Part 47
[601] The shaman treats this iron just as he would a whale. Compare Memoirs Jesup North Pacific Expedition, volume V, part 1, page 139. It is said to have been part of some vessel.
[602] Masset inlet was called simply the Inlet as being preeminent and the people there were called Inlet people. At the same time this latter expression was so extended as to cover all the Haida of the northern coast of Graham island; all of those in short who are now known as Masset people.
[603] Haida, Xᴀldā′ñg̣ats, one of the leading Raven families of Ninstints.
[604] The man appointed to go with him.
[605] Raven’s son; see the story of Raven traveling.
[606] Said to be Tsimshian words.
[607] Haida, Tꜝanū′; but known to the whites as Old Kloo. The “old” is used to distinguish it from a place in Cumshewa inlet, where the Kloo people settled for a while before moving on to Skidegate.
[608] See the story of “How Shining-heavens caused himself to be born.”
[609] At the western end of Louise island. The three towns were Cumshewa, Skedans, and Old Kloo.
[610] He was a shaman belonging to the Witch people of Cumshewa. There was much sickness at that time, probably the smallpox, but all who stayed with him were well. “A rival Tlingit shaman once threw a tree on him, but he was uninjured.”
[611] See above.
[612] Meaning, perhaps, “Rocks.” It is an islet north of Hot Spring island.
[613] The word used for “grandchild” applies to descendants generally, and elsewhere this spirit is spoken of as the Moon’s son.
[614] Chief of Skedans. He is talking to the spirit.
[615] The words are in Tsimshian.
[616] This song was Tsimshian, but no words accompanied it.
[617] See preceding story, note 4.
[618] Really he only fell in a faint or a fit.
[619] A shaman among the Land-otter people. The word is evidently Tlingit.
[620] See story of Raven traveling.
[621] Lā′nas- = “town” or “village”: kꜝīsqꜝe-ū′ = “upper or smaller part of stomach.” This is one of the creatures that were supposed to bring wealth to the one who possessed himself of them.
[622] See the story of Big-tail.
[623] The word used is one applied to descendants generally.
[624] See the story of Cloud-watcher.
[625] A good dancer, whose name is probably compounded from dī′lᴀ, the word for Sand-hill crane; see the story of He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side.
[626] This is an attempt to reproduce the sounds used in this song, which is very likely Tsimshian.
[627] The ruling family at Tcꜝā′ał, the principal west coast town.
[628] See the story of A-slender-one-who-was-given-away, note 6.
[629] That is, before the spirit over the town.
[630] It would be interesting if we could trace the word Bᴀlê′la to its origin, for it was certainly connected in some way with the first appearance of white people in northern British Columbia and with the first efforts of Christian missionaries. Bī′nĭ evidently = Peni, from ni “mind,” a Carrier Indian, who, immediately after the appearance of the first Catholic missionaries, claimed remarkable supernatural powers and started a kind of sporadic cult which spread throughout much of the northern part of British Columbia. (See Morice, Hist. of the N. Interior of Brit. Col., p. 235.) At Masset I discovered that certain songs there had been obtained, or were supposed to have been obtained, from a Jesuit missionary on the Skeena. The Christian influences apparent in this story evidently emanated from the same source, as Bᴀlê′la’s and Bī′ni’s songs are all said to have been revealed at a place up the Skeena river at the same time and to have spread from there.
[631] Evidently Bᴀlê′la is landing like a white man.
[632] Haida name for the white people.
[633] Supposed to resemble the songs or cries of white people. When they sang the shaman made a motion as if waving his hat, and all followed suit. This has very much the appearance of an imitation of a hearty Yankee or British cheer. The Haida themselves assert that it happened before any whites were seen.
[634] A little lodge or tent of canoe sails.
[635] He is now dressed like a white man.
[636] The story-teller said, “like a bicycle.”
[637] This sentence is obscure, referring to an adventure of which I have no clue.
[638] One of the shamans spoken of in the last story.
[639] Wu′ltcꜝixaiya, the moon’s son, thus seems to have been identified with the Christian deity.
[640] A level spot back of the town.
[641] A hill south of Rose spit.
[642] The present Haida name.
[643] Aythya americana, Eyt. So identified by the story-teller himself in the museum at Victoria. Haida, qadjî′ñ-g̣ᴀl-g̣a′ksʟa-i.
[644] Inserted between the layers of cedar bark to be lined for roofing.
[645] Of the kind called skiä′msm; see the story of A-slender-one-who-was-given-away, note 1.
