EVOLUTION OF THE SONGHEES.
I often pass through the Songhees Reserve, and the recent controversy
respecting the reserve, and the dilapidated state of the former homes
of the Indians, induce me to recall the reserve as I knew it first,
when it was swarming with "flatheads," men, women and children. The
term "flathead" was applied to the Songhees on account of the shape
of his head, which was pressed flat with a piece of board strapped to
his forehead while he was in a state of infancy.
In this state of bondage, if I may so term it, the "tenass man"
(infant) passed his infancy. He was fed, took his sleep, and carried
on his mother's back by a strap passing around his mother's forehead;
thus he got his fresh air and exercise.
The mother, in fact all the females, chewed gum. I have always
credited our American cousins with having originated this beastly
practice, but now I suppose the credit for the discovery belongs to
the Songhees, who must have taught our friends, and then gave it up
themselves. Groups of men may have been seen carving miniature canoes
with carved Indians paddling in them, also totem poles and bows and
arrows, while three or four Indians would be at work shaping a
full-grown canoe which might possibly hold half a dozen Indians. It
was very interesting watching them at work and many an hour I have
spent watching them when a boy. The women, while their "papooses"
were playing about, worked also. Many made fancy articles out of
tanned deer hide, embroidered with pearl buttons and beads, moccasins
mostly, and for which there was a good sale. They were worn for
slippers. I have bought many pairs at fifty cents a pair. The
blankets they wore were decorated with rows of pearl beads down the
front, red blankets being the favorite color, as they showed off the
pearl beads to advantage.
All these articles, as well as many others, such as game, fish and
potatoes and fruits, wild, were brought to our doors, and at prices
much below what such things could be bought now--grouse, 35c. to 50c.
a pair; wild ducks, the same; venison, from 5c. to 8c. a pound by the
quarter; potatoes, about 1-1/4c. pound; salmon, 10c. each; wild
strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and bilberries, at about 5c.
pound. Even "gumstick" for lighting fires was brought to the door at
10c. a bundle. Their cries as they passed the doors might be heard at
all hours. "Ah! Culla Culla" (grouse and ducks), "Mowich" (venison),
"Oolally" (berries), "Sooke Oysters," "Salmon" and "Cowichan
potatoes." These oysters were small but very nice, and for
twenty-five cents you would get a bucketful; also the same quantity
of clams. "Ick quarter" or "King George" quarter (twenty-five cents),
bought almost anything.
All these cheap foods were a godsend to early residents, and at the
same time were fresh and wholesome. The men and the young women went
out washing by the day, from seven to six o'clock, at fifty cents.
[Portrait: Songhees Reserve.]
The one drawback to them was their dishonesty. Small articles of
clothing, towels and handkerchiefs were easily hidden under their
clothing, so that a close watch had to be kept, and if suspected,
they were searched. The chief of the Songhees tribe was
"King Freezey." He might have been seen parading about town in a
cast-off naval officer's uniform with cap to match, and he was very
proud, as befitted such an august personage. When asked his name,
("ict micaa name") he would reply "Nica name, King Freezey, nica hyas
tyee." ("My name is King Freezey; I am a great man.") This king of
Songhees, after imbibing too freely of the ardent, was drowned by the
capsizing of a canoe in the harbor, and so ended the life of a
well-known personage.
That he left descendants is evident, as I see their names amongst
those who got $10,000 each from the sale of the reserve. Compare
these descendants with their grandparents. The former's native
ignorance and simplicity, when their wants were simple and few, with
their grandchildren of to-day, who must have everything their brother
whites have, to modern houses and furniture, buggies, sewing
machines, musical instruments, etc., and not forgetting a bank
account, and last, but not least, post office boxes, and one may well
wonder at the "evolution of the Songhees." More might be said, but
for the present this must suffice.
Indian Burying Grounds.
Islands were favorite burying grounds among the Indians, probably
from the protection the surrounding water furnished against the
incursions of animals, and coffin islands may be found at different
points around the coast. In Victoria harbor and the Arm both Coffin
Island and Deadman's Island were used for this purpose within the
memory of such old-time residents as Mr. R. T. Williams and Mr. Edgar
Fawcett. Mr. Williams, whose memory goes back to the fifties,
when he went to school from a shack on Yates Street opposite the site
of the present King Edward Hotel, believes Colville Island may also
have been used for this purpose as well, but distinctly remembers the
trees and scrub on Deadman's Island and the fire on it described in
the following account, which is kindly furnished by Mr. Fawcett. Mr.
Fawcett writes:
"Like the Egyptians of old, the Indians of this country had
professional mourners, that is, they acted as they did in Bible days.
The mourners, usually friends or members of the same tribe, assembled
as soon as the death was announced, and either inside or outside the
house they (mostly women, and old women at that) kept up a monotonous
howl for hours, others taking their places when they got tired. In
the early sixties an execution of four young Indians took place on
Bastion Square for a murder committed on the West Coast. All day and
night before the execution took place the women of the tribe squatted
on the ground in front of the jail, keeping up the monotonous howl or
chant, even up to the time the hangman completed his task. After
hanging the prescribed time, the murderers were cut down and handed
to their friends, who took them away in their canoes for burial. In
the earliest days, I don't think they used the regular coffin; the
common practice was to use boxes, and especially trunks. Of course
for a man or woman a trunk would be a problem to an undertaker, but
the Indian solved the problem easily, as they doubled the body up and
made it fit the trunk. For larger bodies a box was made of plank, but
I do not remember seeing one made the regulation length of six feet,
even for an adult, as they always doubled the knees under. A popular
coffin for small people was one of Sam Nesbitt's cracker boxes. He
was a well-known manufacturer of soda crackers and pilot bread, whose
place of business will be remembered by many old-timers at the corner
of Yates and Broad Streets.
"The Indians rarely dug graves for their dead, but hoisted them up in
trees, tying them to the branches, or merely laid them on the ground,
and piled them up on top of one another. In time they fell into the
customs of their white brothers, and got coffins made by the
undertaker, and many a time I have seen Indians carrying coffins
along Government Street, down to the foot of Johnson, for their
reserve."--E. F.
In 1861 Mr. Fawcett with four companions, all school-boys at the
time, were bathing on Deadman's Island, and had lit a fire to warm
themselves. Broken coffins were lying about, and piles of box coffins
and trunks; these were set fire to, and the boys promptly made off to
escape the wrath of the Indians, who, in those days, were numbered by
hundreds. They made good their escape, and the whole island was swept
by the flames--trees, scrub and coffins being burnt up. Since that
time the island has remained in its present condition.
The Indians on the Songhees Reserve, also, Mr. Fawcett says, buried
at two points on the reserve, but when the smallpox worked such havoc
among them, the authorities insisted on the bodies being buried in
soil, and when the removal of the Indians was accomplished a special
amount was allotted to provide for the removal of the bodies
elsewhere.--Editor.