Part 10

The Hoil´-kut or Redwood Creek Indians (commonly called Chilula, Hwilkut, or Whilkut) were until recent years one of the dominant Athapaskan tribes of Humboldt County in northwestern California.

Their territory consisted of the whole valley of Redwood Creek and the adjacent mountains from a point on the creek 10 or 12 miles above its mouth to Chaparral Mountain at the head of the creek, and included also the North Fork of Mad River and a short stretch on the north side of the main Mad River between Blue Lake and Korbel.

Their proper tribal name as spoken by themselves is Hoi^{ch}-let´-kah or Ho-[=e]^{ch}-kut-k[)a], usually slurred to Hoil´-kut. They also call themselves Ho-[=e]^{ch}-kut kew-yahn´-ne-ahm, meaning Redwood Acorn eaters.

There are three divisions or subtribes, more or less distinct according to the point of view: Upper Redwood, Lower Redwood, and Blue Lakes or North Fork Mad River Indians. In their own language they are:

1. The Ho-[=e]^{ch}-ke-e´-te (from Ho-[=e]^{ch}-kut, "Redwood", and e´-te, "north"), the Northern or Lower Redwood Indians [Chilula Whilkut], inhabiting the valleys and adjacent slopes of Redwood Creek from its mouth upstream about 12 miles to the Tom Blair Ranch at the junction of Minor Creek--a distance in an air line of about 17.5 miles. Goddard thought this division was the whole tribe and called it Chilula, adopting the term from the Hoopa, Polikla [Yurok], and Nererner [Coast Yurok] Indians, who however apply it in a wider sense to both upper and lower divisions of the Redwood Creek tribe.

2. The Ho-[=e]^{ch}-ki´-e-nok (from Ho-[=e]^{ch}-kut, "Redwood", and e´-nok, "south"), the Upper or Southern Redwoods [Kloki Whilkut], inhabiting the valley of Redwood Creek from Minor Creek (Tom Blair Ranch) up southerly to the head of the river, near Chaparral Mountain--a distance in an air line of nearly 20 miles. They also call themselves 'Klo-ke Ching´-ching-e´-nok, meaning "Prairie place south."

3. The 'Ho^{ch}-tin´-net (or 'Ko-tin´-net), the Blue Lake and North Fork Mad River Indians [North Fork Whilkut], inhabiting the valley of North Fork Mad River from its head to Korbel and Blue Lake, and separated from the other divisions by a continuous lofty ridge 2,000 to 4,000 feet in altitude. At Blue Lake they had a large village called Kaw-cho´-sish-tin-tang.

South of the 'Ho^{ch}-tin´-net are the M[=a]´-we-nok [Mad R. Whilkut], a related Athapaskan tribe inhabiting the valley of Mad River from the junction of North Fork near Korbel, southerly (upstream) to the Algrehn Ranch on Bug Creek--a distance in a straight line of about 21 miles. The 'Ho^{ch}-tin´-net and the M[=a]´-we-nok say that their languages are so similar that either can understand most of the words of the other.

The Hoilkut do not reach the coast, being separated from it by a long mountain ridge, on the west side of which dwell two tribes belonging to widely different linguistic stocks--the Nererner (the southwestern division of the Polikla or Yurok) and the Pahtewaht (the northern division of the Humboldt Bay Soolahteluk [Wiyot]).

The Hoilkut say that the coast tribe they call Teswan (the Nererner) owned the land fronting the ocean from Orick at the mouth of Redwood Creek south to Trinidad and extending up Redwood Creek for ten or twelve miles; and that farther south the Pahtewaht of the coast and lower Mad River owned the country up to Blue Lake--possibly to the mouth of North Fork Mad River--all of which agrees with what I have been told by members of these tribes.

The Hoilkut state that their lowermost (northernmost) villages, Ha-wung´-ah-kut and No-l[)e]´-tin, were ten or twelve miles up from the mouth of the river. Below these they claim no territory. Above, they had twenty-three permanent villages.

