,,anthropological ,,papers ,,of ,,the   
,,american ,,museum ,,of ,,natural      
,,history  ,,vol4 ,,xix1 ,,part ,i      
,,the ,,whale ,,house ,,of ,,the        
,,chilkat   ,,by  ,,george ,t4 ,,emmons 
,lieutenant ,u4,s4 ,navy   ,,new ,,york 
,,published ,,by ,,order ,,of ,,the     
,,trustees #aiaf    ,transcriber's      
,note3 ,the first part of the           
,publications in ,anthropology has been 
moved to the end of this text and merged
 with the last part of that list4       
,,the ,,whale ,,house ,,of ,,the        
,,chilkat4  ,,by ,,george ,t4 ,,emmons4 
,lieutenant ,u4,s4 ,navy4     ,,preface4
   ,the material here presented has been
 gathered from the most reliable native 
sources throughout a period of          
twenty-five years of intimate personal  
acquaintance and association with the   
,tlingit1 and treats of their past1     
before the exodus from their old        
villages to the mining camps and salmon 
canneries of the white man so reduced   
their numbers that communal life in the 

large old houses1 upon which their      
social customs and practices depended1  
was rendered impossible1 and the seed of
 a new life was sown4  ,i first visited 
the ,chilkat in #ahhb1 when little      
influenced by our civilization4 ,they   
were a comparatively primitive people1  
living under their own well-established 
code of laws1 subsisting on the natural 
products of the country1 clothed in     
skins1 furs1 and trade blankets1        
practising ancestor worship in their    
elaborate ceremonial1 cremating the     
dead1 dominated by the superstitions of 
witchcraft and the practice of          
shamanism1 proud1 vain1 sensitive1 but  
withal1 a healthy1 honest1 independent  
race1 and friendly when fairly met4     
,their villages then represented the    
best traditions of the past in both     
architecture and ornamentation4 ,the    
houses of heavy hewn timbers1 split from
 the giant spruces1 were fortresses of  
defense1 with narrow doorways for       
entrance and the smoke hole in the roof 

for light and ventilation4  ,but today  
this is all changed4 ,the old houses    
have disappeared1 the old customs are   
forgotten1 the old people are fast      
passing1 and with the education of the  
children and the gradual loss of the    
native tongue1 there will be nothing    
left to connect them with the past4 ,so 
on behalf of native history and my deep 
interest in the people1 ,i offer this   
paper1 describing in accurate detail one
 of the last relics of their culture4   
,had the ,chilkat been able to work     
stone instead of wood1 their country    
would now be the archaeological wonder  
of the ,pacific ,coast4  ,the           
illustrations in color are from sketches
 made upon the ground and are reasonably
 accurate both as to form and color4    
,for their final form ,i am indebted to 
,mr4 ,s4 ,ichikawa4 ,to ,winter and     
,pond ,i am under obligations for       
permission to use the photograph of the 
two ,chilkat chiefs4  ,,george ,t4      
,,emmons4  ,princeton1 ,new ,jersey1    

,april1 #aiaf4     ,,contents4   ,,page4
  ,,preface                             
#c  ,,introduction                      
#i  ,,the ,,old ,,whale ,,house         
#ah  ,,detail ,,of ,,the ,,house ,,posts
                                     #be
     ,,gonakatate-,,gars                
#be     ,,duck-,,toolh-,,gars           
#bf     ,,yehlh-,,gars                  
#bh     ,,tluke-,,ass-,a-,,gars         
#bi  ,,objects ,,associated ,,with ,,the
 ,,house                             #cj
  ,,the ,,present ,,whale ,,house       
#cc   ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4      
,,plates4  #a4 ,decorative ,figure on   
,edge of ,house ,platform4  #b4 ,carved 
and painted ,screen over the ,front of  
the ,chief's ,private ,apartment at     
,rear of the ,house4  #c4 ,carved ,posts
 inside the ,entrance to the ,house1    
,gonakatate-,gars and                   
,duck-,toolh-,gars1 respectively4  #d4  
,carved ,posts flanking ,screen in      
,plate #b1 ,yehlh-,gars and             
,tluke-ass-a-,gars1 respectively4       

,,text ,,figures4  #a4 ,coudahwot and   
,yehlh-,gouhu1 ,chiefs of the           
,con-nuh-ta-di      #g  #b4 ,an ,old    
,house1 ,kluckwan                       
#aa  #c4 ,con-nuh-ta-di ,grave ,houses1 
,kluckwan                       #ab  #d4
 ,the ,whale ,house of the ,chilkat     
#ai  #e4 ,groundplan of the ,whale      
,house                              #ba 
#f4 ,wood-worm ,dish1 as seen in the    
,house                       #cb        
,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4 ,coudahwot and 
,yehlh-gouhu1 ,chiefs of the            
,con-nuh-ta-di4  ,photograph copyrighted
 by ,winter and ,pond4                  
,,introduction4   ,upon the discovery of
 the ,northwest ,coast of ,america1 the 
,tlingit were found in possession of    
,southeastern ,alaska with possibly the 
exception of the southernmost portion of
 ,prince of ,wales ,island1 which had   
been wrested from them by invading      
,haida from ,masset on the ,queen       
,charlotte ,islands1 during the latter  
half of the eighteenth century4 ,from   

