hhuikots, as ailed Hfi'k-a. owever oue icific Coast, are in use, is found in wadays are leso copper ill aped part called "the xstT'). The face, repre- )pp«'r8 have } have with "j is made to je sold for i upon the e copper is jr its value, erefore the es that the dnjif list of led to some mkets.' :e a salnioii), Report of U. S Nitional Mutaum, 1895 -Bnas Plate 4. I :b to buy it). m is sitting). 1 Ts'o'iKiqoa. Copper Plate with Design representing the Hawk. The design is etched ami iliirk poi'tioiis uri' paiiitiMl lilaek. Only tlie head and the feet of tlie hinl are slmwn. The latter are laid under the heak. ^{'■. Aiijerieaii Museiini iil' Natural History. New York. ! / J I Report of U. S. National Museum, 1895. — Boas Plate 5. I CO h- 0> O a. HI z < m (9 z ? o z q' a: < t- co UJ z o o I- UJ a q: o li. u. O $ UJ > THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 345 03 I- cn O a. I- Lil z < -1 CO o z o I CO Q a: < ¥- CO u O O t- 3 cc t- O o The ijiirchiisc of a liif^li-priced c()pi)er is an elaborate ceicinouy. which must be described in (U>tail. The trade is discussed and iirransed long bel'orehaiid. When the; buyer is ready, he gives to the owner of tiie coijper bhmkets about one-sixth of the total value oltlie copper. This is (!alie(l "making a pillow"' for the copper ((|e'nuliLa) ; or "making a feather bed" (ta'hioa) or "the harpoon line at which game is hang- ing" (do'xsEmt), meaning that in the same nninner the copi)er is attached to the long line of blankets; or ''taken in the hand, in order to lift tlie cop])er"' (da'g-ilelEm). The owner of the copper loans these blankets out, and when he has called them in again, he repays the total amount received, with 100 per cent interest, to the ptirchaser. On the following day the tribes assemble for the sale of the cojiper. The pre- scribed proceeding is as follows: The buyer olfers first the lowest pri ])iled (Plate .")). Tlu'y stand about 40 stejis apart. .)u the following day all the blankets which have been paid for tlie copper must be distributed by the owner among his own tribe, paying to them his old debts flrst, and, if the amount is suflBcient, giving new presents. This is called "doing a great thing"' (wa'lasila). ('opi)ers are always sold to rivals, and often a man will oiler his cop- per for sale to the rival tribe, if it is not accepted, it is an acknowl- edgment that nobody in the tribe has money enough to ])uy it, and the name of flu> tribe or clan would consetiuently lose in weiglit. Therefore, if a nnin is willing to accept the offer, all the memi>ers of the tribe must assist him in this undertaking with loans of blankets. ') 7 346 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. Debts wiiicli are repaid in tlie wa'lasila were mostly contracted in this manner. In order to better illustrato this curious ])roceeding, 1 will describe the sale of a copper which took idace in the winter of 1894-95. First, a feast was celebrated, in whicli the Ma'malf'letpila offered the copper Ma'xtsTilEm for sale to the Kwakiutl. iMa'Xua, chief of the clan Maa'mtag-ila, invited all the tribes to his house. Tiien he si>oke: "Come, tribe, to my house. This is the house of the first Ma'Xua at (i-agaxsdals. "This is the feast house of Ma'Xua here. "This is tiie house to which IMa'Xua invited at lOg-isbalis. "This is the house to which Ma'Xua invited at Qalo'gwis. "This is the feast house of Ma'Xua at G*a'qis. "This is tlie house to which my father invited at Tsa'xis. "1 take the place of my father now. "T invited you. tribes, that you should (!ome and see my house here. "I am proud to si)eak of my ancestor, the chief who in the begiuuing of the world had tlu; imme Ma'Xua.'' Then Ma'Xua turned to his own tribe and said: " Yes, K*'esdyag*ilis. Yes, Ma'Xuag'ila. Let me speak of my ways, Wa, wa! thus 1 speak, my tribe." Then lie turned again to the other tribes and told them to sing, saying, "Go on, tell the whole world, tribes! go on and sing; this was given to our ancestois in tlie beginning of tlie world by KuckuaxiToc.'" Now INIa'Xua stopped speaking, and (t)oayr»'Llts, chief of the Ma'mal- elecjala of the clan Wa'las, spoke : "Yes, Chief! it is true Avhatyou said. I thank y(m tor your woi'ds. Chief! Our ways are not new ways. They were made by our chief (the deity) and marked out tor us when he made our ancestors men. We try to imitate what our ancestors were told to do by the creator. Keep in your old ways. Kwakiutl; keej) in the ways of your grandfatheis. who laid down the custom for you." Then he turned to his own tribe and said: "That is what 1 say, Wa'k*as. That is what 1 say, NEg-c'. The word of the chief shall not hurt me." Now he took the copper (Plate (J) and said: "Now sing my song!" His tribe sang, and after they had tinished (i)oayo'Lla8 8i)oke again: "Yes, my tribe! I can not help how I feel; I have nothing against the way, Kwakiutl, in whi(!h you treat me and my tribe. Now 1 will promise blankets to you, Kwakiutl, blankets to you, (iue'tEla, blankets to yyue, blankets to you, Q'o'mk'fitis, blankets to y(m, AYalas Kwakiutl: this copper behmgs to Ts'a'xts'agits'Eiii(|a, the son of Wrdas Ni:mo'gwis. Now take; cai'e, great tril>e! Tliis great coi)per has a high price; its naniv' is Ma'xts'oliom {t\w. one of whom all are ashamed). Now I am going to lay it down before you, Kwakiutl. Do not k't nic carry it myself, Lfi'bid ! Take it to the chiefs." 'F. UoiiB, "iHtliaiiisclie Sagtai von iler Noril-I'iiciliscluMi KiiMto Aiuerikas," IJerlin, 1805, pago 208. ted in thi^ ■Report of U. S. National Museum, 1895.- Boas. Plate 6. ill describe -95, ottered the liief of the I he spoke: St Ma'Xiui louse here, begiuuiiig; 'soysig'ilis. s 1 speak, told them iind siny; world by e Ma'nial tyou said, ys. They II he made 're told to I the ways I." Then Wa'k-as. not hurt ■ sinu i"y liis sjmke '. nothing be. Now (ine'tEla, luikets to iiiKia, the liis great whom all wakintl. Chief holding his Copper. 