a living dishonestly by lying and stealing he is not told so directly,
but this story is brought up to him and everyone knows what it means.”
[57] “When older people were giving their children advice they would
bring up this part of the story and tell them not to be greedy and
selfish, but honest. They would say they did not want them to be like
Raven, who ate up all his playmates’ fat. When people went about
trading they would also bring up this story to a person who wanted to
make all the profit himself. They would tell him he was like Raven, who
wanted to enjoy everything himself.” (From the writer’s informant.)
[58] “This episode is brought up to a child people desire to make
honest. They say that just as these goods were taken back from Raven,
and he was made to feel shame at having been discovered, a thief will
always be found out. If the child becomes a thief when he grows up,
they tell him that he will be classed among the very lowest no matter
how well born he was. They also tell the little ones that there is a
Creator watching them all the time, just as these ghosts watched. The
Raven could not see them, but they saw him. They say that a person
who does evil things is like a crippled or deformed person, for he
has disgraced his family. They tell them that a person who gets that
low is nobody and that the Creator despises him.” (From the writer’s
informant.)
[59] What immediately follows was probably considered by my informant
too indecent to relate.
[60] “This episode is referred to when a person takes after a bad
father. They say to him, ‘Why do you take after your father? Everybody
knows that you are his child. Can’t you take another road and do better
than he did?’” (From the writer’s informant.)
[61] According to some people this house was drawn ashore at the
Dᴀqʟǃaweˊdî village.
[62] See story 3.
[63] “This story is referred to in drawing the moral that one should
never do anything spiteful or try to get ahead of one who knows better.
If he does he will always get the worst of it. This is why in olden
times the Indians looked up to the chiefs and those of high caste,
knowing that they had been brought up and instructed better than
themselves, and never tried to get ahead of them.
“It is also brought up to the people how Fire-drill’s son fed the young
hawks instead of killing them. If a young person is very cruel they say
to him, ‘If the hawk can be made a friend of mankind, why can not you
make friends with your enemies? If you want to be respected do not make
enemies, but friends always.’
“They tell the young people that a bad fellow is always like the
one-eyed man, trying to get advantage of a good person. He is quick
to say whatever comes into his mind, while the good man always thinks
first. Therefore whatever the latter says people know is right. They
ask their children to choose which of the two they would rather
resemble.
“Because the one-eyed man said, ‘I did not kill your uncles or your
mother’s friends,’ a murderer nowadays will never come out and say, ‘I
am the one who killed that man.’ He always tries to make an innocent
person suffer. As the one-eyed man’s wife invited this boy to have
something to eat in Footnote: order to kill him, so a bad person says
whatever he chooses to a good one. But they tell their children, ‘This
will not kill you. They are doing themselves injury instead of you. So
turn and walk away from them.’
“If a poor person has self-respect, he will have good fortune some
time, just as in the case of the two old women to whom Raven brought
fortune.
“The example of Fire-drill’s son is commended because he did not use
his power meanly. He knew that he was very powerful, but when all the
animals tried his power he did not do them any harm. He did not want
to show his strength at once. If he had been a mean man he might have
killed the old woman that lived back in the woods instead of helping
her and getting her food.” (From the writer’s informant.)
[64] Katishan added that once while Fire-drill’s son was chasing
Dry-cloud he was pulled into a village in the sky for some offense and
punished there. Since then people have believed that the stars are
inhabited. They were thought to be towns and the light the reflection
of the sea.
[65] Near the site of the Presbyterian School.
[66] A conspicuous bowlder with flat, smooth top nearly in front of the
Presbyterian Indian School.
[67] In another place, however, Katishan suggested that it might have
been named from łēqǃ, his red-cod blanket. The word cᴀqǃ must be an old
term for dog or some variety of dog.
[68] Probably the wren.
[69] See stories 3 and 97.
[70] “The disobedience of the young woman in looking up contrary to
the directions of her brothers is brought up to girls at that period
in life. This is why they do whatever their mothers tell them at
that time, and do not displease their brothers. They always think of
Łqǃayāˊkǃ’s sister. So this part of the story always taught them to be
obedient.