The language is uniform throughout Redwood Creek Valley except for one or two slight differences of pronunciation. Thus the first syllable of the tribal name as spoken by the Upper Redwoods is Hoi´^{ch}; by the Lower Redwoods, Ho-[=e]^{ch}.

VILLAGES

Most of the village names in the lists following were recorded by Merriam or Loud; some Chilula and Kloki Whilkut data from Goddard's works are added.

_Mad River Whilkut villages._--All the names in this list were recorded by either Merriam or Loud (1918), respectively designated by (M) and (L). (See map 16.)

1. ti-keo-tchun´-tin (M). Village on the site of present Riverside.

mis-ken[=e]'huten, "bluff-?-place" (L).

The names are quite different but the locations are identical. One of them may be in error.

2. djin[=a]kh[=o]e-ten (L). Name said to refer to a prairie.

3. tolkai'e-ten (L). Name said to refer to shining gravel.

4. dj'[=e]ndj[=e]e-ten, dj'[=e]ndj[=e]-whot (L). Name said to refer to a strong sweep of the wind at that place.

5. me´-kaw^{ch}-ting, me-ke´-aw^{ch}-ting (M). Village at Jim Anderson's place about 3 mi. S of Korbel.

6. [=a]rtes-slandj[=e][=o]lin-tin, "grasshopper-?-place" (L). Village at the mouth of Dry Cr.

7. ka-tahs-lah-ting, 'ke-ah-tahs-lah-ting (M). Village on the S side of Cañon Cr. (in air line about 3.5 mi. S of Korbel).

who'nt[=a], "houses" (L). Village at the mouth of Cañon Cr.

8. whotsdj[=o]t[=a]che-tin (L). Name said to refer to a low prairie. The village is 3 or 4 mi. below Maple Cr., just below Foster Cr. There were three houses there.

9. ts[=a]´-te-tis´-ting (M). Camp on Mad R. at Fala ranch, 10 or 12 mi. S of Korbel. It was a camp for catching eels.

ts[=e]-didis-ten (L). Village about 2 mi. below Maple Cr. There were ten or more houses there.

10. til-chwah-hew'-a-kut, til-tchwa-h[)u]-ut (M). Village on Maple Cr. about 14 mi. (9 in air line) S of Korbel. Large village.

tilch[=e]h[=u]ërkut, dilchërh[=u][=e]rkut (L). Village at the mouth of Maple Cr.

11. hotint[=e]lime (L). Village at the mouth of Black Cr. The name is said to refer to a prairie near by, known as hinukerchenditen.

12. yin[=a]lin[=o]whot (L). Village at the mouth of Boulder Cr. Merriam also lists a village at this place but he does not give its name or other information about it.

13. me´-m[)e]h (M). Village at Three Cabins on Mad R. about 3 mi. above Maple Cr. On Tom Blair's Mad R. place.

14. Village near Mountain View, about 3.5 mi. S of Three Cabins.

15. tseng-nah´-neng-ahl´-ting, tseng-nah´-neng-ah-ten, "rocks across the river" (M). Large village at John Ahlgren's place on or near Bug Cr. [This may be the village site shown in pl. 10, _b_.]

16. ituke-n[=o]le´-tin, "up-waterfall-place" (L). Village on Foster Cr. The same name also given to a prairie half a mile up the creek from its mouth; ituk means "up," also "east."

_Chilula Whilkut villages._--The information on the villages and camps of the Chilula Whilkut comes from Merriam's notes and from Goddard's published material (1914). It appears that Merriam made a systematic effort to check Goddard's material, thereby enhancing the value of their combined work. (See map 15.)

1. ho-wung´-ah-kut (M). In the Bald Hills N of Redwood Cr. Northernmost and lowest village.

x[=o]wûnnakût (G). Village probably situated about a mile E of Redwood Cr. on a small flat S of a ridge along which the Trinidad trail used to run. A small creek a short distance S, entering Redwood Cr. from the E, would have furnished excellent salmon fishing. A depression resembling those characteristic of sweathouses was seen. Tom Hill's oldest brother used to live at this village, which was deserted many years ago, probably because of its nearness to the trail.