8," ISerlin, M '!! THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 347 Then La'bid arose and spoke: ''Say Miis ajjain, my chief! Novr look out, chiefs of the Kwakiixtl, this is Sc'xitj'-ila Ma'xts'olEm.' This I will bring to you." Then he stepped toward the Kwakiutl, and put the copper on the floor where they were sitting. Now < )waxri'lag-ilis arose, took the copper, and spoke: "Thank you. Willas NEuio'gwis. Come now, salmon, for which our forefathers have been watching. This is Ma'xts'olEm. f will buy this Ma'xtsTdEm. Now pay me, Kwakiutl, what I loaned to you, that I may buy it (juickly, in order to keep our name as high as it is now. Don't let us be afraid of the price of Ma'xts'olEm, my tribe, wa, wa! Now put down the dishes, that our tribe may eat." Owaxa'lag'ibs sat down, the y(mng man distributed the dishes, and all the tribes ate. Now Ma'Xua stepi)ed up again and spoke kindly to the eating people, "do on," he said, "eat, Walas NEmo'gwis; eat, He'Lamas; eat, NEg-c'; eat you, Ma'malcleqala; eat, La'qdLas; eat, G*'otr', you NE'm(iic; eat, Sf-'wit'c; eat, R'wanuX; eat you, Lau'itsis; eat,Wa'k*as: eat, Pd'tLidc, you, Ma't'ili)e; eat,Writ8'f'; eat. He' was, you T'Ena'xtax. Eat, all you tribes. Now it is done. I have already told you of my grandfather. This food here is the good will of our fore father. It is all given away. Now, look out, Kwakiutl! our chief here is going to buy this copper, and let us helj) him, wa, wa!" Then spoke HiVraEsk'inis and said : " Your words are true. Chief! how true are your words. I know how to buy coi)pers; I always pay high i)rices for coppers. Now take care, Kwakiutl, my tribe, else you will be laughed .at. Thus [ say, O'ts'cstalis; thus I say, Wa'uuk"; thus I say, young chiefsof the Kwakiutl; thus 1 say, Tsd'palis; thus I say, O'gwila; thus I say,0'mx''it,youngchiefsof thei^'d'moyur'; thus I say, (^or'nii'dastsT; thus I say, Ycqawit, chiefs of the Q'd'mk-utis; thus 1 say, Qoayd'Llas; thus I say, Wa'kldis, young chiefs of the Walas Kwakiutl. This is my spee(!h for our children, Ma'Xuag'ila, that they may take care, wa, wa!" Then (Qoayd'Llas stood up again and said: "Thank you; did you hear, Labidf Ho, ho, ho, ho, ud, ud, ud. [The "ho" means the lifting of the heavy copper from the ground; the "ud" is the cry of tlie Ts'd'ndqoa.]'' Now let me invite tliem, Ma'malcleqala; I believe tliey want to buy mycopper. Now I will invite tlioin." Tlien his tribe said: "Do it, do it," and he continued : " Now, Cur'tKla, behold the dance of La'qoagMlayukoa, the danghterof Walas NEmd'gwis. Now, (i'd'mdyue, see the dance of AomdLa, the daughter of Wrdas NEmd'gwis. Now, Q'd'mk-utis, see the dance of Ma'mx-oyiikoa, the daughter of Walas NEmd'gwis. Now, Wrdas Kwa'kiutl, see the ;laucc of Ma'Xualag-ilis, the son ot Wrdas NEmd'gwis. Thes<' are M.y words, wa, wa!'" Then all the guests went out. Later on Owaxa'lag-ilis invited all the Kwakiutl, Ma'maleleiiala, NE'infjic, Lau'itsis, T'Ena'xtax, and Ma'tilpr*, because he intended to buy the copper Ma'xts'dlEui that ' The ono who uiiikeH thirsty aud of wlioiu all are ashamed. «See page 372. 34S REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSKUM, 189r.. morning on the beach. Then all the tribes assembled. Owaxfi'lag-ilis stood on the beach and spoke. He said: *'No\v, come, chiefs of all the tribes. Yes, you come, because we want to do a great work. Now, I am going to buy the copper ]\Iri'xts'olEm,of Wnlas NEmo'gwis. Only don't ask too high a price for it. And yon, young chiefs of the Kwakintl, take care and help me. (io now and bring the blankets from my house.'' Then the young men went and piled up the blankets on the beach. Mii'Xua and ( )'tsV'stalis counted them. One man of the Ma'malOleqala, one of the Nimkish, one of the i.au'itsis, kept the tally.' Mfi/Xua spoke: "It is my otiice to take care of the ])roperty of our chief. It was the olhce of my forefathers. Now 1 will begin.'' Then he counted one i)air, two pairs, three pairs, four pairs, Hve i)airs, six pairs, seven ]»airs, eight pairs, nine ])airs, ten pairs. As soon as ten pairs were counted, he said aloud, "ten pairs,'' and the counters repeated, "twenty blankets," and put two stones aside. When INIa'Xua had counted another ten i)airs, the counters said, "forty blankets," and put two more stones aside. They continued to put aside two stones for each ten ])airs of blankets ( I'lates 7 and 8). Two men kept on piling up the blankets, and when they had jnled up 1,000 blankets, Mn'Xua said aloud, "One thousand blankets." The blankets wore piled up along- side of a carved beam standing on the beach (Plate o). When the pile was high emmgli, a new one was begun right next to the first pile. 'then Owaxil'lag-ilis arose and spoke: "Tribes, I buy the (iopper INIii'xts'olEm with these 1,000 blankets. I shall not give any more unless the chiefs of all the tribes should ask for more, wa! That is my speech, chiefs of the Ivwakiutl." Now lie sat down and AVrdas NKuio'gwis arose. He said : " Ya, ( )waxri'lagMlis I are your words true ? Did you say it was enough?"' Then he turned to his tribe and said, " Ya, ( )lsl'wit ! Now rise, chief, and speak for me. That is what I say, LiVbide." Then Olsl'wit arose (see Plates and 10) and said: "Are those your words, Kwakintl ? Did you say this was all that you were going to give for the copper ? Are there 1,000 blankets ? " The counters replied, " Yes, there are 1,000 blankets." Olsi'wit continued: "Thank you, Owaxa'- lagilis. Chief. Do you think you have finished? Now take care, Kwakintl ! You, Chief, give twenty times ten pairs more, so that there Avill be 200 UKU'e." Then he turned to his tribe and said, "Chiefs of the IMii'malt'lecpila ! Now, I have siiid my words. Chief VVfdas NEmo'gwis." Tiien Owaxa'lag'ilis arose and said: "Your s])eech, Olsl'wit, is good. It pleases my heart." And he said to the young men: "Go and bring 200 hliinkets i'roni my ho use." They went at once and brought those bliuiket s. Then Ma'Xna ai'ose and counted the blankets. He called out how ' I",viTV trilx' lias ii iiiuii to count Itlunkets. Tliis otiicc is not luTcclitury. When coj)]ii'r.s iiro traded, the, son^ Hi:ik<>i'H count Itlankcts. I i I ■s i Report of U. S. National Museum, 1895 - Boas Plate 7. [se your to give waxii'- 3 care, it there of the b'g'wis.'' Is gooil, ll bring t those |ut how When ^ — -jbH m^'jMm '«B^^^^^^^^^H ^Kr l^^^l ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H -^^H CO y- z < -J CO C3 z o o i niVHR&^ «™4-"''"^- 1 Repoit of U. S. National Muieum, 1895.— Boan, Plate 8. to I- lij z < -I oo o z z o o mmmm R*port of U. S. Nitionil Muieum, IB9S. Bou. Plate 9. -I < > u < I o UJ a CO > UJ I O IW^B" ^mw^fc^wivjif* Mi^n Report of U. S. National Mubeum, 1895.— Bcas. Plate 10. THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 349 * many tliere were. IJe said: "There are 1,200 blankets in a pile here, chiefs of all the tribes, wa, wa!'' Now OlsJ'wit arose and said: "Thank you, Kwakiutl. Verily, 1 got all 1 asked for in my speech aiid we INhi'malr-leqala are pleased, wa, wa ! " Again Wrdas NEmo'gwis arose and spoke: "Thank yon, OwaxiV- lag-ilis, thaidv you, Cliief. It will not be my desire if all the chiefs of my tribe ask for more blaukets. I am satisfied.'' >fow he turned to his tribe and said : " Xow we must speak, my tril)e. Arise, G-e'g-EsLEu. S]»eak, Chief! Speak more strongly." "Ji jn G-e'g-ESLEii arose and said: "How u'u-v it is, tribes! I tliank you for your words, Owaxa'lag'ilis. Yes, Chiefs, that is our way, to which you must conform. You were not provident when you resolved to buy tliis great coi)per. My heart is well inclined toward you. Chief I Y'ou have not finished; you will give more. The i»rice of the coi)per nuist correspond to my greatness, and I ask forty times ten blankets, that is 400 blaukets more, Chief. That is what 1 mean, forty. A\'a, Chief. 