The following notes are from information given me by Sam Lopez and wife
and Lopez' father at the Mouth of Smith River, Del Norte County, Sept.
16-17, 1923.
_Name._--The tribe as a whole had no distinctive name for themselves
except Huss, the word for people. But they had definite names for
village areas. Those living at the mouth of Smith River call themselves
Hah´-wun-kwut; those at Burnt Ranch, about three miles south of
the mouth of Smith River, Yahnk´-tah-kut; those at Crescent City
Tah-ah´-ten--and so on.
_Location, boundaries, and neighbors._--The territory of the tribe
as a whole extends from Winchuk River (Um-sahng´-ten) on the
California-Oregon boundary south to Wilson Creek (Tah-ges^{hl}-ten)
about eight miles north of the mouth of Klamath River.
The coast tribe immediately north (on the Oregon side of the line) is
called Cheet or Che´-te. Their language differs materially from that of
the Hah´-wun-kwut, though most of the words could be understood. Only a
single woman survives.
The tribe on the south, from Wilson Creek to Klamath River, is called
Tah-che-ten-ne and Tet-le-mus (Polikla).
The tribe immediately east of the Cheet on the Oregon side of the
California-Oregon boundary is called Ka-Ka-sha. Another name, Choo-ne,
also was given but I am in doubt as to whether or not the same tribe
was meant. The Ka-ka-sha live near Waldo on the north side of the
Siskiyou Mountains and speak a language widely different from that of
the Hah´-wun-kwut. They are said to be lighter in color than the coast
Indians.
_Dress and ornament._--The people used deer skin blankets called
Nah-hi-ne tanned with the hair on, and also blankets of rabbit skin,
called Wa-gah hahs-nis-te. Deer skins tanned with the hair on are called
Nah-ki-le. The breech cloth formerly worn by the men was called Rut-soo
and tat-es-tat. Moccasins, Kus-ki-a, of elk hide were worn by rich men.
The women wore a front apron called Sahng; and on dress occasions an
ornamented cloak-like skirt (Chah) that extended all the way around and
lapped over in front. They also wore basket hats, called Ki´-e-traht´
and necklaces, the general term for which is Ni-ta-kle-ah. On occasions
they wore ear pendants, Bus-shra-mes-lah, of elk or deer bone. Nose
bones or shells, Mish-mes-lah, were sometimes worn; those of rich
persons consisted of one of the long _Dentalium_ shells. The chin is
tattooed with three narrow vertical lines called Tah-ah rut^{hl}-tes.
_Houses._--The houses (Munt) were square and were built of planks or
slabs hewn from redwood trees and stood up vertically, as in the case
of those of the Klamath River Indians. The ceremonial houses are called
N[=a]´-stahs-m[=a]´-ne. They are square and have a ridge roof. During
important dances the front side is removed. The sweat house is called
Shes´-kl[)e] and is large enough to hold twenty people. It is square or
rectangular, and the ground floor is excavated to a depth of about four
feet. The roof is of hewn planks covered with earth.
_Money._--The ordinary medium of exchange or "money" (Trut) consisted
of shells of _Dentalium_, of which the valuable long ones are called
T[=a]´-tos, the commoner short ones Kle´-ah. Clam shell disks or buttons
are called Nah´-set.
_Treatment of dead._--The dead are buried in a grave (Ch[)e]´-slo). The
people assert that they never burned their dead. They say that a spirit
or ghost, called Nah-who´-tlan, goes out of the body after death and
becomes a ghost.
_Ceremonial dances._--Dances are called N[=a]´-stahs or Nesh-stahsh. A
puberty dance, Chahs´-stah w[=a]´-nish tahs, was held for the girls.
Other important dances are held. Some last 5 days; others last 10 days.
The ceremonial drums Hah´-et-sah differ radically from those of any
other California Indians known to me. They are large cooking baskets
about two feet in diameter. Only new baskets are used in order that they
may stand the drumming.
Rattles called Chah-p[=a]t´-chah are made of the small hoofs of deer.
Cocoon rattles were not used.
Whistles, called Tut´-tle-nik are made of large quill feathers of birds,
not of bone.
_The stick game._--The stick game is a feature of the people, as in most
California tribes. It consists of a number of slender sticks called
Not-tr[=a]´-le, of which one, called Chah-when´, is marked. The counters
are called Chun´; the man who keeps count, Chun-ting. A dressed buckskin
is stretched tightly on the ground between the players, and when the
game is called, the sticks are thrown down upon it.