the testimony of the early explorers1   
this occupation seems to have been of   
sufficient age to have developed a      
racial type1 speaking the same tongue1  
acknowledging established laws1 and     
bound by like conventions4 ,what        
knowledge we can gather of their origin 
and early life from their family        
traditions1 songs1 and geographical     
names1 although fragmentary and vague1  
consistently tells of a uniform         
northward migration by water1 along the 
coast and through the inland channels   
from the ,tsimshian peninsula and       
,prince of ,wales ,island1 which was    
constantly augmented by parties of      
,interior people descending the greater 
rivers to the sea4  ,an indefinite      
belief in an earlier coast population is
 current among the older people1 and in 
confirmation of this1 they refer to some
 family songs and local names still used
 but not understood4 ,as the ,tlingit   
are unquestionably a mixed race1 this   
aboriginal element must have been       

absorbed and contributed its racial     
characteristics to the evolution of the 
present race4  ,the social organization 
of the ,tlingit is founded on matriarchy
 and is dependent upon two exogamic     
parties1 the members of which intermarry
 and supplement each other upon the many
 ceremonial occasions that mark their   
intercourse4 ,the one claiming the      
,raven crest is known particularly among
 the northern ,tlingit as ,klar-de-nar1 
one party1 the other1 more generally    
represented by the ,wolf emblem has     
several names1 local in character1      
referring to old living places1 as      
,shen-ku-ka-de1 belonging to ,shenk1    
,sit-ka-de1 belonging to ,sit1 said to  
refer to the separation of the people   
after the flood when this branch settled
 at ,sit1 ,gee-ya-de1 etc4 ,outside of  
these there is one family claiming the  
,eagle crest that has no phratral       
standing1 the members of which1 as      
strangers1 marry indiscriminately in    
either division1 but in all cases the   

children belong to the mother's clan4   
,the two parties are subdivided into    
fifty-six existing consanguineal        
families or clans1 and the names of some
 other's now extinct are remembered4    
,each of these1 while retaining its     
phratral functions and privileges1 is   
absolutely independent in government1   
succession1 inheritance1 and territory1 
and besides the phratral crest common to
 all1 assumes others that are fully as  
prominent and often more in evidence4   
,within the family there is a           
well-defined aristocracy wholly         
dependent upon birth1 from which the    
chiefs are chosen1 an intermediate class
 consisting of those who have forced    
themselves to the front1 through wealth1
 character1 or artistic ability1 and the
 poorer people4 ,in earlier days there  
were many slaves who had no recognized  
rights4  ,geographically considered1    
there are sixteen tribal divisions known
 as kwans1 a contraction of ka 7man7 and
 an 7land-lived on or claimed74 ,these  

are purely accidental aggregations1 with
 little cohesion1 a grouping of one or  
more families of each phratry through   
migratory meeting or continual          
intermarriage1 that live together in    
fixed villages for mutual protection and
 social advantages1 but recognize no    
tribal head or authority1 each family   
being a unit in itself4 ,very often the 
bitterest feuds existed between families
 within the tribe and of the same       
phratry1 although if attacked by a      
stranger people all would unite for     
mutual protection4  ,of these several   
tribes the ,chilkat-kwan has been the   
most prominent since our acquaintance   
with ,alaska4 ,the relative importance  
of a primitive people measured by an    
abundant food supply1 natural resources 
and geographic position as to favorable 
trade conditions was fully satisfied in 
their case4 ,in their country about the 
head of ,lynn ,canal1 with its two river
 systems flowing from lakes1 the        
spawning beds of countless salmon       

furnished a nutritious and limitless    
staple food which was augmented by      
various other sea fish and seal in the  
inlets2 bear1 goat1 and smaller mammals 
on the land2 and exhaustless berry      
patches on the mountain sides4 ,their   
commanding position at the head of the  
inland channels controlling the mountain
 passes to the interior1 gave them the  
monopoly of the fur trade of the upper  
,yukon ,valley1 and the placer copper   
fields of the ,white ,river region4     
,these products1 unknown to the coastal 
area1 were economically important in    
primitive days1 and after the advent of 
,europeans the increased demand for     
furs1 and their greater value1 made this
 trade even more lucrative4 ,that they  
fully realized its value is demonstrated
 by their determination to retain       
control of it1 for when the ,hudson's   
,bay ,company established the factory of
 ,fort ,selkirk at the mouth of the     
,pelly ,river in #aheb1 a war party     
under the celebrated ,chief ,chartrich1 

trailed in some three hundred miles1    
surprised1 captured1 and burned the     
post1 and warned the occupants against  
any further encroachment upon their     
established zone of trade1 and they     
continued to enjoy these rights until   
the discovery of the ,klondike gold     
fields1 when the influx of whites       
over-ran the country and destroyed their
 industries4  ,the earliest mention of  
this people occurs in a report of the   
,russian ,pilot ,ismailof who1 when     
visiting ,yakutat in #aghh1 notes the   
presence of a large body of ,chilkat4   
,in #agid a boat expedition from        
,vancouver's vessels1 while exploring   
the head of ,lynn ,canal1 met with a    
hostile reception from a considerable   
number of natives and only averted      
trouble by a hasty retreat4 ,lieutenant 
,whitby1 the commander of the party1 was
 told of eight chiefs of great          
consequence who had their homes on and  
about the ,chilkat ,river1 indicating an
 extensive population4  ,illustration3  