1 shall not speak again if I get what I ask from you." Then he turned to his own tribe. "Chief Walas NBmo'gwis, I have done wliat you asked of me. You asked me to syeak strongly to that chief, wa, wa !" Then Owaxa'lag-ilis arose and spoke, lie said: " Yes, Chief, your speech was good. You have no pity. Have you tinished now asking for more, if I am williug to give your chief 400 blankets more ? A nswer me now!" isow G'e'g-ESLEu spoke: "I shall not try to si)eak again." Owaxaiag-ilis sent two young men. They brought the blankets and put them down. Again Ma'Xua took the blankets and spoke: " Y'a, tribes ! Do you see now our way of buying ? The Kwakintl, my tribe, are strong w^hen they buy coppers. They are not like you. You always bring the canoes and the button blaukets riglifc away. Now there are l,(iOO blankets in this pile that I carry here." He turned to the Kwakiutl and said: "That is what I say, Chiefs of the Kwakiutl, to those who do not know how to buy coppers. Now I begin again." I le counted the blankets and went on in the same way as before. As soon as ten pairs of blankets were counted, they said aloud, "ten pairs," and the counters said aloud how many tens of blankets had been counted. When he had counted all, Ma'Xua spoke: "VYa, wa! Now 1 say to you, chiefs of all the tribes, it is really enough! I have pity upon my chief. That is what I say, chiefs." Then Owaxi'i'lag-ilis arose and spoke: " Wa, Ava! say it is enough, Ma'niah'hMjala. Now you have, seen my name. This is my name; tliis is the weight of my name. This mountain of blankets rises through our heaven. My name is the Ufime of the Kwakiutl, and you can not ; that is what 1 say for all of you, chiefs of the Ma'inalcleciala, Wa, wa!" Then Owaxa'lag-ilis arose and spoke: "Yes, yes, you are feared by all, (Ireat Chief! Do not show mercy in your speech. Now 1 am going to ask all of you, chiefs of the Ma'malclecjala, will you stop talking if I give you these 1,000 blankets fn additictn to the 1,000 blankets on this pile ? If you say it is not enough after 1 have added tiie 1,000 blankets, then 1 will not force the purchase of the copper. "Now answer me, Wfiias NEmn'gwis. 1 huve seen no one giving 1,000 blankets more. I should tell a lie if I should say 1 had ever seea it done, as you demand, wa! That is what 1 say, chiefs of all the Kwakiutl." Now Wfilas NEmd'gwis arose and spoke : " Cliiefs, it is not my desire; it is the desire of all those chiefs who asked for more; 1 have enough. THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 351 [IVlllg seen 1 the esiie; ough. Bring now the 1,000 blankets for wbieU Chief Yri'qiiLEulis asked, wa, va! That is what I say, Ma'niah"'leav(l of tlio ainouiit ol" property (k'stroyed iuul showiiij;" that Lis iujimI is stronger, liis power j^ieater, than that of his rival. If the latter is not able, to destroy an equal amount of projyerty without lutuih delay, his name is ''broken." He is vamiuished by his rival and his influence with his tribe is lost, while the name of the other chief gains correspondingly in rei;nwn. Feasts may also be counted as destruction of property, because the food given can not be returned except by giving another feast. The most expensive sort of feast is the one at which enormous quantities of fish oil (made of the oulachon) are consumed and burnt, the so-called ''grease feast." Therefore it also raises the name of the person who can alTord to give it, and the neglect to speedily return it entails a severe loss of i)restige. Still more feared is the breaking of a valu- able copj)er. A chief may break his copper and give the broken parts t»» his rivrd. If the latter wants to keep his ]>restige, he must break a qopper of ecpuil or higher valnCj and then return both his own broken copper and the fragments which he has received to his rival. The latter may then pay for the copper Avhich he has thus re- ceived. The chief to whom the i'ragments of the first copper are given may, however, also break his copper and throw both into the sea. The Indians consider that by this act the attacked rival has shown himself sui)erior to his aggressor, because the latter may have expected to receive the broken copper of his rival in return so that an actual loss wcmld have been i)revented. ]u by far the greater number of cases Avhere cop])ers are broken the copper is preserved. The owner breaks or cuts off one part after the other until finally only the T-sha]M'(l ridge reniains. This is valued at two-thirds of tlie total value of tlieco])per and is the last i>art to be given away. Tiieorder in which the ]>arts of tlie copper are usually broken off is shown in the ncconq)anying illustration (fig. 4). The rival to whom the piece that has been broken off is given, breaks off" a similar ])iece, and returns both to tiie owner. Thus a copper nuiy be broken ui> in <'ontests with diffei'cnt livals. Finally, somebody suc(!eeds in buying uj) all the broken I'ragnuMits, which are riveted together, and the co])j)er has attained an increased value. Since the broken «'opi)er indicates the fact that the owner has destroyed i)ro])erty, the Indians ])ride them- selves upon their ])ossession (see Flares 11 ami 12). ImU. 4. roi'i'KR I'l.A'rK. The order in '.vliich tlie scctioiiM arc lin>krii nil' iiiiil thniwu iiwiiy is iiidicatpd li\ llio lottcr.-i i(i~il). \ >r property vv fircater, ,' Jill e(|iial n." lie is lost, while I. t'canse tlie •ast. Tlie tlio one at ioil (made lud burnt, lercfore it u who can o speedily ' ]>restiye, of a valu- liis coi)per rival. If estige, he or higher ^n broken h he has may then s thus re- lagments however, l)()tli into it by this himself the latter e broken that an ited, of cases •oi»per is futs off illy only le total order in n in the I'ce that lis both sts with all the })er has ites the e thein- (1 I ii Report n( U S.'Natiora! Muieurp, 1895. Bnai Plate 11, I ' t 1 ^^ ■ n mm ^^,:4 ^^^ BWp^ ^&3I • • =^ — „ — "" — -^. — . tl Chief holding Broken Copper. ri! \ I I ! Jteport of U S. National Museum, I89S.