Anciently we were taught commandments similar to those of the whites.
Don’t look down on a person because he is proud. Don’t look down
on a low-caste person. Don’t steal. Don’t lie.” (From the writer’s
informant.)
[71] “So nowadays, when a person wants people to think he knows a great
deal and says, ‘I am very old,’ they will answer, ‘If Sculpin could not
make Raven believe he was so old and knew so much, neither can you make
us believe it of you. An older person will come along and show you to
the world as the sculpin is seen now.’ So, to-day, when children go out
in the evening, they will say, ‘There is that sculpin up there.’”
[72] “When a child was lazy and disobedient, they told him how the
halibut fishermen got up into the sky for their laziness. Therefore the
children were afraid of being lazy.” (From the writer’s informant.)
[73] “This is brought up to a child to prevent him from being a
murderer in secret, or a coward.” (From the writer’s informant.)
[74] “This episode is brought up when one who was the enemy of a dead
man is seen to act as if he were very sad in the house where his body
lies. People say to one another, ‘He is acting as Raven did when he
killed his friend the deer.’ It is also applied to a person who is
jealous of one who is well brought up and in good circumstances.
When such a person dies he will act like Raven.” (From the writer’s
informant.)
[75] “This episode used to be brought up to girls of 14 or 15 who
wanted to run about to feasts and other festivities without their
mothers or grandmothers. Such girls were told that they were like Raven
when he was imprisoned in the ground-hog hole and wanted to get out.
Those who stayed indoors were respected by everybody. They also likened
Raven to a foolish girl who tries to lead a good girl, Ground-hog,
astray. They told the latter that some injury would result, as happened
to Ground-hog in losing his toes. When a mother saw that her daughter
was willing to listen to a foolish girl, she would say to her,
‘Whatever that foolish girl leads you to will be seen on you as long as
you live.’” (From the writer’s informant.)
[76] “When a young man was about to marry, people would bring this
story up to him and tell him that if he did not take care of his wife
and once forgot himself, he might lose her. If his wife were a good
woman and he treated her right, he would have money and property, but
if he were mean to her, he would lose it. And if he lost his wife and
had been good to her, he could get another easily.” (From the writer’s
informant.)
[77] “As Tsᴀgwâˊn was a mischief maker and followed Raven to tell
what he had done to his wife, so some man will always follow one up
if he doesn’t tell the truth. Formerly, when a man left his wife, a
settlement of property was made and, if a man married again before this
took place, his first wife made trouble for his second. Since no one
wants trouble of this kind, a woman always found out what a man was
like before she married him, just as this woman found out about Raven.
“Since Dᴀmnāˊdjî married a woman of higher family than himself and was
taunted by the town people, nowadays they tell a young man that, if
he marries a girl of higher rank than himself, they will not remain
together long, because she will feel above him and want him to please
her continually, while she does nothing to please him. As Dᴀmnāˊdjî
from being poor became rich suddenly and was very hard on his people
till all of his riches were again taken away from him, they say, ‘When
you become wealthy after having been poor, don’t be proud or your money
will all leave you.’ When a man has had plenty of money all his life
and wastes it foolishly, they say of him, ‘He has fallen from the hands
of the brant. So a young man nowadays saves up a considerable sum of
money before he marries that he may not be made fun of. Perhaps if we
had not had this story among the natives of Alaska we would have had
nothing to go by.
“The fact that Dᴀmnāˊdjî’s wife’s relations did not insult or maltreat
him after they learned how poor he was, shows that they were really
high caste. Had they but recently acquired their wealth they would
have done so. Therefore people say to a person who speaks before he
thinks, ‘Why can’t you be like Dᴀmnāˊdjî’s brothers-in-law? Think
before you speak.’ When the village people were making fun of their
brother-in-law, his wife’s relations might have done anything to them,
for they had wealth in furs and slaves, but they kept quiet because
they had too much respect for their sister to disgrace her husband’s
village people. It was also out of respect for their sister that, when
they found out that all that the poor man had for them to drink was
water, they drank it willingly without saying a word, where a low-caste
person would have grumbled. Therefore people tell a man who has no
respect for his brother-in-law because he is low-caste that he ought to
be like these brothers-in-law of Dᴀmnāˊdjî. Because Dᴀmnāˊdjî was lucky
twice, the people in olden times used to pray for luck continually.