[646] Said to be similar to the next piece mentioned.
[647] According to a Masset version Those-born-at-House-point were driven from the town.
[648] One of the villages near Cape Ball.
[649] This was a portent of the destruction of the town mentioned below.
[650] The words are used for ditches or stream beds running through level ground, or when some upright object falls over.
[651] People of Masset inlet.
[652] Or rather the place where trees have been burned off.
[653] That is, Cape Ball’s.
[654] Not far south of Rose spit.
[655] Tow is an English spelling of the Haida name Tao. Whether the same or not, it is identical in form with the word which means “grease.”
[656] The Haida expression is “upward,” which means toward the Stikine country.
[657] See “Story of the Food-giving-town people,” and notes.
[658] At Skotsgai bay, near Skidegate; compare the story of Sacred-one-standing-and-moving, note 1.
[659] Probably intended in a reverse sense.
[660] He was also called Sîns-nᴀñ-qꜝā′-igiaos, “He-who-chews-the-days,” because that was all that he had to live on during his fast and wanderings. He belonged to the Seaward-sqoā′ładas; his father to the Sealion-town people.
[661] Into the woods.
[662] The words for leaf and medicine are identical.
[663] A mountain.
[664] Djū′tcꜝîtga. A song comes into this story somewhere the words of which were given me by the last survivor of the Seaward-sqoā′ładas. They are as follows: Gᴀm dī dā qê′ñg̣ᴀñga, “You do not see me” [because I am too great to be seen]. Probably this was Djū′tcꜝîtga’s song, heard before or at the time when Gasî′na-ᴀ′ndju was taken into his house.
[665] This condition was usually supposed to be brought about by the sight of a menstruant woman.
[666] The Haida name for this stick was Wī′dᴀwit, which appears to be a duplication of wit, the word for russet-backed thrush.
[667] Compare the story of Sounding-gambling-sticks, notes 7 and 8.
[668] That is, he had Coming-out-ten-times, Sticking-into-the-clouds, and his djîl left. For a further explanation of this game see story of Sounding-gambling-sticks.
[669] That is, the transparent being did.
[670] The djîl, which was the one desired, had few or no marks upon it.
[671] And he was a member of the above family, an Eagle family on the west coast.
[672] In this case “brothers-in-law” is synonymous with the entire family of his wife.
[673] According to the stories a person who lived entirely upon greasy food came to be afflicted with mental lassitude; see the story of A-slender-one-who-was-given-away.
[674] First the western entrance of Skidegate channel (G̣a′oia) is referred to, then the channel proper which was called Kꜝē′djîs, a word applied to the stomach and intestines of an animal or man.
[675] Close to Lawn hill.
[676] These are two rocks near the steamer entrance to Skidegate inlet.
[677] The word used here, I′ʟꜝxagidas, is applied to a house chief and is almost synonymous with “rich man,” there being no caste limitations to prevent one from becoming a house chief.
[678] There were several Haida towns so named. This stood near Hewlett bay, on the northwest coast of Moresby island.
[679] Given at length the name means “putting rocks into fire to steam food.” He was chief of the town of Kaisun before the Sealion-town people came there.
[680] By destroying his kelp line he cut off their only source of food supply, and, as a result, the fort was destroyed.
[681] All except one man, who was found there by the Sealion-town people on their arrival, and of whose strange actions and unusual abilities many stories were told.
[682] A similar story occurs in my Masset series where the old woman was used as a kind of bugaboo to frighten children. The same was probably the case at Skidegate.
[683] Hā′maiya, the Haida word employed here, is one used to indicate very great terror.
[684] This was the usual picnicking place of Kaisun children.
[685] The Haida word, Î′ldjao, used here is said to have a similar meaning to “gentleman” and “lady” in English.
[686] Perhaps another playground. The last syllable, qꜝēt, means “strait.”
[687] Or, more at length, “that is probably it.” Haida, Ūdjiga′-i.
[688] That is, he did not lose his senses, as usually happened when one was carried off by a land otter.
[689] A burl cut out of the side of a tree and used as a ball.
[690] Probably a word made up for the occasion.
[691] As all girls were compelled to do at puberty.
[692] Old pieces of cedar bark thrown away while making mats.
[693] Although snow continued to pile up, by rubbing their feather on the house fronts they kept these clear.
[694] This name Sîns-kꜝū′da is a little uncertain. The being referred to may have been identical with Power-of-the-shining-heavens.
[695] A mainland animal, said to resemble a mink.