,fig4 #b4 ,an ,old ,house1 ,kluckwan4   
,under the ,russian regime1 beyond the  
mere claim of sovereignty1 no           
jurisdiction was exercised over this    
people except the distribution of       
national flags and ,imperial medals4    
,all trading was guardedly carried on   
from the decks of armed vessels1 and    
long after the ,american occupation they
 were permitted to live unmolested1     
until their country became the highway  
of travel to the interior4  ,the        
,tlingit were a canoe people and might  
be termed semi-nomadic1 as they were on 
their hunting grounds in the early      
spring and late fall1 while the summer  
season was spent in the fishing camps by
 the salmon streams1 but notwithstanding
 these long absences they built         
substantial villages where1 except for  
social activities1 they spent the winter
 in comparative idleness4               
,illustration3 ,fig4 #c4 ,con-nuh-ta-di 
,grave ,houses1 ,kluckwan4  ,as they    
looked to the sea for their principal   

food supply1 their villages were        
directly on the shore just above the    
high water mark1 in sheltered coves     
where they could land and launch their  
canoes in any weather and at any stage  
of the tide4 ,but the ,chilkat1         
differing from all of the other         
,tlingit1 lived just beyond the open    
water1 in a rather restricted territory1
 on rivers that were veritable          
storehouses of food1 bringing their     
abundance of fish life to their very    
doors1 and so permitting them to remain 
at home throughout the year1 except when
 on their trading trips to the interior1
 which gave their habitations a more    
permanent character1 and contributed to 
the unity of communal life4  ,of the    
four principal old villages1 all of     
which have survived the ravages of      
constant strife and the still more      
deadly by-products of                   
civilization--liquor and                
disease--,kluckwan 7mother town7 has    
always held the first place in size1    

wealth1 and the character of its people4
 ,it retained its supremacy long after  
the larger of the more southern coast   
villages had gone to decay1 as its more 
interior and isolated position and the  
independent and aggressive reputation of
 its population kept white traders at a 
distance4 ,the discovery of gold near   
,juneau and the establishment of the    
several salmon canneries at the mouth of
 the river drew away its people1 and    
communal life in the large old houses1  
that was dependent upon the united      
efforts of the whole household was made 
impossible by the absence of many1 and  
the want of cooperation of others who   
elected to live by themselves4 ,with the
 introduction of schools and the efforts
 of missionaries to break up the old    
customs1 the village has undergone a    
complete change and the old houses have 
disappeared or have been modernized4    
,the village lies at the edge of a      
gradual slope on the north bank of the  
,chilkat1 twenty miles from its mouth1  

where the swift current concentrated in 
a single channel forms a strong eddy    
that permits the landing of canoes at   
any stage of the river4 ,the houses in a
 single and double row follow the trend 
of the shore for upwards of             
three-quarters of a mile1 but far enough
 back to allow for the smoke houses1    
fish drying frames1 and canoe shelters1 
and in the rear are the grave houses    
7,fig4 #c7 and the now disused cremation
 grounds strewn with charred logs and   
partly burnt funeral pyres4 ,just beyond
 the village at either end1 in the      
cottonwood groves1 hidden in the        
underbrush and covered with moss1 are   
the crumbling remains of the shaman's   
dead houses1 guarded by elaborately     
carved spirit figures and decayed       
canoes4  ,the houses of each of the four
 resident totemic families are grouped  
about that of the chief for mutual      
protection1 giving the appearance of    
three separate villages1 as the two     
centrally located families through      

increase of numbers1 have been brought  
into closer union4 ,in each group the   
houses of the aristocracy and those of  
the poorer classes are of like          
construction1 differing however in size1
 strength of material1 interior         
appointments1 and ornamentation4  ,of   
the five totemic families that form the 
,chilkat-kwan1 not including a sixth    
subdivision1 four are resident here1    
while individuals of the others through 
intermarriage are scattered through the 
village but without house standing4 ,the
 traditions of all of these speak of a  
migration from the southern border      
northward through the inland channels4  
,the ,wolf phratry is represented by    
three families3 the ,kagwantan1         
,tuck-este-nar1 and ,duck-clar-way-di4  
,the first two are closely related and  
claim to be offshoots of a parent stock 
and to have migrated north from the     
coast between the mouths of the ,nass   
and the ,skeena rivers and in earlier   
times they lived inland on these rivers4

 ,the last-named is unquestionably of   
interior origin and it is possible that 
all three are of like ancestry4  ,the   
sole representative of the ,raven party 
is the ,kon-nuh-ta-di with which this   
paper deals4 ,their legendary history1  
so imaginary and interesting1 is closely
 associated with the wanderings and     
antics of ,yehlh1 the ,raven creator1   
while the earliest family traditions are
 centered about the south and west coast
 of the ,prince of ,wales and contiguous
 islands4 ,there is a hazy belief in the
 minds of the older people1 handed down 
through generations1 that in the        
earliest days there came to these shores
 from seaward1 a people of unknown      
origin who landed and lived on ,dall    
,island1 and later spread along the     
southern coast of ,prince of ,wales     
,island4 ,the descendants of one of the 
two original women1 represented as      
sisters1 later crossed ,dixon ,entrance 
and peopled the ,queen ,charlotte       
,islands1 founding the ,haida1 while    