If he wanted to be lucky a poor man lived a very pure life. Those who
do not do what is right never will have luck.” (From the writer’s
informant.)
[78] “This part of the story was referred to when one wished to imply
that a person was trying to make people believe that he was better than
he really was. So nowadays, when a high-caste man wants to marry an
orphan, people find out who her father is, because Raven made believe
her own father was a chief. Some women will go off to a strange place
and say falsely, ‘I am so-and-so’s daughter,’ making people think that
she belongs to a very high family. The same sort of woman will assume
mourning for her husband, and make people believe she is mourning when
she is really thinking what she is going to do and where she is going.
If she finds out she can get her living falsely, she will keep on being
false. That is why Raven told so many stories about her husband’s
death. When a mother sees that her girl is very foolish, she will
say to her, ‘When you marry and become a widow, you will eat up your
husband’s body,’ meaning that, if her husband leaves her any property,
she will use it up foolishly. She also says to her, ‘You are so foolish
now, I believe you will steal after you are married,’ meaning that she
will be foolish with what her husband earns. Then, she says, ‘They will
find you out by finding something of yours in the place where you have
been, and it will be a disgrace to your brothers and your father.’”
(From the writer’s informant.)
[79] “This is the way nowadays with persons who have no respect for
themselves. They go from house to house to be fed by others, and such
persons are greedy, great eaters, and lazy. The people tell their
children that those who lead this kind of life are not respected. A
person who tells the truth is always known because he keeps his word.
When Katishan was a boy, they used to say to him when they could not
make him do anything, ‘You are so lazy that you will be left in some
village alone.’ [It is said that Raven comes along and helps one
abandoned in a village.] This is why the Tlingit tried hard to earn
their living and make things comfortable for themselves.” (From the
writer’s informant.)
[80] “So it is always said, ‘A lazy man will be known wherever he
goes.’ Such a person will go from place to place living on others and
perhaps bringing in a few pails of water or some wood for his food,
but however high-caste he is, he will be looked down upon. Therefore
the little ones were taught to stay in their native place and make
their living there, instead of wandering from town to town. To this
day the high-caste Indians do so and visit in other towns only for a
short time. Then people say ‘Look at so-and-so. He stays in his own
village.’” (From the writer’s informant.)
[81] “Nowadays it is said that although a wicked man may appear very
nice he will soon be found out. Some little act will betray him.” (From
the writer’s informant.)
[82] “So nowadays a man that has invited people previously is paid
first, receiving more than he had given. If he thinks that he has
received more than he ought he gives another feast. When we now look
back at this it looks as though these people were fighting to see which
family was highest.
“When a man has invited people and they are coming in toward the town
he himself remains in the house. Then some of his relations come and
pound on the door and say to him, ‘Why are you staying in the house?
You are acting like a coward. Your enemies are coming.’ So the host
comes out with his bow and arrows, or nowadays his gun, and says,
‘Where are those enemies you were telling me about?’ ‘There they are
out there in that canoe.’ ‘Those are not my enemies. That is a crowd
of women in that canoe. Years ago my relations invited them.’ He calls
them women when his people had invited them twice without a return
invitation. The people that are going to give the feast study what they
are to say before they have it, and they never let outsiders know what
it is. As the visitors’ canoe approached shore they might say, ‘What
is that I see out there?’ Then one would look and reply, ‘That is a
G̣onaqᴀdēˊt.’ They call it a G̣onaqᴀdēˊt because they know that that
party will give a feast and invite them in return.[83] They also have
songs ready to sing at the very beginning of the feast, and, when such
a song is started it shows that the feast will be a big one.” (From the
writer’s informant.)