[696] That is, she thought she did so, but in reality she took out her daughter’s.
[697] I am not quite certain of the correctness of this translation of sqēnā′wasʟīa.
[698] The word indicates a rich man or house chief.
[699] That is, “Merely pretend to eat it.”
[700] Making a noise as if she were killing the frogs.
[701] A town near Metlakahtla prominent in story.
[702] A mountain on the south side of Nass inlet.
[703] This is a passage into Nass river.
[704] Isnē′g̣ał is the name of a mountain.
[705] That is, it was excavated beneath and the earth held back by rows of retaining timbers.
[706] Inserted at the instance of my interpreter.
[707] See the story of “Raven traveling,” notes 20 and 21.
[708] So łgī′yutsin was translated to me, though this is not the mouse usually spoken of in the stories, which is Keen’s mouse.
[709] Identified by Doctor Newcombe as Putorius haidarum, Preble.
[710] To find a good day for hunting.
[711] The unfaithfulness of a hunter’s wife would cause him to have poor luck or even bring about his death. Such was the case also in war.
[712] This word for grouse is a general one. The sooty grouse or “blue grouse,” however, is said to have been called łkꜝî′ng̣a sqa′owa-i, “wood grouse.”
[713] Townsend’s Sparrow (Passerella iliaca unalaschcensis, Gmel.).
[714] Perhaps the Red-winged Black Bird (Agelaius phœniceus, Linn.).
[715] See the story “How Shining-heavens caused himself to be born.”
[716] This bird was caught like the wā′sg̣o, in the story of Sacred-one-standing-and-moving.
[717] All the spirits in the woods, be they quadrupeds, birds, or the spirits of trees, sticks, and stones.
[718] A mountain on the south side of Nass inlet.
[719] That was why he lost.
[720] Brothers-in-law, brothers, and uncles are to be understood as applying to large bodies of men who are members of the same or of the opposite clan.
[721] See the story of He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side, note 4.
[722] The Western Robin (Merula migratoria propinqua, Ridgw.).
[723] A common metaphor.
[724] Although restoration to life is common enough, restoration to youth is spoken of nowhere else in the stories I have collected.
[725] Tcꜝa′ogus, the word used here, is identical with “Stick Indians” of the Chinook jargon and is applied to all interior Indians, such as the Athapascan tribes and the interior Salish. In this case it would refer either to the Athapascans or to the Kitksan of the upper Skeena.
[726] Both parties were so ashamed that no fight resulted and no blood money was exacted.
[727] But according to Wī′nats (see below) he and his mother continued to remain in the town. Possibly Jackson would have finished the myth like “How something pulled a row of eagles into the water” and “Story of one who saw an eagle town.”
[728] Old words are used here.
[729] According to Jackson it was this girl’s mother who left it.
[730] Said to be a small mouselike animal always running about on the rocks. Children call them sʟgu, the usual term for “land otter.”
[731] On this coast the north winds bring clear, cold weather, but often high seas, while the southeast wind brings wet weather. Fine weather to a Haida’s mind depends not so much on clear skies as on smooth water.
[732] Repeated over and over to a crying baby. The point is in a play upon two Haida words.
[733] The word used here, Tcꜝa′tcꜝagusga-i, is the story name of this sparrow; the common name is tcꜝa′tcꜝa. See the story of He-who-was-born-from-his-mother’s-side, note 5.
[734] The grizzly bear appears in this story because it was a great bugaboo to children. To quiet a crying child they said to it: “The grizzly bear might get after you.”
[735] The meaning of these words, if they have any, is unknown.
[736] These birds always lay their eggs among the salmon-berry bushes and the ferns.
[737] The Haida name means literally “Strait-country.”
[738] See “Story of the House-point families,” note 15.
[739] See the above story.
[740] The Haida sentence conveys the idea that they caused themselves to grow up for no other purpose than to make this war upon the Tlingit.
[741] A camping place about halfway between Tcꜝā′ał and Kaisun.
[742] A stream 2 miles north of Telel.
[743] Another creek. I do not know the location.
[744] One of the purificatory war regulations was to drink a great deal of salt water and then take fresh water after it, when the whole would be ejected. The same thing was done at other times.
[745] That is, they thought that the use of sea water was more in conformity with the regulations.
[746] The shaman. Each war party was provided with one.
[747] The war cry raised when rushing upon the enemy, like the Dakota Añhē′.
[748] Because they had not yet met an enemy or taken a slave, and therefore had no right to break the fast regulations.