_Baskets._--The basketry is of twined weave called Chet-too. The big
storehouse baskets, called Hawsh-tan, are closely woven and have a
shallow saucer-shape lid. The large open work burden basket is called
Tus, the large cooking basket, Met-too´-sil^{ch}, the small mush bowl
Hah´-tsah, the large shallow meal tray Mes-chet´-te-gah´, the large
open work shallow bowl Tre-kwahs´-tuk, the small open work plate or
platter Kah´-se, the subglobular choke-mouth trinket basket Net´-tah,
the milling basket Ki´-e-sut, the baby basket Kah´-yu, its shade
Ne´-whats-tah, the women's basket hat Ki´-e-traht´. There is also a
subglobular openwork basket called I´-[)a]-loo´ with an arched handle
for carrying on the arm.
The cooking bowls, mush baskets, and other small baskets are made
of spruce roots, 'Hre´, more or less covered with an overlay of
bear grass (_Xerophyllum_, called Too-t[)e]^{chl}) and maiden hair
fern (_Adiantum_) called Ke´-tsi-shah´-te, meaning Blue-jay knees,
because of the slender form and black color. The roots used in the
carrying baskets, baby baskets, and other coarse baskets are of hazel,
called 'Kun. The common black design in ordinary baskets consists
of Spruce roots that have been buried in dark mud and are called
Tah´-che-gut-kle-ah. They are ordinarily used in connection with the
bear grass (_Xerophyllum_).
_Fragments of Hahwunkwut myths._--Skum, Coyote man, made the world.
When the sun dropped down the Coon caught it up and it was hot, and
blackened the insides of his hands.
When the world first floated there was just one big white Redwood tree
called Kus-choo´-ke. A big Eagle was sitting on the tree and was king of
the world.
The Falcon (Tah´-tes) won the battle for the people.
_Hahwunkwut foods._--A large variety of foods are eaten: meat
(Ch[=a]´-sun) of elk and deer, both fresh and dried, salmon and
other fish, fresh and dried, marrow, tallow, salmon eggs (usually
smoke-dried), clams of several kinds, mussels, fish milt both dried and
fresh, acorn mush and bread, and a number of roots, berries, and other
parts of plants. Among the food berries are strawberries, blackberries,
salmon-berries, huckleberries, salal berries, elder berries and
manzanita berries.
Elder berries are mixed with blackberries and steamed in the ground
oven; manzanita berries are mashed and mixed with smoke-dried salmon
eggs.
Two kinds of kelp are eaten.
Root masses of the brake fern (_Pteris aquilina_, called Tah´-sohn-ki)
are cooked in the ground oven. They are said to be like milk and have a
fine flavor.
Salt is not used.
Wild tobacco is called Yahn-s[)e]^{ch} yah-we and S[)e]^{ch}-yu. The
pipe is straight and is called A-chah.
_Hahwunkwut plant notes._--The Tree Maple (_Acer macrophyllum_) is
called Ch[=a]´-she. Its inner bark is used for the ordinary everyday
dress for women.
The Tanbark Oak is the dominant species in the northwest coast region
and its acorns (Sohng´-cheng) are largely eaten by the people. Acorn
meal before leaching is called Rut-ta-gaht. If it is allowed to become
mouldy, the bitter taste disappears so that it does not have to be
leached. Acorn bread cooked on hot ashes is called Ses^{hl}-te. The
ordinary mush is called Ma-guts-kush.
_Hahwunkwut animal notes._--The Bobcat (_Lynx rufus_) is called
Ne´-ti-us ah´-n[=a]. Its name is never mentioned in the presence of a
baby. If the mother sees one before the baby is born, the baby will have
fits and die.
The falcon or Duck Hawk (Tah´-tes) was a high personage among the First
People. He won the first battle for the Indians, standing on the first
Redwood Tree.
The California Condor (T[=a]-long-yi´-chah) is so big and powerful that
he can lift a whale. His name shows this as it is from the name of the
whale (T[=a]´-lah) and means "whale lifter."
The Dove (Sroo´-e-gun´-sah) cries for his grandmother, especially in the
spring of the year.
The Purple Finch is called Klah´-nis-me´-tit-le, meaning "many
brothers," because the birds go together in small flocks.