those who remained1 uniting with        
migratory bands from the ,interior were 
the progenitors of the ,tlingit4  ,the  
three principal families forming the    
,tanta-kwan that lived thereabouts in   
the eighteenth century1 until expelled  
by the ,haida invasion from ,masset1 and
 then crossed over to the mainland where
 they are still found1 are the          
,ta-qway-di1 ,kik-sat-di1 and           
,kon-nuh-hut-di1 all of which have      
formed factors of great importance in   
peopling the coast of ,alaska as far    
north as ,comptroller ,bay1 and are     
still represented in all of the more    
important ,tlingit tribes4 ,the tribal  
name ,tanta1 was taken from their       
country1 the ,prince of ,wales ,island1 
,tan1 ,sealion so named from the        
abundance of this animal on the seaward 
coast4 ,the ,kon-nuh-hut-di are said to 
have removed1 at some early day1 to     
,port ,stewart within the mainland      
entrance of ,beam ,canal1 which they    
called ,con-nuh1 7safe1 sheltered7 and  

from which they derived their family    
name 7people of1 or belonging to1       
,con-huh71 but finding the climate more 
severe than that of the islands1 and    
with no compensating advantages of food1
 they returned to their former home4 ,a 
slight variation of the name            
,kon-nuh-ta-di which is not accounted   
for1 distinguishes the ,chilkat and more
 northern branches of the family from   
the ,tanta and ,taku4 ,another name     
seldom used1 but very pretentious and   
tribal in character1 is ,shuck-ka-kwan  
highest or first-man tribe or           
,shuck-ka-kon-nuh-ta-di1 claiming       
superiority through a relationship with 
,yehlh1 in reference to his struggle    
with ,gun-nook1 the supernatural keeper 
of fresh water1 when in his efforts to  
escape through the smoke hole of the    
house with what he had stolen he was    
caught and held fast until he was smoked
 black4  ,at a very early period they   
must have lived on the central west     
coast of ,prince of ,wales ,island1 near

 ,klawak1 in a village or country called
 ,tuck-anee outside town where the      
people were known locally as ,tuckanadi 
outside town people as the scene of one 
of their principal hero tales is laid   
hereabouts 7the struggle of ,duck-toolh 
with the sealions7 which it is claimed  
was the cause of one of the northward   
migrations of a body of the family4 ,it 
was certainly after this happening1 and 
possibly connected with it1 that a      
considerable party separated and        
traveled north through the inland       
channels to the head of tidewater1 and  
then up the ,chilkat ,river until they  
reached the site of ,kluckwan where they
 finally settled and have ever since    
remained4 ,this movement must date back 
many years1 for the ,russian ,pilot     
,ismailof1 as previously noted1 in      
visiting ,yakutat in #ahhh met a chief  
,ilk-hak with a large force of one      
hundred warriors who had journeyed up   
the coast from their winter home on the 
,chilkat ,river to trade4  ,ilk-hak or  

,yehlh-kok ,raven fragrance or smell is 
an hereditary name belonging strictly to
 the ,kon-nuh-ta-di family 7and as a    
coincidence it happens to be that of the
 present chief to whom ,i am indebted   
for certain information herein          
contained71 and to have extended their  
commercial activities to such a distance
 and with such a numerous retinue would 
bespeak a considerable age and settled  
state in their new home4  ,other        
migrations northward are known to have  
occurred at later periods2 ,one party   
following the outside coast settled in a
 bay above ,cape ,spencer where much    
glacial ice collected and they took the 
name ,tih-ka-di 7people of or belonging 
to the icebergs7 but of these none      
remain4  ,another body1 taking a more   
easterly course among the islands1      
stopped at ,chyeek on the ,chatham      
,straits shore of ,admiralty ,island    
with the ,hootz-ah-tar-kwan1 but trouble
 with the ,dasheton clan arose over a   
woman and they removed in a body to     

,stevens ,passage and joined the        
,taku-kwan of which they form an        
integral part today under the original  
name ,kon-nuh-hut-di4  ,in the latter   
portion of the eighteenth century1 the  
,tanta-kwan including this family1 was  
driven out of the southern portion of   
the ,prince of ,wales ,island by the    
,haida and crossing ,clarence ,straits  
settled on ,annette and adjacent        
islands4 ,their principal village was   
,tark-an-ee 7winter town7 at ,port      
,chester where ,new ,metlakatla now     
stands1 and was a very large settlement1
 a totem pole village1 as the decayed   
remains showed thirty years ago4 ,in war
 with the ,stickheen1 this village was  
destroyed and also a later one across   
the island1 ,chake-an-ee 7,thimble berry
 town7 at ,port ,tamgass1 when they     
crossed to ,cat ,island and then to the 
mainland and made a last stand at       
,tongass where they remained until the  
founding of ,saxman and ,ketchikan4     
,none of this family is found today on  