2. no-l[)e]h´-ting (M). Village on Redwood Cr. about 12 mi. from the coast. The name means "falls."

n[=o]lediñ, "waterfall place" (G). This former large village remained occupied until 1888, when the Hill family left it and moved to Hoopa V. The site is at the foot of a long glade which slopes toward the creek nearly a half-mile distant. A spring N of the village site supplies water. In the edge of the timber, which approaches the village site within a few yards on the N, are two large redwood trees, hollow, with large openings toward the S. In these trees families used to spend the winter. During our visit in 1906 we spent a rainy afternoon in one of them in which a fire was maintained, the smoke escaping through the high opening in the side.

The village derived its name and perhaps its existence from a hole, or waterfall, a short distance up the stream. The creek bed was formerly choked with huge boulders, causing a fall, which was jumped by the salmon with difficulty. The fishing for both salmon and lamprey eels, carried on with nets below the fall, was excellent. Since the village has been abandoned, several of these boulders have been displaced so a fall of only 3 ft. remains.

3. y[=i]tsinneakûttciñ, "down hill on" (G). Camp site W of n[=o]lediñ, about halfway up the ridge W of Redwood Cr. The Indians from n[=o]lediñ used to camp there to gather the acorns of the tan oak, which are plentiful among the redwood trees.

4. L[=o]tsx[=o]tdawillindiñ, "prairie water flows down place" (G). Summer camp about 1-1/2 mi. E of n[=o]lediñ and 1/2 mi. W of the crest of the ridge. A hollow redwood tree used to be used as a camping place.

5. tcitdeelyediñ, "dancing place" (G). Glade on a ridge running toward the E near a branch of Roach Cr., a tributary of the Klamath. This camp was pointed out from a distance and its exact location is therefore uncertain. The Indians used to go there from n[=o]lediñ in the summer to gather seeds and in the fall for acorns.

6. klo-tshim´-m[)e]y (M). Camp on Redwood Cr. 1 mi. above no-l[)e]h´-ting.

L[=o]tcimme, "small glade in" (G). A former village about a mile upstream from n[=o]lediñ and 75 yds. E of Redwood Cr., where it stood in an opening of about an acre. Obscure depressions like house pits were seen on the N side of the glade near a stream which provided drinking-water. A weir for lamprey eels used to be built in Redwood Cr. near by.

7. ho^{ch}-tahn-ho-lah´-ting (M). On the E side of Redwood Cr. above klo-tshim´-m[)e]y. There is some doubt as to its location.

8. king-keo´-'hli (king-keo´-h[)e]-l[=a]) (M). Summer camp on top of the hill or ridge in Bald Hills about a mile E of Jonathan Lyon's ranch house.

kiñky[=o]lai, "big timber point" (G). Large and important former village situated on the eastern end of a ridge above Jonathan Lyon's ranch house and about a mile E of it. There is timber on the northern slope of the ridge. At the edge of the timber is a spring which supplied the village with water. Besides the sweathouse site, seventeen house pits were counted. This village was the home of the Socktish family, many of whom are now living with the Hupa. The head of the family at the time of the coming of white people was a man of influence and a noted warrior. His name was KiLtcil, "crazy." His wife was a Hupa woman and perhaps for that reason the family moved to Hoopa V.

9. senalmatsdiñ, "stone round place" (G). Summer camp for gathering seeds in the glade on the S side of the main ridge E of kiñky[=o]lai.

10. tesaikut, "projects to water" (G). Camp ground frequented in the fall of the year for gathering tanoak acorns and hunting deer by the Indians living at n[=o]lediñ and kiñky[=o]lai. It is on the NE slope of the ridge W of Tully Cr.