— Boas. Plate 12. m Chieftainess holding Broken Copper. II THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 365 The rivalry bt'twc'en chiefs, when carried so far that copperH are destroyed iiiid tluit grease feasts are given in order to de8tr<)y the prestige of tlie rival, <»ften develop into open enmity. When a person gives a i^rease feast, a great flre is lighte*! in the center of the house. Tlie Hanu's leap up to the roof and the guests are almost scorched by tiie heat. Still the etifjuette demands that they do not stir, else the host's lire has con«iuered them. Kven .vhen the roof begins to burn and the lire attacks the rafters, they niiist appear unconcerned. The host ah)ne has the right to send a man up to the roof to put out tlie tire. While the feast is in progress the host sings a scathing song ridiciding his rival and ])raising his own clan, the feats of his forefathers and his own. Then the grease is filled in large spoons and passed to the rival chief first. If a i)erson thinks he has given a greater grease feast than that offered by tlie liost, he refuses the spoon. Then he runs out of the house (g'e'qEnix'it=chief rises against his face) to fetch his copper "to squehrli with it the tire." The host proceeds at once to tie a cop- per to each of his house posts. If he should not do so, the person who refused the spoon would on returning strike the posts with the copper, which is considered etpial to striking the chief's face (k'i'lxa). Then the man who went to fetch his copper breaks it and gives it to tlie host. This is called "squelching the host's fire." The host retaliates as described above. The following songs show the mauner in which rivals scathe each other. First NEqiViVKHk-Km (=ten fathom face) let his clan sing the follow- ing song at a feast which lie gave: ' 1. Our jjrcat famous cliitsC is known oven outside of our world, oh ! ho is the highest chief of nil. [Then he sang:] The chiefs of all the tribes are my servants, the chiefs of all the tribes are my Hpeakors. They are ])iece8 of copper which I have broken. [The people:] Do not let our chief rise too high. Do not let him destroy too much i>roporty, else we nhiill be made like broken pieces of copper by the great breaker of cojjpers, tho great splitter of coppers, the great chief who throws cop- pers into the water, the great one who can not be surpassed by anybody, tho one Hurnioiinting all the chiefs. Long ago you went and burnt all tlie tribes to ashes. You went and defeated the <'hief of all the tribes; you made li's people run away and look for their relatives whom you had slain. You went and tho fame of your power was heard amoug the northern tribes. You went and gave blankets to every- body, chief of all tribes. 2. Do not let us stand in front of him, of whom we are always hearing, even at tho outermost limits of this world. Do not lot ns steal from our chief, tribes! else he will become enraged and will tie our hands. He will hang us, the chief of the tribes. [Ne(|a'pi;uk*Em sings :] Do not mind my greatness. My tribe alone is as great as four tribes. I am standing on our fortress; I am standing on top of the chiefs of the tribes. 1 am Copper Face, fireat Mountain, Supporter, Obstacle; my tribes are my servants. '. ' At another feast he let his i)eople sing:* 1. Do not look around, tribes! do not look around, else wo might see something that will hnrt ns in the great house of this really great chief. I :l t ! I ' See Appendix, page C67. '' See Appendix, page 668. u 356 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 2. "Do not look arouud, tribes I do not look around, else we might see something ■foruiidtiblc in the gniat liouse of this really great chief. His house has the Ts'o'noiioa.' Therefore ■we are benumbed and can not move. The house of our double chiei",- of the really great chief, is taking our lives and our breath.'' 3. "Do not make any noise, tril)es ! do not make any noise, else we shall precipi- tate a landslide of wealth from our chief, the overhanging mountain."' 4. [Xeqfi'pEnk'Em sings :] "I am the one from whom comes down and front whom is untied the red cedar bark ' i'or the chiefs of the tribes. Do not grumble, tribes! do not gru.uble in the house of the great double (thief, Avho makes that all are afraid to die at his hands, over whose bodj' is sjtriukled the blood of all those who tried to eat in the house of the double chief,' of the really great chief. Only one tliiug enrages me, when people eat slowly and a. little only of Ihe food given by the great double chief." While these sougs are merely a praise of the deeds of the s'nger, the following reply by He'uak-alaso, the rival of ^^Eqri'i)Enk*Kai is bitter to the e.xtreiiie. In it the singer ridicules him for not yet having returned a grease feast.-' 1. I thought ^mother one was causing the smoky weather? I aia tlie only one on earth — the only one in th(* world who makes thick smoke rise from the beginning of the year to the end, for the 'uvit'd tribes." 2. What will my rival say .-.gain — ihi)<; 'spider woman;' what will he pretend to do next ? The words of ;hat 'spider woman ' do not go a straight way. Will he not brag that he is going to give away canoes, that he is going to break coppers, that he is going to give a grease feast? Such will be the words of the 'spider woman,' and therefore your face is dry .and moldy, you who are standing in front of the stomachs of 'ae chiefs. 3. Nothing will satisfy you; but sometimes 1 treateag(> 435. 'This refers to the fact that ho killed a chief of the Awi'k-'cnox in a feast. '^'See Appendix, page (>()!). ''Namely, by the fire of the grease feast. '' The first grease feast went as far as the center of the house. As NEcpVpKuk'Km (lid not return it, the second one steonod forward across the iire right up to him. I I the I ■a- I i i I I Plate 13. Image representing the Rival Chief. From A Hastinn. " Nnrtlnvfst (Vmsr of Aincricn." OrJKiuul ill Hoyrtl Ktlinoniapliifiil Mu.st'iiiii, licrliii. -f J I ■ mm Report of U. S. National Musc-um 1895. -Boas Plate 14 ac ui a. u. O U o z o I z < z H Z o a. tu m o I '. i THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 357 1 prestige of tb«'- rival, but also for the sole puri)ose of jiiaiiiing distinc- tion. This is (lone mainly at the time when houses are ]»uilt, when totem poles are erected, or when a son has been initiated by the s]»irit presiding over the secret soctiety of his dan, to which ccremoi'.y refer- ence has ;')rcviously been made. It seems that in olden times slaves were sometimes killed ani liv.ils. (//) 'i'lio in;isk ojicikmI i('|prps<'iitiii(; tla- iinri'slrir iu ii iilenH.iiit stale 'il' niiinl. distrilmliti;; jiroiMTty. IV A, N.i. I-.'4.1, I{..vnl Kll\iicicr.i|.lii. 111. MiH,i;in ll.rlin. CmI!.