[83] To see a G̣onaqᴀdēˊt brought wealth to the beholder.
[84] “Some people call this woman Nās-cᴀˊkî-yēł’s wife and some his
daughter, but I have always heard that she was his daughter.” (From the
writer’s informant.)
[85] A short version of this part of the story was related to me by
my Sitka interpreter who had obtained it from his wife. According to
this, a man had a wife of whom he was very jealous. People wanted to
get to her and marry her, but he guarded her very closely. Finally a
man reached her and pulled aside her arms, letting free all of the land
animals and sea creatures she had been keeping there. That was why her
husband was so jealous about her. Afterward the husband raised a flood,
but one man heard of it and made a big canoe to which others attached
theirs, and all went up together. He also took two animals of each
species into his canoe. This last is evidently a Christian addition. By
some the jealous husband is said to have been Loon.
[86] Cf. story 96.
[87] Said to be the Tsimshian word for G̣onaqᴀdēˊt.
[88] “Eagle feathers are often referred to nowadays in speeches. Thus
people will say to one who is mourning, ‘You have been cold. Therefore
I bring you these feathers that have been handed down from generation
to generation.’ When peace is about to be made one man is selected
called the ‘deer’ (Qōwakāˊn) because the deer is a very gentle animal.
When a man is so taken he is supposed to be like the deer, and he has
to be very careful what he says. Eagle feathers are put upon his head
because they are highly valued. The songs he starts while dancing are
those sung when the people were preserved from some danger, or at the
time of the flood. He does not sing anything composed in time of war.
They also called the ‘deer’ the ‘sun deer’ (g̣ᴀgāˊn qōwakāˊn), because
the sun is very pleasant to see and never does anybody any harm. Some
called him ‘fort deer’ (Nu qōwakāˊn), because people are safe in a
fort. For this office a high-caste person was always selected.” (From
the writer’s informant.) Cf. _Twenty-sixth Annual Report of the Bureau
of American Ethnology_, p. 451.
[89] “I have always wondered what this part of the story means but was
never told. It must have been because we were going to have steamboats.
Every now and then at the present time something happens like things in
the stories. The poor people always had luck in those days, and I have
always wondered what it meant. Years ago, too, we used to hear the old
people say, ‘There will be no slaves. Those that have been slaves are
going to feel themselves above the real high-caste Indians.’ And sure
enough nowadays the people that have come from slaves are very proud,
while the race of nobles is dying out. They are protected by law and
know that nothing harmful can be said to them. We heard of this years
ago.” (From the writer’s informant.)
[90] “Some people are like this nowadays. They are very poor but are so
used to the life that they can not see it, and so used to filth that
they do not notice it.” (From the writer’s informant.)
[91] For another version of this part, see story 89.
[92] Actually it is from the Kwakiutl word ʟūˊkoala. Katishan calls it
Tsimshian because the Tlingit received their secret societies through
them.
[93] See pp. 90–91.
[94] Said to be a Haida name.
[95] It appears from examples that no such uniformity really exists.
[96] In this paragraph are seen the effects of missionary teachings.
[97] See story 11.
[98] Story 93 is another version of this tale.
[99] See story 11 and story 29 (first part).
32. KAKĒˊQǃᵘTÊ[100]
A Huna man named Kakēˊqǃᵘtê and his wife were paddling along in a canoe
about midnight in search of seals, and he kept hearing a noise around
his head like that made by a bird. Finally he hit the creature with his
hand and knocked it into the canoe. It was shaped like a bird, only
with eyelids hanging far over, and its name is Sleep (Tᴀ). He gave this
to his wife saying, “Here, you can keep this for your own.” So she gave
it to her relatives, who built a house called Sleep house (Tᴀ hît). All
the poles in it were carved to resemble this bird.