,prince of ,wales ,island1 their        
original home4 ,the principal branch    
lives at ,chilkat where they have always
 been accorded the highest place with   
the ,ka-gwan-tan1 with whom they have so
 intermarried through generations1 that 
it often happens that the chiefs of each
 family are father and son4  ,the       
personal names more frequently refer to 
the ,raven1 their most honored crest1 as
 they claim to be the first family of   
this phratry1 and it is the more        
conspicuously displayed on the totemic  
headdress and ceremonial paraphernalia4 
,they claim and use a great many other  
emblems as the whale1 frog1 wood-worm1  
silver salmon1 hawk1 owl1 moon1         
starfish1 and in their house carvings   
and painting they illustrate the hero   
deeds and conquests of their ancestors  
in their early struggles with mythical  
animals and supernatural beings4        
,facial painting played an important    
role in ,tlingit life4 ,the several     
pigments differently applied in various 

characters depended upon the purpose and
 the occasion4 ,as a protection against 
snowblindness1 the glare of the sunshine
 on the water1 the bite of insects and  
as a cosmetic to preserve and whiten the
 complexion1 a hemlock fungus was       
charred1 powdered1 and applied to the   
face1 which had previously been covered 
with a mixture of melted suet and spruce
 gum1 to which it adhered and hardened1 
forming a red-black covering impervious 
to water4  ,for mourning and anger the  
face was blackened with charcoal4  ,when
 on war parties1 the painting was in red
 or black or both1 in fanciful and      
hideous characters1 but if suddenly     
surprised1 they would grab a piece of   
charcoal from the fire and rub it over  
the face to disguise their personality  
and hide any expression of fear4  ,the  
most elaborate painting was used in the 
winter ceremonials and dances4 ,the     
designs were almost entirely totemic in 
character even when improvised for the  
occasion and apparently expressionless4 

,they were either geometric and symbolic
 in figure1 or represented the animal   
form in profile or some characteristic  
feature which distinguished it4 ,in the 
latter case the figure was stamped on   
the cheek or forehead with a wood die4  
,the primitive colors were black1 from  
powdered charcoal1 and red1 from        
pulverized ocher1 but after the advent  
of ,europeans1 vermilion of commerce    
took the place of the duller mineral    
red4 ,yellow1 white1 and greenish blue  
were occasionally used1 more            
particularly by the southern tribes1 but
 seldom1 if ever1 by the ,chilkat4  ,the
 most important painting of the face was
 that of the dead when placed in state  
awaiting cremation1 and this represented
 the crest of the phratry rather than   
one of the assumed emblems of the family
 or subdivisions4 ,most all of the      
,raven party1 certainly all of the older
 and more important families1 and       
particularly the ,kon-nuh-ta-di used    
,yehlh-thluou1 ,raven's nose1 in the    

form of an isosceles triangle1 in black1
 the apex at the bridge of the nose1 the
 sides enclosing the nose and mouth1 the
 base extending across the chin4 ,this  
painting seems to have been the right of
 all of the ,raven families and was     
almost universally used by them1        
although minor crest figures were       
sometimes employed1 as the              
,kon-nuh-hut-di of the ,southern tribes 
are said to have painted the starfish   
figure although ,i have never seen it so
 used1 although it was a festival       
decoration4  ,it was an old custom1 but 
rather a privilege claimed by the chiefs
 and house masters of the aristocracy1  
to give names to the communal houses    
upon the occasion of their dedication1  
after the walls were up and the roof was
 on1 when those of the opposite phratry 
who had assisted in the construction    
were feasted and compensated4 ,of       
course1 in the evolution of society1 men
 of strong character1 successful in war1
 with wealth and many followers would   

compel such recognition as would permit 
them to found a house and give it a     
name1 but in order to do so1 the        
potlatch would have to be of undue      
proportion4 ,the strongest              
characteristics of the ,tlingit are     
pride1 vanity1 and a dread of ridicule1 
so unless one was absolutely assured of 
more than a formal acceptance of the act
 by both his own and the other tribal   
families he would hesitate to place     
himself in a false position1 subject to 
criticism4 ,the highest and most honored
 names thus given1 were those of the    
totemic emblem1 or referring to some    
particular feature of the crest figure1 
as ,raven house1 ,brown bear house1     
,eagle nest house1 ,killer-whale dorsal 
fin house1 etc4 ,other names meaning    
less were those of position1 shape1     
material1 etc41 as ,point house1 ,box   
house1 ,bark house1 ,drum house1 ,big   
house1 ,lookout house1 etc4 ,in any case
 a name once given survived the mere    
structure4 ,it was a dedication of the  

site and without any further ceremony   
belonged to all future houses built     
thereon4     ,,the ,,old ,,whale        
,,house4   ,when ,i first visited       
,kluckwan in #ahhe1 the large old       
communal houses of the ,kon-nuh-ta-di   
were still standing1 the principal one  
of which1 that of the hereditary chief1 
,yough-hit1 ,whale house1 was in the    
last stages of decay and uninhabitable1 
although the interior fittings were     
intact and it was still used upon       
festival occasions4 ,it was             
unquestionably the most widely known and
 elaborately ornamented house1 not only 
at ,chilkat1 but in ,alaska4 ,it        
occupied the site of much older houses  
and it is claimed much larger ones4 ,it 
is said to have been built by ,kate-tsu 
about or prior to #ahce and stood in the
 middle of the village4 ,it represented 
the best type of ,tlingit architecture1 
a broad low structure of heavy hewn     
spruce timbers1 with noticeably high    
corner posts1 that gave it a degree of  