-,!,-.! ^ A. ,):i. nl.s.'n. i ■ 358 liEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. At all these festivals masks are occasionally worn which rei)resent the ancestor of the clan and refer to its lejuend. 1 will J4ive one exam- ple: In the potlatch of the clan K"k\vri'kiini of the QVt'nioyue, a mask representing one of the forefathers of the i)resent clan (not their first ancestor), whose uanie was No'lis or Wa'tse appears, — a double mask, surmounted by a bear (fig. a). The bear broke the dam which pre vented the property of No'lis going up the river. The outer mask shows No'lis in a state of rage vanciuishiug his rivals; the inner side shows liim kindly disposed, distributing property in a friendly way. His song is as follo'vvs: ' 1. A bear is staiHtiuf- at the rivci' of the AVauderer who traveled all over the worhl. 2. Wild is the bear at the river of the Wanderer who traveled all over the world. 8. A daugerous tish is going up the river. It will put a limit to the lives of the ])eople. 4. Ya! The si'siuL- is going up the river. It will jmt a liuiit to tli<- lives of the people. 5. Great things are goitig up the river. It is going uj) the river the copjier of the eldest brother of our tribes. Another song used in these festivals is as follows: ' 1. The heat of the rliief of the tribes will not hav(^ mercy upon the iieople. 2. The great lire of our (^hief iu which stones' are glowing will not lia\ <> mercy upon the jieople. 3. You. Miy rival, will eat what is left over when 1 dance in my grease feast, when I, the chief of the tril>es. perform the lire dance. 4. Too great is, what you are doing, our chief. Who e(|ual8 our chief I lie is giv- ing feasts to the whole world. 5. Certainly he has inherited from his father that h(i never gives a small feast to the lower chiefs, the chief of the tribes. The clan Hafi'naLino have the tradition that tlieir ancestor used the fabulous double-headed snake for his belt and bow. In their potlatches the chief of the gens appears, therefore, dancing with a belt of this de8crii)ti<)n and with a bow carved iu the shai)e of the double-headed snake. Th«» bow is simjdy a long carved and painted stick to which a string running tlirough a number of rings and connecting with tiie horns and tongues of the snak.' is attached. When the string is pulled, the horns tire erected and the tongues i>ulled out. When the string is slackened, tin- horns drop ). I\'. Mahuiacje. Marriiigc among the Kwakiutl must be considered a i»urchase. which *• is conducted on the same ]»iinciples as the purchase of a coi»])er. But the object Ijought is not oidy the woman, but also the right of member- ship in her dan for the future children of the couple. 1 ex])lained ' See Appends, page (570. '' See i)age 'Ml. •' Sec Ajipendix, page ()71 . ■•Stones heated in the fire for boiling the food to be used in tlio fi^ast. Il Report of U S. National Museum, 189S.— Boat. Plate 15. Dance of the Chief of the Haa'nalino Clan. -!' !■ I THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 350 before that many privileges of the chin descend only through marriage upon the .son-in-law of the iK)ssessor, who, however, does not use them himself, but jicciuires them for the use of his suecessor. These privi- leges are. of eourse, not given as a present to the son-in-law, but he ^ becomes entitled to them by paying a certain amount of proi)erty for " his wife. The wife is given to him as a lirst installment of the return payment. The (trest of the clan, its privileges, and a ((msiderable amount of other j)roperty besides, are given later on, when the couple^ have children, and the rate of interest is the higher the greater the num- ber of children. For one child, 200 per cent of interest is paid; lor two or more children, 300 per ceut. After this payment the marriage is annulled, because the wife's father has redeemed his daughter. If she continues to stay with her husband, she does so of her own free will (wulc'L, staying in the house for nothing). In order to avoid this state of affairs, the husband often makes a new payment to his father- in-law in order to have a claim to his wife. The law of descent through marriage is so rigid that methods liave developed to prevent the extinction of a name when its bearer has no • daughter. In such a case a man who desires to acquire the use of the crest and the other privileges connected with the name performs a sham marriage with the son of the bearer of the name (Xue'sa; New- ettee dialect: da'xsitsi:nt=taking hold of the foot). The ceremony is performed in the same manner as a real marriage. In case the bearer of the name has no children at all, a sham marriage with a part of his body is performed, with his right or left side, a leg or an arm, and the privileges are conveyed in the same manner as in the case of a real marriage. It is not necessary that the crest and privileges should be aci^uired for the son of the person who married the girl, but they may be trans- > ferred to his successor, whoever that may happen to be. As the acquisition of the crest and privileges connected with it i| play so important a part in the management of marriages, references to the elan traditions and dramatic performances of portions of the myth are of fre(|uent occurrence, as may be seen from the following descrii)tioMs: J will describe lirst tlie man iage of a Ma'maleleqala Chief. XEmo'knlag'ilists'e called all the young men of all the tribes to come to his house. After a second call all the young men came. Then he arose and spoke: "Thank you, my brothers, for coming to my house. You know what is in my mind — tliat I want to marry to day. You know that I wanted you to come that I miglit ask my i)rotlieis to invite all the i>eople. Xow dress yourselves; there is the paint and the eagle down." Th(> liiVg-us aiose and sjxjke: ■' Yes, XEmo'kulag-ilists'e, these are your wends. 1 and my friends will go now to make war upon the daugh- ters of all the chiefs all over the world. Now take care, my friends! / 360 REPORT OK NATIONAL MUSEUM, 18!»5. y>>ung c'tiiefs of nil the tribes; paint yourselves and put dowu on your liciuls.'' Then t lie young men painttMl theniselves and put down ou tlieir heads, and went out to the nortli end of tiie villajje. First they went into the liouse of IIii'inasa(ia. As soon as tliey harBmo'kulag'ilistsV'. Tlu'ii they went at ouco to call the tribes, and they all came. Now Wa las NEuio'gwis spoke: "(5ouu», chiefs of all the tribes, to hear the words of our chief. We will uudie war upon tlie tribes. Something great is in the door of the liouse of our future wife. That is all." Then Walas NKino'gwis counted the blankets and the counters kept tally. When 200 were counted, he said: "We pay for our wife these 200 blankets here." Tiien he counted 100 blankets more, and said : "With these 100 blan- k(^ts we will lift her. We must lift a heavy weight for the son of La'lawig-ila." All the men replied: "True, true are your words, chief." Walas NEino'gwis counted 100 blankets more, aud said: "These are intended for calling our wife. Wa, chiefs! there are 400 blankets here, by means of which we are trying to get the daughter of Lil'lawig-ila." Then Ile'Lamas arose and sjjoke: "Yes, sou, your speet^h is g(»od. All our tribes heard what you said. Now take care, else a mistake might be made. 