The man got very tired after that without being able to sleep, until
at last he ran away into the forest. He walked along there, came to a
big glacier, and walked along upon that. After he had traveled for some
time he came across a small creek in which he discovered eulachon. He
roasted some on sticks before the fire. After he had thought over the
problem for a while, he made a small fish trap with a hole in it for
the fish to enter. The trap was soon filled with a multitude of fishes.
Then he took all out, dug a hole in the ground, and placed the fish
there. He was glad to think that he could get something to eat, so he
remained in that place.
One day, while he was roasting fish, he saw eight Athapascans
(G̣oˊnana), and knew from that that he was in the interior. These men
wore nice fur clothing and had their faces painted. Kakēˊqǃᵘtê became
frightened and ran into the woods, leaving his fish roasting by the
fire. Afterward the eight men acted as though they were calling him,
so he climbed up into a tree and watched them. They did not know where
he had gone. Then the men sat down and ate his fish, after which they
stuck a copper-pointed arrow into the ground where each roasting stick
had been. This was the first time a Tlingit had seen copper.
Next day the same men came back. They were dressed much better, and two
nice-looking women were with them. Then they called to him saying, “You
have brought us good luck, so we want you to be our friend. If you will
come and stay with us you can have either of these sisters of ours.” So
he came down from the tree where he had been hiding, went with them,
and married both of their sisters.
Now they took him to the place from which they got their fish and
showed him how they did it. It was by making deadfalls in the water,
in which they caught only one small fish at a time. Kakēˊqǃᵘtê was
surprised to see how hard they worked to get a fish. If a man were
lucky he would get perhaps forty or fifty very small fishes.
Now, Kakēˊqǃᵘtê ordered all in the village to procure young trees that
were very limber and to split them into long pieces. He told them to
whittle these down very smooth, and sat in the middle to show them how.
Then he got some roots and tied the sticks together. The name of this
trap is tǃītx̣. It is shaped like a barrel with the inner entrance just
small enough for the fish to pass through. At the mouth of this trap a
weir is run across the stream.
The whole village worked with him fixing the traps. Finally they cut
posts to fasten them to and placed them at that point in the river
which the tide reaches. When the tide went down they went to look at
them and found them full of eulachon. Before they could never get
enough of these fishes but now there were plenty for the poor, who
formerly could obtain none. Even the old people were cutting and drying
some to put in holes and make oil out of. Some filled twenty boxes with
oil, some thirty. Some boxes of this kind weigh 150 pounds, some 100,
some 50, some 20. Before his time the people of that village could
not sleep, because they had to run down to their traps very often to
look at their deadfalls, but after he came they had a very easy time.
Therefore the whole village was pleased with him, looked upon him as a
very high-caste person, and would do as he told them.
By and by the salmon season came. The people there had copper-pointed
salmon spears (kᴀt) with handles of fine, thin wood, but the water was
so muddy that they could spear only by means of the ripple marks, and
often got but one or two a day. The most that any man obtained was
three.
Kakēˊqǃᵘtê watched and knew that he could help them. He always traveled
around with his wives’ brothers, and wherever they went the people
followed, for they thought that he knew how to get salmon. He inquired
if this were the only way they knew of to catch salmon, and they said,
“Yes, this is the only way except that when they get in a shallow place
we can club them.” One of his brothers-in-law also said to him, “The
only time we can obtain salmon is when they are very old and their
flesh is turning white. Then the water is low, and they go near the
shore where we can see them. We can also get them at that time from the
little creeks that come into the river.” Now Kakēˊqǃᵘtê took the spear
from his brother-in-law and taught him how to feel along the river for
salmon and catch them on the barbs as soon as they were felt. In half
an hour he had six salmon. All the people of the village were looking
on. Then he said to his brother-in-law, “You can feel them very easily.
They are slippery. When you feel anything slippery, do not be in too
great hurry and be careful not to go under the salmon. When you first
put your spear into the water you will feel the ground and you will
raise it up from the ground and move it along. I know how to make a
salmon trap, too. I will show you that to-morrow. To-day we can not do
it.”