character wholly wanting in the larger  
houses of the ,vancouver ,island people4
 ,it faced the river with a frontage of 
#di feet #aj inches and a depth of #ec  
feet which was approximately the        
proportions of ,tlingit houses large and
 small4 ,the four broad1 neatly finished
 corner posts1 and the intermediate ones
 on the sides and back were mortised in 
length1 to receive the ends of the wall 
planks of spruce or hemlock that were   
laid horizontally along the sides and   
back1 while the front was formed by two 
heavy bed pieces placed one above the   
other extending across the front1       
dove-tailed into the corner posts1 and  
reaching to the height of the door sill1
 cut out along the upper edge to receive
 the lower ends of the broad vertical   
planks that extend to the roof1 and     
fitted under corresponding grooves in   
the cornice cappings that in the rear of
 the corner posts were notched and      
grooved to fit in the post4 ,it will    
thus be seen that the old houses formed 

a solid structure1 the frame and        
planking supporting each other without  
the use of spikes4 ,the doorway1 that   
was the only opening in the walls1 was  
approached by two steps over three feet 
above the ground1 it was narrow and low 
as a defensive measure1 so that but one 
could enter at a time1 and then only in 
a stooping posture equally impossible   
for attack or defense4 ,the roof        
covering consisted of a confusion of    
overlapping spruce boards and slabs of  
bark that originally had been held down 
by smaller tree trunks extending the    
depth of the structure and held in place
 by heavy boulders at the ends4 ,the    
smoke hole in the center of the roof    
which both lighted and ventilated the   
interior had been protected by a movable
 shutter balanced on a cross bar resting
 on two supports so that it could be    
shifted to either side as desired4      
,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4 ,the ,whale    
,house of the ,chilkat4  ,illustration3 
,fig4 #e4 ,groundplan of the ,whale     

,house4 ,in size1 it was #di ft4 #aj in4
 front by #ec ft4 deep4 ,from a plan    
drawn by the author4  ,the interior     
formed an excavation four feet nine     
inches below the ground level1 with two 
receding step-like platforms4 ,the lower
 square floor space #bf feet by #bf feet
 #i inches1 constituted the general     
living and working room common to all1  
except that portion in the rear and     
opposite the entrance1 which was        
reserved for the use of the house chief1
 his immediate family and most          
distinguished guests4 ,this was the     
place of honor in all ,tlingit houses   
upon all occasions1 ceremonial or       
otherwise4 ,the flooring of heavy1      
split1 smoothed planks of varying widths
 extended around a central gravelled    
fireplace six feet by six feet and a    
half1 where all of the cooking was done1
 over a wood fire which also heated the 
house in winter4 ,in front of and a     
little to the right of the fire space   
entered by a small trap door in the     

floor barely large enough to admit a    
person1 was a small cellar-like         
apartment used as a steam bath1 by      
heating boulders in the nearby fire1    
dropping them on the floor below with   
split wood tongs1 and pouring water upon
 them to generate the vapor when the    
bather entered and the opening was      
covered over4  ,the first platform      
extending around the main floor at an   
elevation of #b-c_/d feet1 comparatively
 narrow1 with a width of #b-a_/b feet   
along the sides1 and slightly more at   
the ends1 served both as a step1 and a  
lounging place in the daytime1 and that 
in front1 broken by the steps descending
 from the doorway1 was utilized for     
firewood1 fresh game1 fish1 water       
baskets1 and such larger household      
articles and implements as were in      
general use4 ,the retaining walls of    
this platform consisted of four heavy   
hewn spruce timbers approximately #bg   
feet long1 #c feet wide1 and #e inches  
thick1 and so fitted with mortise and   

tenon at opposite ends that they        
supported each other without artificial 
fastenings4 ,the faces of these timbers 
were beautifully finished in the finest 
adze work1 and those on either side and 
at the back were carved in low relief to
 represent a remarkable extended figure1
 neither wholly human nor animal1 with  
widely outstretched arms and legs1      
painted in red4 ,it may be that the     
artist conceived and executed this form 
merely as a decorative feature1 without 
meaning1 or if it was his purpose to    
present a recognizable figure he        
followed that characteristic and well   
established privilege of native art in  
exaggeration to make the subject conform
 to the decorative field4 ,the old      
chief1 ,yehlh-guou1 ,raven's slave1 said
 that the figure symbolized ,kee-war-kow
 the highest heaven where those who were
 killed in war and died violent deaths  
went1 and are seen at play in the       
,aurora ,borealis4 ,another explanation 
is that it merely represented a man     

warming himself before the central fire4
 7,plate #a47  ,the upper and broader   
platform1 rising two feet above that    
below1 was at the ground level1 and was 
floored with heavy planks4 ,it had a    
depth of ten feet on the sides which was
 greatly increased at the back and      
correspondingly diminished in front4    
,the four heavy retaining timbers       
forming the walls and supporting the    
platform were thirty-one feet at the    
front and back and thirty-three feet    
along the sides1 two feet wide1 and five
 inches in thickness1 and were fitted   
together at the ends as previously      
described1 and shown in the house plan4 
,on the carefully adzed face carved in  
low relief1 equidistant from the corners
 and from each other1 arranged in       
echelon1 were three representations of  
the tinneh the ceremonial copper and in 
connection with this it may be noted    
that one of the names of the house chief
 was ,tinneh-sarta ,keeper of the       
copper4 ,this platform constituted the  

