_Lolangkok Sinkyone._--The following notes on the Lolangkok Sinkyone are
taken verbatim from Merriam's notes. The informant was George Burt.
The Lolahnkok did not fight much with other tribes but were
sometimes attacked by the Ch[)e]-teg´-ge-kah of the region north of
Round Valley [Pitch Wailaki]; and they think the Long Valley people
also used to make raids on them to steal women.
Chief Lassik, whose name is often used in a tribal sense,
belonged to the Kittel´ tribe--a tribe reaching from Iaqua south to
Dobbyn Creek [Nongatl].
Chalk Mountain was only a few miles east of the boundary
between the Kittel´ and the Lolahnkok, and the Lolahnkok were
permitted to hunt there.
_Shelter Cove Sinkyone._--Trees are felled by means of elkhorn
chisels called beh-cho, and stone mauls called s[=a]´tah--a very
tedious and laborious operation. When the tree has fallen, the logs
are cut in lengths by the same process. Planks are split off from
these logs by driving the elkhorn wedges into the ends of the logs.
After several planks have been split off, one below the other,
another set is started at right angles to the first.
The dugout canoes are made of redwood logs dug out by means
of the elkhorn chisels. After the greater part of the inside has
been removed, fires are used to char the wood, which is then
scraped away by the chisels. This is continued until the walls of
the dugout are sufficiently thin. The fires are spread out thin in
order not to burn too deeply at any one place.
Buckskin is tanned with deer brains, rubbed on with a stick
rolled in ashes, after which the hide is placed on warm ashes
until dried. It is then soaked and rubbed until soft.
Wild tobacco (_Nicotiana bigelovi_) was always used by the
Bull Creek Sinkyone. It was originally found growing on burned-over
places and the people planted the seeds in ashes, usually on a
burned place.
Buckeye nuts, called lah-s[)e]´, were cooked in a basket with
hot stones after the manner of acorns. They were then mashed and
kneaded into dough, which was buried for a while in fine sand.
Wild Ginger (_Asarum_ sp.) is called tan-nas-bos´. It is good
medicine for pain in the stomach. The leaves are pounded and soaked
in cold water. The sick person drinks plenty of this water and
vomits. After a little while he gets well and is hungry and eats.
A species of _Angelica_ is called s[=o]l. If a girl holds off,
rub s[=o]l on your hands, and if you get a chance rub her neck and
she will give in. S[=o]l is strong medicine.
An aromatic _Umbellifer_ (species not identified) is called
s[=o]l´-che-but-tah´; the root, s[=o]l´-che. It is used for
purification and as a disinfectant. The root is burned and the
smoke wafted around to make the house more plentiful. It does not
grow on Bull Creek or South Fork Eel River but grows on Rainbow
Mountain and some of the other high ridges. The root is highly
prized.
The Spotted Owl (_Strix occidentalis caurina_) is called
kah-ko´. He is a bad bird. If he flies close to a person, the
person will faint.
The Dove (_Zenaidura_) is called bi´-yu. His grandmother was
burned to death. Bi´-yu was asked to gamble and replied, "I'll
gamble every winter; in spring and summer I'll cry." Now we always
hear the Dove cry in summer.
The Red-shafted Flicker (_Colaptes cafer_) is called
mun´-chis-bul. He makes a rattling noise in the spring. He was told
that by doing this he would make the horns of the deer grow. He was
told also that when the deer became fat he would grow fat, but the
people fooled him for he did not grow fat.
The Yellow-bird (_Astragalinus tristis_) is called
sin-sun-s[)e]-gahng-ti-ne tahs´-che, "to take away pain." If the
old folks were suffering, they would get him to sing to take the
pain away.
The Kildeer (_Oxyechus vociferus_) is called ni´-til-yi´-che
from the necklace, ni-tal-yah, on its throat. In the long ago time
the water was very high and rough; big waves were coming in and
the people were afraid to cross in their canoes, so they got the
Kildeer to take them. He was a high person among the Water People
and could handle a boat better than any of the others. The people
talked about him and said he was the best and the only one to get
them across. So he took them across and saved them.
The Coyote (_Canis latrans_), called sh[)u]´-b[)e], and the
Shrewmole (_Neürotrichus_ sp.), called ske´-cho, made the world and
the people. The Coyote had a number of children. The Shrewmole said
that when people died they should come back to live again. Coyote
said, "No, there would be too many people; when they die they had
better stay dead." The Shrewmole agreed. After a while Coyote's
children took sick and died. He wanted them to come back to life,
but the Shrewmole said, "No; you said there would be too many
people and you wanted dead people to stay dead, so your children
cannot come back." Then Coyote cried.
The Raccoon (_Procyon lotor_) is called nah´-ke-gis´-chah.
A long time ago he was a doctor. He was able to talk to persons
suffering severe pains and could draw the pain out. He would dance
and sing and pull out the pains and fall back. One time he took a
flint out of a sick person.
In the olden time the people tried to make the Elk (_Cervus
roosevelti_), called y[=e]s´-cho, out of the Cottontail Rabbit
(_Sylvilagus_ sp.). They put horns on his head and sent him into
the brush, but the horns stuck in the bushes and he could not move.
Then the people called him sti´-che and told him he must always
stay in the brush.
The Bat is called nah´-t[)a]-bahn´-se. He wears a robe of bear
hide over his shoulders. A long time ago when the First People were
at war they wanted the Bat to make peace and they hired him to make
peace. The people told him to fix up good. He did so and said, "I
am the one who can talk big." He sang ho-w[=a]´-nah han´-nah. The
enemy agreed, and peace was made.
Our people have songs for the Elk, Deer, Coon, Otter, Mink,
Bat, and some other animals.
Slugs (_Arion columbianus_) are called nah´-tos. To prepare
[them] for eating, a slender stick is thrust through the head to
hold the animal easily. It is then cut open lengthwise on the belly
and the dark insides removed, after which it is dried. When wanted,
it is roasted in hot ashes and eaten.