11. king-y[)e]-ke´-ke-ah-mung´-ah (king´-ke-kaw´-mung´-ah) (M). Village on the E side of Redwood Cr. at the mouth of Coyote Cr. a little above ho^{ch}-tahn-ho-lah´-ting, and a little above Lyon's place.

kiñyûkky[=o]mûña, "big timber near" (G). This site was not visited. It is said to be on the N side of Coyote Cr. below a large rock. There are said to be house pits there. Tom Hill said this was the village where the people who lived at kiñky[=o]lai spent the colder months of the winter. It is unlikely that two permanent villages were maintained by the same families. Perhaps the site of kiñky[=o]lai is the more recent and it was formerly only a summer camping place.

12. kitdiLwissakût, "fire drill on" (G). Camp used in the fall for gathering acorns and hunting. Situated near the corner of the Hoopa reservation in a glade sloping toward the S, near a spring.

13. new-wil-tso´-me-ah, "coyote camp" (M). Spring and summer camp on Bald Hills Ridge.

n[=u]wils[=o]lm[=i]ye, "ground in billows under" (G). Summer camping ground near a cold spring at the head of one of the branches of Coyote Cr. The Indians used to come here from n[=o]lediñ.

14. ye-sin´-ning´-i-kut (e-tsin´-ning´-i-kut) (M).

y[=i]sinniñ^{=e=} aikût, "down hill ridge runs on" (G). Site of a former village 1/2 mi. E of Redwood Cr. and about 500 ft. higher than the creek. It is S of the main ridge S of Coyote Cr., at the western edge of a glade near a dry gulch. One pit was found. It is said that Tom Hill's father lived at this village and that it was not occupied at the time the white people came.

15. tsin´-tse-lah´-ting (M). Village below Stoffer's and below ho´-tach-ting.

tsinsilladiñ, "bones lie place" (G). Former village not far from Redwood Cr. on a small flat where the ground shows signs of having slid. Little Henry's family are said to have lived at this village.

16. kittc[=u]namediñ, "its ear swimming place" (G). Summer camp on the W side of the main ridge, about 200 ft. below its junction with the E-W ridge N of Lacks Cr. There is a spring by a Douglas spruce which stands by itself.

17. t[=o]'n-t[)e]-nahn´-ting (t[=o]n-din-nun-ting) (M). Old village on the E side of Redwood Cr. Ned Woodward, who was born here, tells me the village was on a side hill at or very near Stoffer's.

t[=o]ndinûndiñ, "water facing place" (G). Village site on the sloping hillside about 700 yds. E of Redwood Cr. and 400 yds. N of Lacks Cr. Seven house pits were found here. The guide, Dan Hill, did not know of these pits, but located a village of this name considerably nearer Redwood Cr. The Albers place, probably the first settlement in this region, is just S of this village, on a flat between Redwood Cr. and Lacks Cr.

18. tcwûñxaladiñ, "dung stands up place" (G). On the western side of the main ridge near its crest. There is a spring in a small flat.

19. ming´-kah´-te-k[)e]´ (mung-kut´-te-k[)e]) (M). At Fort Camp at the mouth of ho-tah´^{ch}-ting Cr. (Lacks Cr.), between Lyon's and Stoffer's.

miñkûtdekeyimantcintciñ, "lake opposite side" (G). Summer camp among the redwood trees across the creek from Albers' place, opposite the mouth of Lacks Cr.

20. ho-tah´^{ch}-tin´-nek (ho´-nah^{ch}-tin-[)a]-k[)e] or ho-nah^{ch}-t[)e]-n[=a]´-k[)e]h), (M). Large village or summer camp right at Stoffer's on the ridge about a mile above (S of) t[=o]s-kahtch-ting (Cold Spring) and approximately midway between Bair's and Berry's. At Stoffer's, formerly Hooker's, there is a place called koo^{ch}-mit-tah^{ch} or kew^{ch}-mit-tah^{ch}, meaning "between the alders," but it appears to be a place name only.

21. e-nok´-k[)a]-no´-mit-s[)a] (M). Former village on the Howard place.

y[=i]nûkan[=o]mittsediñ, "south door place" (G). Former large and important village, often mentioned in myths and tales by both the Hupa and the Chilula. Pits were found on a flat near the creek about 1/8 mi. SW of the Howard ranch buildings. Other pits were said to have been obliterated near the middle of this flat.