sleeping place of the inmates4 ,each    
family occupied a certain space         
according to number and relative        
importance1 the poorer members being    
nearer the door4 ,the spaces were       
separated from each other by walls of   
chests1 baskets1 and bundles containing 
the family wealth in skins1 blankets1   
clothing1 ceremonial paraphernalia1 and 
food products4 ,on the walls were hung  
weapons1 traps1 snares1 and hunting     
gear4 ,cedarbark mats covered the floor 
over which was laid the bedding         
consisting of pelts of the caribou1     
mountain sheep1 goat1 and bear1 and     
blankets of lynx1 fox1 and squirrel1    
which in the daytime were ordinarily    
rolled up for economy of space4         
,sometimes these chambers were partly   
enclosed by skins or old canoe sails4   
,the back compartment occupying the     
space between the two rear interior     
posts was partitioned off by a very     
beautiful carved wood screen which will 
be described later4 ,this was the       

chamber of the chief and his immediate  
family4 7,plate #b7  ,at the level of   
this upper platform1 firmly imbedded in 
the ground equidistant from the sides   
and nearer the front than the back wall1
 were four vertical elaborately carved  
posts gars nine feet three inches high  
and two feet six inches wide1 which     
supported the roof structure4 ,the heads
 were hollowed to receive two neatly    
rounded tree trunks almost two feet in  
diameter extending from front to rear1  
on top of these at intervals were placed
 heavy cross bars which in turn         
supported two smaller rounded           
longitudinal beams placed that distance 
towards the center that would give the  
necessary pitch to the roof1 lighter    
cross pieces spanned these1 on which    
rested the ridge pole in two sections to
 allow for the smoke hole4  ,the private
 apartment of the house chief occupied  
the central portion of the upper rear   
platform1 and was partitioned off in    
front1 by a screen of thin native-split 

red cedar planks of varying widths1     
neatly fitted vertically1 and sewed     
together with withes of spruce root1    
countersunk1 to make it appear a solid  
piece4 ,it extended between the two rear
 carved posts that supported the roof   
structure1 and was twenty feet long by  
nine and a half feet high4 ,the front   
surface was smoothed with dogfish skin  
or equisetum1 and elaborately carved in 
low relief and painted to represent the 
rain spirit1 which was symbolized by the
 great central figure with outstretched 
arms1 while the small crouching figures 
in the border around the sides and top  
known as ,su-con-nutchee raindrops      
splash up1 represented the splash of the
 falling drops after striking the       
ground4 ,the whole partition was called 
,su-kheen rain wall4  ,the round hole   
through the body1 over which was        
formerly hung a dressed caribou or      
goatskin1 formed the entrance to the    
chamber1 which received its only light  
and ventilation over the top of the     

screen from the smoke hole in the roof4 
,there seems to be a difference of      
opinion today as to who executed this   
work4 ,yehlh-kok the present chief of   
the family says that it was done by     
,kate-tsu1 the chief who built the      
house1 and that the painting was the    
work of ,skeet-lah-ka1 a later chief and
 an artist of wide repute1 the father of
 ,chartrich1 who in #ahcd just prior to 
the lease of the littoral by the        
,russian ,government to the ,hudson's   
,bay ,company1 accompanied the first    
,russians who ascended the ,chilkat     
,river1 which would carry it well back  
in the early portion of the last century
 which was the ,victorian age of        
,northwest ,coast art4  ,others1 while  
agreeing as to the painting1 claim that 
the carving was designed and executed by
 a ,tsimshian4 ,but whether the work of 
the former or the latter1 the           
conventionalized design1 and            
particularly the multiplicity of small  
figures around the principal one is     

essentially ,tsimshian in character and 
entirely different from the realism of  
,tlingit art4  ,it is unquestionably the
 finest example of native art1 either   
,tlingit or ,tsimshian1 in ,alaska1 in  
boldness of conception1--although highly
 conventionalized in form1--in execution
 of detail1 and in the selection and    
arrangement of colors4  ,the four       
interior posts gars on which rest the   
heavy longitudinal beams that support   
the roof structure are elaborately      
carved in high relief1 a commingling of 
human and animal forms4 ,each one       
illustrates some hero tale or important 
incident in the early life of the       
family1 or a tradition of the wanderings
 and antics of ,yehlh1 the ,raven with  
whom they claim a certain relationship4 
,each post is named from the story told4
 ,they are of red cedar1 brought from   
the south1 and were carved by a         
,tsimshian who also carved the figures  
on the faces of the retaining timbers of
 the first platform4 ,for all of this   

work he received in payment ten slaves1 
fifty dressed moose-skins1 and a number 
of blankets4  ,besides these there were 
four other posts known as ,teetle-,gars 
,dog salmon post4 ,they presented a     
slightly rounded surface1 carved in low 
relief1 painted in dull colors1 inlaid  
with opercula and representing1 as the  
name indicated1 the dog salmon4 ,they   
were much decayed and only two were     
standing at the height of the upper     
platform at the sides in #ahhe4 ,they   
had been used originally as interior    
posts in some house but had passed their
 period of usefulness and were preserved
 simply as relics of the past4          
,,detail ,,of ,,the ,,house ,,posts4    
,,gonakatate-,,gars4   ,the carved      
interior post to the right of the       
doorway entering was known as           
,gonakatate-,gars and told a story of   
,yehlh1 the ,raven4 7,plate #c;a47      
,gonakatate was believed to be a great  
sea monster1 half animal and half fish1 
variously represented according to the  