'IMius 1 say, chiefs of all the tribes. Now arise, T;iV(|r)Las, and you, Ma'Xmawisaqamae, aud you. Ya'ciaLEulis, and you, Mii'Xuayalits'c; we want to go to war now. Now ask if it is all right." They gave them each a single blanket to wear. Then these four men arose aud went to the liouse of Lil'lawig-ila. They sat down in the doorway, and 'la'tidLas spoke: "We come, chief, to ask you about this nuirriage. Here are 400 blankets ready for you. Now we are ready to take our wife. That is all." Then spokt^ Lri'lawig-ila: "Call my future son-in-law, that he may come for his wife; but let him stay on the beach. Vou all shall stay there; only the blankets shall (?ome into my house." Then Yji'qaLEiilis spoke: "Thank you. Chief, for your words. Now let us tell our chief." Then they went to the house of NEino'kulag'ilists'e. They went in, aud qa'qoLas tohl the answer of Lri'lawig-ila to the chiefs of all the tribes, saying: "He told us to come soon to take our wife." Then all the y the house. He was not hurt. When he got into the house, NEuio'kulag-ilists'e said: "Ho, ho, ho, ho. He has succeeded! Thank you, my tribe." As soon as MaXuag-ila had entered the house the tire disappeared. La/Lawig-ila came out and spoke: "<"ome now and take y(mr wife, son in-law!" They brought out blankets and T.fi'Lawig-ila said: "Now I give you a small gift, sou-iu-law. Sell it for food. There i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 132 25 '■'' *- IIIIIM i 142 ilO 1.8 1.25 U. 1.6 ■a 6" ► Hiotogmphic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ ^ '^^ % E?/ rf' 1 iV 362 RLPOKT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. are liOO blankets." Then Walas NKnio'gwis arose: "I>on*t sit down, tribes. Let ii8 sing a song of joy! Take care, chiefs of the Ma'aiale- ]e<|ahi, we will make fun of the Kwakintl. .My chief has again given blankets. The name of my tribe is Ma'maleleqala, who vanquish all. I am feared by all the tribes. 1 can not be lifted. I know how to buy great coppers. 1 make chiefs out of poor jnen. Whenever I give away blankets, I do so in Tsa'xis on account of the legend of Ma'lele- qala, who was first transformed into a man at this place." Thus spoke Willas NEmo'gwis and all arose and sang: 1. The deer wutit ou tbo water, niiil trit^l to inako war on bin yoiiuger brother. 2. Kui-kiiaxii'or- gave up tbo cbaHu, trying to make war on bin yoiiugcr brother. 3. Only 1 do tliis way. Otily I am tbo great one who takes away the dangbter of chiefH, the yonnger brother of Knr-knaxa'oo. When they stopi)ed singing, NEmo'kulag'ilistsV" said, *'Ho, ho, ho, ho," and he promised to give away blankets. He said: "These are blankets for ycm, (Jue'tEla; blankets for you, (^'n'moyuf'; blankets for you, Waias Kwakiutl; blankets for you, Q'o'mk'utis. They belong to T[il'oured several bottles of grease into a wooden box and l)uilt up a high pyre, on top of which he placed the box containing the grease. O I the following day Ma'Xua called his tribe, and all preparelankets were counted. Then Ya'ipiLasame went me, Ya'Hide; come,NEnie'nn*ilas; come, A'wite; come, Ka'salis. Thank you for coming, Chief L'E'nk-alas. Now take care, (lua'tsViiox, for here is the (^V)'mO(|oa, a sea moustcr, who swallows everything, and there in I ! i d()4 HKPOKT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, Ifellfi tlio r«'ar of tlie lions« is lie wln» devoured everyone who tried to marry the daughter of Ya'qaLasamr', and this fire has hurt everyone m'Iio tried to iiiarry llr'nKdemis. Now, Cliief Va'tiaLasamf', light your lire and let the iduef f^et our daughter here.'' Tlien Va'(|aLasanir' lit thu lire and all the Gua'tsV'iiox sat down elose to it. Wiien the lire was burning, V'a'qaLasamr' spoke: "Now take care, (lua'tsV-nox. for I intend to try you. You said you were not afraid of TsV>'nrM|oa ? Now I will try all of you, chiefs of the (lua'tsV'nox. On aeeount of this lire nobody «!an get my daughter." When the grease began to burn, all theGua'tsVnox lay down on their backs and their blankets were scorched. Now the lire died oul, an continued: "Now look at it, (lua'tsV'Uox. These are the bones of the suitors who came to marry my daughter and who ran away from my lire. The di'vourer of tribes ate them. That is what he vomited. Now come, He'nEdemis, and go to ytmr husband!" Then she came and went into the canoe of the (lua'ts'enox. They all went into the canoe and returned home. I will give still another example, namely, the marriage ceremony of the L'a's(i'r'nox, which is founded on the following tradition : A chief of the L'a'sqVnox speared a sea otter which palled his canoe out to sea. He tried to cut the line, but it stuck to the canoe. Finally the moun- tains of his country went out of sight. After a long time he saw a black beach, and when he came near, he saw that it was the place where all the coal of llres goes when it drifts down the northward <'urrent of the sea. lie passed this place and came to the place where all the dry saud is drifting to and fro. The sea otter continued to pull him on, and he arriveil at the place where the down (of birds) is drifting on the water. He passed those and came to the place where the toilet sticks' are going. Finally he discovered a village on a beach. The sea otter jumped ashore ami was transformed into a man, who entered the chiePs ■CodampHiita nsetl in pluce of toilet paper. 1 I THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 365 house. Tlip diiors siH>aker invited the man to enter, and asked him what he wanted. The person wlio sees peoples' tlionghts sat to the right of the dwn- and said : " He conies to yet a magical treasure,'' Then the chief of the sea otter, for it was he whose house he haul entered, gave him a har|K)on and said : " Vou will be the chief of the world. Do you want anything else?'' '♦ Yes,'' replied the man, '• I want to marry your dau^'hter.