A long and narrow strip of land stretches from Vancouver Island northward
to Alaska. It is bounded on the east by the great mountains, on the west
by the Pacific Ocean. Its coast line is irregular; narrow fiords run far
into the land. The climate is generally temperate, but there is much rain.
Dense forests of pine, cedar, hemlock, and maple cover the mountain
slopes. Many kinds of berries grow there abundantly, supplying food for
man. In the mountain forests are deer, elk, caribou; both black and
grizzly bears are found; wolves are not uncommon. In the remoter mountains
are mountain sheep and mountain goats. Beaver and otter swim in the fresh
waters, while the seal, fur seal, sea-lion, and whale are found in the
sea. In the waters are also many fish, such as halibut, cod, salmon,
herring, and oolachen; shell-fish are abundant.
In this interesting land are many different tribes of Indians, speaking
languages which in some cases are very unlike. Among the more important
tribes or group of tribes, are the Tlingit, Haida, Tshimpshian, and
Kwakiutl. While all these tribes are plainly Indians, there are many
persons among them who are light-skinned and brown-haired. The hair is
also at times quite wavy. The forms are good and the faces pleasing.
But these Indians are not always satisfied with the forms and faces nature
gives them. They have various fashions which change their appearance.
Among these is changing the shape of the head. Formerly the Chinooks,
living near the Columbia River, changed the shape of all the baby boys’
heads. The bones of the head in a little baby are soft and can be pressed
out of shape. As the child grows older, the bones become harder and cannot
be easily altered. The Chinooks made the little head wedge-shaped in a
side view. This was done by a board, which was hinged to the cradle-board,
and brought down upon the little boy’s forehead. It forced the head to
broaden in front and the forehead to slant sharply. After the pressure had
been kept on for some months, the shape of the head was fixed for life.
From the strange shape of their heads thus produced, the Chinooks were
often called “Flat-heads.” On Vancouver Island the head of the Koskimo
baby girl was forced by circular bandages wrapped around it to grow long
and cylindrical.
[Illustration.]