[749] The Haida word for this place, Î′ngilin, looks as though intended for “English.” The principal Hudson Bay Company post of this district was there.
[750] An Eagle family at Masset. It was formerly regarded as one of low rank, but the head of that family is now chief of Masset.
[751] So called from the name of their old town on Skidegate inlet. This is not a family name, the members of this expedition belonging to the Gîtî′ns.
[752] The people of Skidegate, when they had an opportunity, were wont to intercept West Coast war parties on their return through the channel and take their slaves away from them.
[753] A camping place on Maude island.
[754] See the story of “Sacred-one-standing-and-moving, Stone-ribs, and Upward,” note 31.
[755] Or people of G̣ᴀ′ñxet, a point near Cape St. James. These people comprised the Xā′gi-town people, Sand-town people, Xᴀldā′ñgats, Sa′ki-qe′ig̣awa-i, G̣ᴀ′ñxetqe′ig̣awai, and some minor divisions.
[756] In Haida the third person plural is here used as is often the case where the first person would be used in English.
[757] This name is said to be applied to the Bella Coola by the Tsimshian. Perhaps the inlet so called included Milbank sound, Seaforth channel, and Dean inlet.
[758] Perhaps this name means “floating.”
[759] The word seems to mean “precious” or “valuable.”
[760] The landing party found itself unable to withdraw without great danger.
[761] See the story of “Sacred-one-standing-and-moving, Stone-ribs, and Upward,” note 23.
[762] The usual word applied to the east coast of the Queen Charlotte islands means “The coast where canoes can land easily.”
[763] A camping place about 1½ miles from Tcꜝā′ał.
[764] Probably means “Canoe-going-about.”
[765] The one who was saved.
[766] A shaman might not touch his hair with his fingers, and in consequence it became long and matted.
[767] The supernatural power that presided over slaughter and made his presence known at a time when it was about to take place. See Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History, v, pt. 1, p. 31.
[768] Compare the preceding story.
[769] A being who appeared to persons that were about to be enslaved.
[770] Since his grandmother belonged to one of these families or to a closely related family they let her people alone.
[771] See the story of “A raid on the Tlingit,” notes.
[772] That is, members of her family in the Kaigani country.
[773] A town on the northwest coast of Graham island formerly owned by the Sand-town people and later probably by a branch of the Rear-town people. Richard pronounced the name Tꜝī′x̣ī.
[774] The two persons just referred to as having remained at Kꜝiū′stᴀ.
[775] See the story of “Sacred-one-standing-and-moving, Stone-ribs, and Upward,” note 31.
[776] A creek on Graham island, running into the channel between it and Moresby.
[777] To the souls of those who had been slain.
[778] The Tlingit equivalent of Dī′lᴀ, “sand-hill crane”.
[779] An exclamation indicating extreme terror.
[780] The chief at Sitka. He was really named Katlian.
[781] Rocks were filled in between two walls of timber.
[782] That is, the white people; in this case, the Russians.
[783] This must have been a camping place, as I have never heard of a regular town that was so called.
[784] A prominent Eagle family among the Kaigani. They were named from their old town of Tcꜝā′ał on North island. After the emigration to Alaska they owned the town of Howkan.
[785] In Haida spoken of as rum (“lam”).
[786] His full name was Nᴀñ-gut-sa′nʟ̣ans tcî′ng̣a, “One-upon-whom-there-is-daylight,” but it is usually given in a shortened form as Nᴀñ-gut-tcî′ng̣a, and, since this is much less awkward, I have retained it throughout the story.
[787] See the story of “Wars between the Stikine and Sitka Tlingit,” note 5.
[788] A chief, and probably head chief, of the Town-of-Tcꜝā′ał people.
[789] To put his rival, who had not so many, to shame.
[790] See story of the Food-giving-town people, note 3.
[791] See the above story, note 8.
[792] The four subdivisions of the Middle-town people.
[793] Evidently, the respective chiefs. At any rate, Qołgî′t was chief of the Earth-eaters. His name was also supposed to be that of a shaman among the Land-otter people. Far-away (ʟdjîñ) is the same name as that which is applied to the Kwakiutl and their neighbors.
[794] Tallow or grease was put on before the face paintings were applied.
[795] So I understand this sentence. It is so abbreviated as to be obscure.
[796] The word used here, Laqꜝalā′m, is properly applied to the tongue of land running out to the modern Indian town.
[797] Meaning the people of all the families of Tcꜝā′ał.
[798] See “Story of the Food-giving-town people,” note 27.
