[1] A. L. Kroeber, “Religion of the Indians of California,” present
series, IV, 331, 1907.
[2] This is the site of an old Eastern Pomo village and is situated in
the foot-hills about two miles northeast of the town of Upper Lake. It
is located on the western slope of a hill and overlooks the lake.
[3] Identity unknown, and common Indian name not recorded.
[4] This name in the Northern dialect is _būta baōm_, and in the
Central dialect is _bitaka yalō djak_, literally grizzly bear between
the legs flew. The Northern people say that the name of the bird
previous to the accomplishment of this feat was _mābasōmsō_. In
speaking of this bird one Northern informant stated that when the first
people were transformed into birds this man was wearing a very large
head-dress. This accounts for the fact that the bird now carries a
large topknot.
[5] In very early times it is said that a string of four hundred beads
was worth an amount about equal to two and one-half dollars. Later,
after the introduction of the pump-drill, this value dropped to one
dollar. On the basis of modern valuations of such skins, and under the
higher rating of beads, this hide would have been worth 12,000 beads.
[6] In giving the account the informant stated that while making their
ceremonial attire the two worked entirely at night, as was always done
by Indian bear doctors later, and then only upon perfectly dark nights,
when the moon was not shining or when it was obscured by clouds. In
case the moon suddenly emerged from behind a cloud they immediately
ceased their work. This was made necessary by the fact that many
hunters were abroad at night.
[7] Another informant told of a marvelous journey said to have been
made by his grandmother while the family resided many years ago in
Eight-mile Valley. She went during one night to Healdsburg, Sebastopol,
Bodega Bay, and Big River, thence returning to her home, covering in
those few hours about two hundred miles.
[8] The bringing of beads as a death offering from one village to
another, or from one political group of people to another, is called
_kal kubek_, while such an offering taken to the home of the family of
the deceased by relatives in the same village is called _kal banek_.
[9] This stretcher is called _kaitsak_, and consists of two side poles
with short cross-pieces bound to them in such a manner as to resemble a
ladder. It was used in early times for carrying the wounded or the dead
back to the village. A corpse was bound to it by a binding of grapevine
and the two ends of the stretcher rested upon the shoulders of the
bearers.
[10] They were making a _bīcē gō_; i.e., setting snares in the brush
without making a brush fence. The fence with snares is called _bīcē
warī_.
[11] This pond, which is said to furnish the only water on this great
mountain, was called _ka kapa_, and is said to be one of a very few
ponds apparently without a spring, and called _ka dabō_, which are
supposed to have been made in prehistoric times by bears as resting
places for themselves. This pond is nowadays almost never visited by
any one except hunters who have lost their way.
[12] This loss of magic power and their consequent capture was
explained as a supernatural penalty for their attempt to kill more than
four victims in any one year.
[13] One informant ascribed the source of Pomo bear doctor knowledge to
the Lake Miwok, to the south. This opinion, of course, conflicts with
the preceding origin tale.
[14] The bear doctor was known to the Pomo as _gauk būrakal_, “human
bear.” _Būrakal_ specifically denotes the grizzly bear. The brown or
cinnamon bear is _līma_, but black individuals, which we reckon as of
the same species, were called _cīyō būrakal_, “black grizzly bears,” by
the Pomo.
[15] It would appear that restriction depended rather upon co-residence
than blood kinship. The extent to which the taboo might accordingly
affect a bear doctor’s activities will be realized when we reflect that
it was customary for several related families to reside in one house,
each family having its own door and each two families a separate fire.
In the center of the house was the common baking pit.
[16] Usually, however, a person caught in this way was used as a “head
rest” and servant, it is said, and received no instruction whatever.
[17] Another informant gave as these chief spirits sun-man,
mountain-man, wind-man, night-man, water-man, and valley-man, though
not stating that they were considered in this order.
[18] So far as could be ascertained, they formed no organized society,
and never met as a body.
[19] Kroeber, _loc. cit._
[20] This comparison is based on manuscript data of Dr. Kroeber
concerning the Yuki.
Transcriber's notes:
The following is a list of changes made to the original.
The first line is the original line, the second the corrected one.
to his excuses, he uusally brought home some game or berries.
to his excuses, he usually brought home some game or berries.
This conisted of two layers of rods obtained from the snowdrop
This consisted of two layers of rods obtained from the snowdrop
from the original group to the singers opposite side.
from the original group to the singer’s opposite side.