22. tl[=o]^{ch}-t[=i]'k-hah-lah´-ting (M). Camp at an old schoolhouse 1 mi. S of e-nok´-k[)a]-no´-mit-s[)a].

23. h[=o]n-t[)e]^{chl}-m[)e]´ (M). Camp on the E side of Redwood Cr. above Lacks Cr.

x[=o]nteLme, "flat in" (G). Former village situated on a large flat on the E side of Redwood Cr. The village is said to have stood where the farm buildings formerly belonging to Beaver are located. Because this flat had been cultivated a long time no pits were visible.

24. klo-ch[)e]-k[=a] (M). Village on the E side of Redwood Cr.

L[=o]tceke (G). Village which stood midway in a flat on the E side of Redwood Cr. near the stream. House pits were seen on the W side of the wagon road.

25. klitch´-hoo-[)e]-nah´^{ch}-ting ('hlit-choo-[=a]-nah^{ch}-ten; sit-choo-[)e]-nah^{ch}-ting) (M). Former village about 3 mi. above Beaver's on the W side of Redwood Cr. above Lacks Cr.

Littc[=u][w=]innau[w=]diñ, "dust flies place" (G). Site of a former village on a long flat on the W side of the creek. It is surrounded by timber, but receives the sun from the S. Little Henry was living on the E side of the creek at the time, and said it was his father's home.

26. ki´-loo^{ch}-tah^{ch}-ting (M). Camp on the E side of Redwood Cr. about 1 mi. or less S of klitch'-hoo-[)e]-nah´^{ch}-ting, but on the opposite bank.

kail[=u][w=]ta'diñ, "willows among place" (G). Said to have been a large village on a small flat about 1/4 mi. S of the last mentioned village. There were indications of 3 or 4 house pits. Molasses' wife said there was once a round dance house in this village, probably the same type as in the Upper Redwood and Mad River country.

27. kuff-keo´-m[)e] (M). Camp on the W side of Redwood Cr. across from k[=i]'-loo^{ch}-tah^{ch}-ting.

28. kail[=u][w=]tceñeLdiñ, "willows project place" (G). Former village, which stood at the northern end of a long flat. Two plain house pits, one of them containing stone implements, were seen.

29. sik´-king´-choo-ma-tah´^{ch}-ting (M). Given as about 2 mi. below Tom Bair's place on the E side of Redwood Cr. Merriam says he could not find anyone who knew of it.

sikkiñtcwûñmitta'diñ (G). Village occupied in 1914. At the time of Goddard's visit, it was the home of Tom, a famous blind medicine man.

30. h[=o]s-t[)a]´-ch[)e]-m[)e] (M). Village or camp on the W side of Redwood Cr. about 2 mi. above k[=i]´-loo^{ch}-tah^{ch}-ting.

31. ke´-nah´-hung-tah´^{ch}-ting (M). Former big village on the E side of Redwood Cr. just below Minor Cr.

kinnax[=o]nta'diñ, "Yurok village place" (G). Important former village on a flat bordering Redwood Cr. on the E, about 1/4 mi. N of Tom Bair's ranch house. Four shallow pits were found. A fight with the volunteer soldiers occurred at this village, in which one Indian was killed.

32. ke-tan-nah´-tah^{ch}-ting (M). Former village on the site of Tom Bair's place.

33. ho-un´-kut (M). Former village on the W side of Redwood Cr. about 1/2 mi. from ke-tan-nah´-tah^{ch}-ting but on the opposite side of the creek. The name is nearly the same as that of the lowermost village of the tribelet.

34. tah^{ch}-ch[=a]-nahl´-ting (M). Large village on the E side of Redwood Cr. just below Tom Bair's, near the big barn and sheep corral.

35. tahs-ung´-ch[=a]-kut (tah^{ch}-sahn-che-ting) (M). Former village about 200 yds. above tah^{ch}-ch[=a]-nahl´-ting on the E side of the creek.