[799] The Buffel duck (Charitonetta albeola, Linnæus).
[800] The head chief at Port Simpson.
[801] The Hudson Bay Company’s stockaded inclosure.
[802] Those who had come to procure blood compensation for Lgiäx’s nephew.
[803] The last camping place before heading for the Queen Charlotte islands.
[804] See “Story of the House-point families,” notes.
[805] This was one of the names of the chief of the Seaward-sqoā′ładas.
[806] Given by Professor Boas, from Tsimshian sources, as Gyina angyī′ek, “people of the mosquito place.”
[807] See “Story of the Food-giving-town people,” note 5.
[808] One of the subdivisions of the Gîtî′ns of Skidegate. So called from a house that they once owned which the chief did not have property enough to replace until it rotted very badly. There were several of these people at Masset.
[809] A long island south of Port Simpson.
[810] That is, the white people.
[811] These were the Skîtg̣a′oqao, the Middle-gîtî′ns, the Gîtî′ns of Ya′gun river, the Inlet-rear-town people (G̣ao-sʟꜝan-lnaga′-i), and the Point-town people.
[812] In Metlakahtla harbor.
[813] A creek into which very many sockeye salmon run.
[814] Written by the whites Kasaan, the northernmost Haida town, situate on the east coast of Prince of Wales island.
[815] See “Story of the Food-giving-town people,” note 4.
[816] A narrow passage near the entrance of Nass inlet.
[817] An important subdivision of the Stᴀ′stas family living at this time mainly at Gᴀsa′n.
[818] The largest Haida town in Alaska, owned by the Town-of-Tcꜝā′ał people.
[819] See the preceding story, note 2.
[820] A Raven family of considerable importance which formerly lived between Rennell sound and Hippa island. They afterward moved to Tcꜝā′ał, and from there into Skidegate.
[821] A Raven family at Masset. Formerly they lived near Hippa island.
[822] One of the chief Haida towns in ancient times. It stood on the north coast of Graham island, opposite North island, and was owned by the Stᴀ′stas, an Eagle family of great importance. The name is thought to signify “where the trail comes out.”
[823] The principal town on the west coast of Graham island. It stood just south of Port Lewis and was owned by the West-coast-rear-town people. The name is thought to mean “slaughter village.”
[824] An Eagle family that is supposed to be a branch of the Tcēts-gîtᴀna′-i. Their town was, as stated, Qᴀñ, which has a beautiful situation and a fine harbor just inside the mouth of Naden harbor.
[825] The circumstances of his death are not related.
[826] See the story of “A raid on the Tlingit,” note 14.
[827] See the notes to the above story.
[828] The Masset people did not mention any family under this name, but the Sagui′gîtᴀna′-i (Up-inlet-gîtî′ns) are probably intended. They once had a town at the mouth of Yagun river.
[829] More often “are troubled about” is expressed by the word gutxîsg̣alᴀ′ñg̣an, different from that used here, which is ñaigu′lgᴀn.
[830] The speaker affects not to have known that the town in which he has been fighting is that belonging to his father’s people. He goes up into the forest by the war trail—that is, fighting—and comes out upon the feather trail—that is, in peace.
[831] When peace was made one man from each side was generally taken up and borne around upon the shoulders of his opponents. He was called the “deer.” The order seems to have been somewhat different in this case, two men being taken from only one side. It was evidently considered that only that family had a grievance.
[832] A synonym for Ya′gun-gîtᴀna′-i.
[833] The bargaining is broken off at this point by the coming of the Middle-gîtî′ns, and is resumed later when the Cod-people gave six slaves.
[834] It will be remembered that the trouble was started by a man of the Middle-gîtî′ns shooting one of the Cod-people in the arm.
[835] The Gîtî′ns of Masset, as the name might imply, seems to have been the largest Eagle family. There were two principal divisions of this—the Mamᴀn-river-gîtî′ns and the River-Sqadjî′ns-gîtî′ns, named from streams flowing into the head of Masset inlet, on which they camped.
[836] Or Eggs-of-Skî′tg̣ao. This was the leading Raven family in Masset, and formerly they owned that town.
[837] He and his friends, the Eagles, assigned work to the opposite clan, the Ravens. A man’s opposites always took care of his funeral.
[838] A stream, still so named in the charts, which flows into the upper expansion of Masset inlet from the west.
[839] The companion of the man who had been shot, or possibly the man himself had merely been injured.
[840] Descent being counted through the mother, sons were bound to their mothers by closer social ties than were husbands to wives.