*' She was sitting on a platform in the rear of tin; house. He nmrried her, and the chief gave him four men to show him the way home. The girl's names were Tsr''sa<[a (sea otter pup woman) and (i-aiaxa-is (tirst to receive gifts). When they ai)proached tlie village of theL'ji'sqV'nox, Tsr'siiqa commanded her husband to throw the man who was sitting in the bow of the canoe into the water. He made him lay off his mask and threw him into the water. His name was Xa'ya'la (S(mnd of stones rolling on the beach). Then the sea began to roll in heavy waves. The woman ordered him to throw the three other men into the Avater. He did so, and they were tranformed into three islands, which i>rotect the beach of the L'a'sq'cnox village. Since that time the l/a'sq'cnox use four masks representing these men in their marriages. The bridegro<)nrs tribe go in c'auoes to the girl's house. When they arrive in fr(»nt of her house, four old men who wear the masks repi-esenting the four men referred to step ashore. They walk four steps and then ]K>rform a dance. They look at the girl's tribe and iM>int toward the house as though directing their friends. Then tiiey go back int<» the canoe and take tiioir masks off. Figure (i rep resi'uts the mask of Xa'ya'lii. I liave not seen the three other masks belonging to the ceremony. The broad band on top of the musk repre sents the head ornament of cedar bark which Xa'ya'la is said to h;ive worn. The four men receive in |>ayment of their dance a blanket eacn from the bridegrIjiii of the house than has heretofore been jfivcn. T\\v houses of the Kwftkiutl form ii squaro, tlie sides of which are I'rom 40 to f the side nearest the sea, which forms tlie front of the house. The latti'r has a gable roof, the ridge of which runs from the front to the rear. The walls consist of boarr they are con- FlK. 7. OROt'Sn I'l.AN OK KWAKIITI. liODSI. nected by a crossbar (B). (Tig. 8.) Sometimes the framework of the door is made of heavy planks. The framework of the house front con- sists of two or three vertical poles (C), about .{ inches in diameter, on each side of the door. They are from 8 to 10 feet apart. Their length diminishes toward the sides of the house according to the inclination of the roof. These poles are connected by long crossbars (K). whi»;h are tied to their outer side with ropes of cedar bark at half the HKCI'IOK OP KWAKIUTI. HOCxB. Sometimes these beams are supported by additional uprights (T'), which stand near the center of the house. The rafters (li^ are laid over these heavy timbers and the beams forming the toi>s of the sides. They are about 8 inches in diameter. Light poles about 3 iiulies thick are laid across the rafters. They rest against the vertiiral poles (C) in the front and rear of the house. After the heavy framework which supports the central part of the roof is erected, a bank about 3 feet in height is raised all around the outlines of the house, its outer side coinciding with the lines where the walls are to be erected. liong, heavy bocards 4 or 5 inches thick are implanted lengthwise along the front of tlie house, their upper edges standing 2A or .'i feet abovi^ the ground. Tlien the earth forming the bank is stamped against them, and thus a T THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 361) platform is inadu riiiiiiiiig along tlie front of tli<> lionso. LatiT on this IH continued all around the lious«>. Tliu framework of tiio front is tiie uoxt to be ureitted. I'lie ]>o1(>h (C) stand in the dirt forming the plat- form. The upper edjjes of the front boards which \v«'re implanted into the );round are (grooved, and in this groove the boards forming; the front wall stand. They are liel ov nailed to the crossbar ( K) and to tho foremost rafter, whi(*h is connected with the framework of the front. The next thin;; to be done is to make the rear wall and the sides. The ffUMuer exactly corresponds to the front, the do«»r only b«'in;; waiitinpf. The boards forming; the side walls are implanted in the p-ound, stand- in^f vertically, their upper ends bein;; tied to the beam formini; the top of the framework. The platform running; alon^ the inner sides of the walls is tlnishctl by stamping tho earth against the side walls. The roof consists of a peculiar kind of boards, which run from the gable to the sides of the house. They lap on their edges like Chinese tiles. This arrangement has the etiect that the rain runs from the roof with- out jjenetrating into the house. The house front is generally linished by cutting the boanls otl* along the roof and by finishing them oil' with a molding. A Way logs are placed in front of the door, forndng steps (T) that lead to the platform. Steps of the same kind lead from the platform to the lloor of tho house. The board forming the inner side of the platform slopes slightly inward. The Iwrnse has no smoke escape, but several of the boards forming the roof can be pushed aside. During tho night these o]>enings are closed, but in the morning one board over every fireplace is ]iushed aside by means of a long pole. As it is necessary to look after the roof from time to time, a stationary ladder is leaned against the side of the house. It consists of one-half of the trunk of a tree 5 L'4 ; p !'! 5 . It '. I _.-iJI I H<: tf • ■! 370 KKPOItr OF NATIONAL MU8KUM, 1R95. arr«iijjemeiit better than any (losrription can do. Honietinn'H those rooms iin^ cnliirtrni by iuldinjj a low cxtouHion t<» tht- house, tli« Moor of which is «hn'atell I'ARVINO RKPKESKNTIXft TIIK 81 SIC!,. Worn ill I'roiit nl' (Ih' HtiiiiiB<'li iiiiil HcciinMl wiOi conlfi iniHsiiin; nroiind tlie waist. LrnKtIi 4'J iii('lie». IV A. Nil. cioul, Hip.v»l Klhn.«rB|ihiinl Miiwiiiii, Bfrlin. ('ollntnl hy F. Ili.iiii. this point the hills of (ialiano Island, KaxaxLa' and We'xoeoa, are seen, which are frequently mentioned in tlie legends of these tribes. The island is divided from Hope Island by the Strait of Oxsa'. I THF. KWAKIIITL INDIANS. 371 Tlir iioiis«>M);(MM'ra]I,v Iiwm' tlio bfuch iiiul nn> luiilt in a row. (See ll^.