_Hahwunkwut pits for catching elk and deer._--The Smith River
Hah-wun-kwut used to catch elk and deer in pits, called Song´-kit, dug
in the ground along the runways. These pits differ materially from those
of the Pit River Indians, being much shallower. No effort was made to
make them deep enough to prevent the captured animals from jumping out,
but an ingenious device was used to prevent them from jumping. The pits
were only a little deeper than the length of the legs of the elk, but
poles were placed across the top so that when the animal fell through,
the body would rest on the poles so his feet could not touch the ground.
This of course prevented him from jumping out.
When "set," the pits were lightly covered with slender sticks and
branches and leaves, to resemble the surrounding ground, but the cover
was so frail that an animal the size of a deer would at once break
through.
_Smelt fishery._--At Ocean Shore, Smith River, Calif., July 21, 1934.
Vast numbers of smelt, a small surf fish, are caught in nets by the
Hawungkwut Indians. During a "run" at high tide flocks of sea gulls
hover over the incoming fish, thus making their approach known. The
Indians catch them with nets. After a preliminary drying on a circular
mat of brush called the nest, the smelt are transferred to the fish bed,
a long flat rectangular and slightly elevated area built up of sand and
capped with a layer of small smooth stones. On this they are left till
thoroughly dry.
_Massacres of Huss Indians by the whites._--There were three notable
killings by the whites.
The first killing took place at Burnt Ranch, three miles south of
the mouth of Smith River, at the rancheria called Yahnk-tah´-kut,
a name perpetuated by the district school house name. Here a large
number of Indians were caught during a ceremonial dance and ruthlessly
slaughtered. The Indians say this was the first killing.
The second killing was at the rancheria of [=A]´-choo-lik on the big
lagoon known as Lake Earl about three miles north of Crescent City [cf.
Drucker's etculet in Drucker, 1937, map 3]. The Indians were engaged in
gambling at the time.
The third killing was at the large village of Hah-wun-kwut [Xawun hwut,
Drucker, 1937, map 3] at the mouth of Smith River.
At the time of the Indian troubles in northwestern California Chief
Ki´-lis (named for Ki-o-lus the Willow tree) was chief of the
Hah´-wun-kwut tribe.
Three young men of the tribe were active in resenting the aggressions of
the whites and were said to have killed several of the early settlers.
They were very clever and neither the settlers nor the soldiers were
able to capture them. Finally the officer in charge of the troops at
Fort Dick (a log fort on Smith River, about three miles from the present
settlement called Smith River Corners) told Chief Ki´-lis that he would
be hung by the soldiers unless he captured the three young men in
question.
It happened that the chief had two wives, who were sisters of the three
young men. The chief was in great trouble and called a meeting of his
head men. They said that if the people would contribute enough blood
money (which consists of the long Dentalium shells) they could pay the
two sisters the price necessary to atone for the killing in accordance
with the law of the tribe. The people agreed to this and raised the
necessary money. The nearest male relatives of the young men were chosen
to do the killing, but the young men could not be found.
One day when one of the chief's wives was getting mussels near the
mouth of Smith River one of the young men appeared and told her that he
and his brothers were hungry and wanted food. She designated a place
on the point of a nearby ridge where she said she would take food, and
it was agreed that the three brothers would come to get it in the late
afternoon or early evening. She then went home and told her husband,
Chief Ki-lis, who in turn notified the nearest relatives of the young
men; they went and concealed themselves near the spot. When the young
men came and were looking for the food their relatives fell upon them
and killed them. They were buried in the same place and the graves may
be seen there to this day.
The officer in charge of the troops was greatly pleased. He and his
soldiers arranged "a big time," giving the Indians plenty to eat and
also some blankets. This ended the "Indian war" in that region.
There is a small island called Stun-tahs ahn-kot (50 acres or more in
extent) in the lower part of Smith River, half or three-quarters of a
mile from its mouth. On some of the early maps it bears the name Ta´-les
after the chief. This island the officer gave to the Indians in the name
of the Government, telling them it would always be theirs, and gave the
chief a paper stating that it was given in return for killing the three
outlaw boys. Sometime afterward this paper was burned.
After the Indians had been driven to the Hoopa Reservation and had
come back, they were not allowed to go to their former rancheria
Hah´-wun-kwut, but were told to go to this island. Later the whites
claimed the island and did not let the Indians have it.
The present Indian settlement, a mile or two north of the mouth of
Smith River, was purchased for the Indians in or about 1908 by Agent
Kelsey of San Jose, and paid for by the Indian Office from a part of an
appropriation made by Congress for homeless California Indians. It is
occupied at present (1923) by ten or a dozen families.