There are also a number of villages for which the locations are uncertain. The following names are from Merriam's notes, and the villages are situated on or near the Bald Hills Ridge between villages 9 and 16.

tahnch-wing-es-hon-ting.

kahtch-wahn-to-ting. Summer camp.

ke-wah´-ahn-tis-ting. Camp on the ridge at the line fence between Lyon's and Stoffer's ranches.

tos-kahtch´-ting. Camp on the ridge at Cold Spring 1/2 mi. above ke-wah´-ahn-tis-ting.

tah^{ch}mah-no-ah´-ting. Summer camp on Bald Hills Ridge.

One more village is given by both Merriam and Goddard, transcribed dah´-sun´-chah-kut by the former and dasûntcakût by the latter. They both say that it was supposed to have been near village no. 31. Goddard thinks that it was a separate name for a part of village 31 "as is customary in this region."

_Kloki Whilkut villages._--Most of the information on this group comes from Merriam's notes. Goddard's account of the Chilula Indians of Northeastern California (1914_a_) goes only as far as the first two villages, which he maintains are part of the Lower Redwood group. Merriam claims they belong to the Upper Redwood group. I have accepted Merriam's version and these groups are rearranged on the basis of his information. Goddard's Chilula Texts (1914_b_) mentions a few villages of this group but no locations are given, so they have not been included. (See maps 15 and 16.)

36. mis´-m[)e]h (M). Former village on the E side of Redwood Cr. 1-1/2 mi. below kah´-kus-tah^{ch}-ting.

misme, "slide in" (G). Former village situated near the creek on the E side. Many Indians were killed here by the white people. Perhaps that is why this village was not mentioned by some of the informants.

37. kah´-kus-tah^{ch}-ting (M). Former village on Redwood Cr. at the junction of Sweathouse Cr., whose name it bears. About 2 mi. below Berry Bridge.

kaxûsta'diñ, "Philadelphus among place" (G). Former village of importance on a flat of about 2 ac., near the creek level on the E side. Four house pits were found on the N side of the flat and four others in a row about midway of the flat. Two other pits, one of them near the creek, were probably sweathouses. The flat is called "Sweathouse Flat" by white people. This village is considered by the Hupa the last of the villages of the x[=o]ilkûty[=i]dexoi, or Chilula. It was the last toward the S from which Indians were allowed to witness the Hupa dances. The Chilula also seem to accept this as their boundary.

38. t'chil-kahn´-ting (t'ch^{[-l]}-kahn´-ting; chis-kahn´-ting) (M). Village on the E side of Redwood Cr. just under the Berry ranch and about 1/4 mi. below the old covered bridge near Berry's. The village is now moved to a higher point on the high slope 1/2 mi. farther S.

39. e-nuk´-k[)a]-cheng´-tish-ting (M). Former village where the Berry ranch house now stands, on the high ground E of Redwood Cr. Bridge.

40. es-tish´-chem´-m[)e]h (M). Former village on the E side of Redwood Cr. about 4 mi. above Berry Bridge.

41. tsin´-tes-'ki´-m[)e]h (M). Village on the E side of Redwood Cr. a little below mes-t[)a]-tim´-teng.

42. mes-t[)a]-tim´-teng (M). Former village on the E side of Redwood Cr. above es-tish´-chem´-m[)e]h.

43. tah-nah´-nah-kut (M). Village on the E side back from the creek and above mes-t[)a]-tim´-teng.

44. chim-mah´-non´-ah-kut (M). Former village on the E side of Redwood Cr. at Bonny Cragan's ranch.

45. ni´-is-'kwahl´-l[)a]-kut (M). Former village at the head of Redwood Cr. The last and southernmost village of the group. A view of the territory here is shown in pl. 10, _d_.

Merriam lists for this group five other villages, which could not be located. Presumably they are in correct sequence between village no. 44 and village no. 45.

ts[=a]´-nah-ti´-[)a]-kut. Village on the E side of Redwood Cr. far up, near Chaparral Mt.

'klesh-mah´-kut. Former village on the ridge on the E side of Redwood Cr.