-tJ, 1>. .HU.) In front ot the town there is » street, whieli is earetnlly leveled, the lower side bein^ supported by an embankment of heavy loffs. From here Hteps lead down to the beaeh, where the eauoes are iyin^;. Oppo- Kig. n. HKTTKK. WITH I'AIIVINII ItKPHKHKNTINO TDK NI'HIIM.. Krotll A nkrlt )| l>y lhi> ntllllnr, site to the houses, on the side of the street towanl the sea, there are |>latforms; summer seats, on whieh the Indians pass intKst of their time, gambling and conversing'. The ])latform rests on a frameworli of poles and on the embankment of the street, as shown in ti^^ L'O. 1 proceed now to a discussion of the <'lan legends. First of all, it is nece.ssary to describe and enumerate a numl)er of supernatural beings who may become the supernatural helpers of man, as they ai)pear over and over again in the clan legends. Itesidesa num- ber of animals, such as wjdves, bears, sea lions, and kilh'r M-hales, which, however, do not play a very important part as l)rotectors of num, we lind principally a num- ber of fabulous monsters whose help was obtained by the ancestors, and who therefore have become the crest of the i itt 12. THF. Hl'Sin,. From n |taintitti; liv n Ku;ikiiill InitUn. clan. Perhaps the most important among tlu'se is the .si'siui.. the fabulous double headed snake, which has one head at each end, a human head in the iMJddh', one horn on ea(!h terminal head, and two (ut the central human head. (Fig. 10.) It has the power to a.ssume the shape of a lish. To eat it and even to touch or to see it is sure death, as all the joints of the unfortunate one become dislocated, the head being turned backward. But to those who enjoy supernatural help it may i 1 1 I i 372 UKI'ORT OF NATIONAL MU8KUM, 1895. Vl^r. 13. MA8K Bei'KRSKNTINO TIIK TH'u'NU(j<)A <«i. No. mi.Mi;, 1 ..s.N.M. IcpllKif.l hv Kr«ii, 'i '\\ bring power; it.s blood, wherever it touclieH the sklii, makes it as hard as stone; its skin used as a belt enables the owner to |)er- form wonderful feats; it may beeonie a eanoe which moves by the motions of the Hi'HiuL tins; its eyes, when used as sling stones, kill even whales. It is essentially the helper uC warriors. I give here a few forms in whieh the si'siuL is represented (tigs. 11, 12. See also, tigs. Um-im, i>p. ."»14, 51 r>, Plate 15'. In tig. 12 only oii'^-hnlf of the si'siuh is shown. The ter- minal head, with its horn laid backward, is plaiidy seen. The upper line be- hind the head designates the body, from which down- ward and tbrward extends one leg, the foot of which is ipiite clear. One of the central horns is shown over the point of attachment of the leg. Another being which figures largely in the clan legends of the Kwiikiutl is the T.sV»'noqoa, a wild woman who resides in the woods. She is repre sented as having enormous breasts and as carry- ing a basket, into whieh she puts children whom she steals in (mler to ea^ them. Her eyes are hollow and shine with a wiUi luster. She is asleep most of the time. Her mouth is pushed forward, as she is, when awake, constantly uttering her cry, "fi, hfi, fi, fi.'' This figure belongs to a great many clan legends, and is often represented on house i)osts or on nuisks (tigs. l.*{, 14). The following tradition describes this spirit quite fully: The first of the L'a'sqV'jiAx lived at XfinX. On the one side of the river lived the clan Wl'sKuts'a. One day the chihlren went across the river to play there. They ma«le a house of fir braiu'hes and playe«l in it. One of the boys went out of the hon.se aiul he discovered a giantess who was approaching the house. Ho told his friends, who came running out of the house. The giantess was chewing gum which was as red as blood. The children wanted to have some of the gum. Then she called them and gave them some. They asked her: "Where do you get your gum?" "Come," she replied^ "y Vdi', I'ic U. IIOUHB l'08T IN MM- TA'.>*1'K RKPKKBKNT ISIl TIIK TsO'NOyilA. Krorii n Kki-U'h l>y the Hiilhur. rr THK KWAKIHTL INDIANS. 373 «' I will i>oint it out to y(»n." Then the children rrept into the basket which she cariied on her back and she went into the woods. She was Ao'xLaax (or'IVo'noijoii). Siio curried them fur into the woods. Then she put the );nin on their eyesund carried them to her house. Hiie wus a eunnibul. Ainon^ the children were two sons of the chief of the Wi'sKnts'a; Lo'pKk-'uxslEliL ' wus the nume of the chief. His wife was liK/wu);'iluyui|oa. Then she cried, and sometimes she would blow her nose and throw the nnwuson the ground. Suddenly she discovered u little boy lyinj; on his buck on the tl(M>r. He hud ori{;inuted from th<> inu<-us of li(;r nose. She took the boy up and curried him into the house, lie jjrew very (juickly; after four days he was (piite stronj;. Then he asked for a bow und two urrows. Now he wus called LE'ndK«ioayuts'K wai.. When he had received his bow and arrows, LK^wag-ilayuqoa asked him not to ^o across the river, but he did so against her re (piest. lie followed the trail which lie found on the other side. He came to a house and entered. There he s;<\ children sitting on thetloor, and a woman named i/o'inik-'axstKliL, who wus rooted to the tloor. The latter spoke: "Don't stay long, Chief ! She is gone after wuter; if she should come bai'k, she will kill you.'* /hen he wenn out anil followed the ♦^vnil. All of u sudden he saw the Ts'o'noioti coming. She curried u iHicket in each hand. The little boycli'nbi'ut my head between two stones." She replied: "Then I will take two stones t«»o." He sent her to fetch two stones and soon she (!ame back carrying them. She put them down. The boy said: "Now lie down on your back." Then the boy put the one stone under her head and told her to shut her eyes. Then he took the other stone and dropped it as hard as he could on her head. Her head was smashed und her l)vains wen^ scattered. She was dead. The boy broke her bones with the stones and threw them into the water. Then he went into her house. As soon as he hud entered, the womun who was r<»oted to the tloor suid: "Now do not stuy long. 1 know thut you huve tried to kill the Ts'o'noQou. It is the fourth time that someijody tried to kill her. She never dies; she has nearly «!ome to life. There in that cov- ered hemlock brant'h (knothole?) is her life, (lo there, and as soon as you see her enter shoot her life. Then she will be d«!ad." She hud liardly tiuished speaking when the Ts'o'noqou cunie in, singing as she walked: I have tho inafjjicnl troasnre, I liuvi ^he Hupcrnatiiral power, I can return to life. That was her song. Then the boy shot at her life. She fell dead to the tloor. Then the boy took her and threw her into the hole in which she 'TliiH ilocH not s<>cni (Hiito cloar. Tho Tianio means: " Ifootcd to the floor," and appeavH farther on as that uf a woniiin living ii| the Ts'o'iioi|oa'8 house. li '1 r m I 374 RKPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. was {foii'ff ^o roast the cliildron. He washed their eyes with urine aiul took tliei ; home to XanX. They were all alive again. Then i,i;':h1e- <|oayats'KwaL went bark to heaven. Of less fretiiient occairrence is the spirit of th esea, (^'n'mrMjoa, the protector of the se.als, who kills hunters. There are a number of tales relating how he took the ancestor of a tribe to the bottom of the sea and gave him his crest. 1 will give here a legend of the elan ( IvvsEui, of the La'i.asiiioaln, which shows how they came into the possession of the (J'o'mo<|oa carving: ()"meaL, the Raven, the ancestor of the clan (I'c'xsEni, had a daugliter named llri'ta