imagination of the artist1 but generally
 shown with fore feet1 a characteristic 
dorsal fin1 and the tail of a fish1 but 
again it is said that in rising from the
 water it appeared as a beautifully     
ornamented house front4 ,it brought     
great good fortune to one who saw it4   
,the principal figure extending from    
near the top to the bottom with front   
and hind paws represents this monster   
holding a whale by the flipper with the 
tail in its mouth and the head between  
the hind feet1 for the ,gonakatate is   
believed to capture and eat whales4 ,the
 figure of a woman on the back of the   
whale is called ,stah-ka-dee-,shawut    
which is an older name of the           
,qwash-qwa-kwan1 a family that came from
 the interior and settled on the coast  
about ,yakutat1 and as the scene of this
 adventure is placed thereabouts and    
with the matriarchal system the woman   
would indicate the family4 ,the use of  
her figure would serve to mark the      
locality which is the only explanation  

for her appearance4  ,in the blow hole  
of the whale is the head of the ,raven  
which is the significant feature of the 
whole carving that illustrates the      
story4 ,the smaller head at the top1    
ornamented with human hair is called    
,gonakatate-,yuttee1 ,gonakatate's      
child1 that holds the head of the hawk  
in its paws4 ,while the hawk is an      
emblem of the family1 these figures are 
merely ornamental and have no connection
 with the story4  ,the story of the     
,gonakatate-,gars is as follows3--      
,during the wanderings of ,yehlh ,raven 
along the coast of ,alaska above the    
mouth of the ,alsech ,river1 he saw a   
whale blowing1 far out to sea1 and being
 always hungry he greatly wanted to     
capture it1 but he had neither spear nor
 line and only his fire bag of flint1   
stone1 and tinder4 ,he thought that he  
might kill the whale if he could only   
get inside1 so when it came up to       
breathe he flew in the blow hole and    
reaching the stomach1 struck a light1   

and made a fire that soon killed it4    
,when it floated inshore and was rolled 
on the beach by the breakers1 he tried  
to escape as he had entered1 but the    
blow hole had partly closed and he could
 only get his head out4 ,he saw a young 
man coming down to the shore and he     
commenced to sing in a loud voice4 ,this
 greatly surprised him and he hastened  
back to the camp to tell the old people 
that there was strange singing in a     
stranded whale1 which brought all the   
villagers to the scene1 and they        
proceeded to cut open the whale at the  
blow hole when the ,raven flew out      
singing khoonee1 khoonee1 cleaned out   
the blow hole4 ,when the people had cut 
up the whale and tried out the blubber  
into grease the ,raven returned in human
 form1 and asked them how they got the  
whale1 and if they had heard singing    
within1 for he told them that long ago  
this had happened in his country1 and   
all of those who ate the grease had     
died4 ,this so frightened the people    

that they left the grease boxes on the  
shore and returned to the village1 when 
the ,raven sat down and ate all the     
grease they had prepared4               
,,duck-,,toolh-,,gars4  ,the carved     
interior post1 to the left of the       
doorway entering1 was named             
,duck-toolh-,gars1 and illustrates a    
hero tale of the family that occurred   
before their northern migration4 ,the   
human figure represents ,duck-toolh     
,black-skin 7typifying strength71       
tearing the sealion in two4 ,the head at
 the base symbolizes the rock island on 
which the sealion hauled1 when this     
incident took place4 ,the head of       
,duck-toolh is wrapped around with      
sealion intestines and is ornamented    
with human hair hanging down over the   
face4 ,the sealion forms the central    
figure2 the protruding tongue indicates 
death1 as the body is split in half4    
,the fore flippers are parallel with the
 body under the man's forearms and the  
back flippers rest on his shoulders4    

,it is said that in the early life of   
the ,kon-nuh-hut-di1 before their       
migration north1 when they lived on the 
west coast of ,prince of ,wales ,island1
 at or near the present site of ,klawak1
 at ,tuck-anee just by the outside from 
which the inhabitants took the local    
name ,tuck-an-a-di outside country      
people from their home on the ocean     
coast1 there was a young man1 the nephew
 of the chief1 named ,duck-toolh        
,black-skin1 but nicknamed ,at-kaharsee 
nasty man from his generally dirty      
condition4  ,the villagers depended     
largely upon the flesh of the sealion   
for food1 its hide was used for armor   
and other economic purposes while the   
whisker bristles were greatly prized for
 the crown of the ceremonial headdress4 
,these animals were found in great      
numbers on a rocky island far to seaward
 7supposed to have been ,foresters      
,island71 but the ocean passage in their
 frail canoes was very dangerous and    
with their primitive spears and clubs it

 took courage and strength to succeed in
 the hunt1 and so they prepared         
themselves for the undertaking by much  
exercise1 and hardened their bodies by  
sea bathing in the early morning        
throughout the winter4 ,but ,duck-,toolh
 seemingly practised none of these      
things1 he slept late and although of   
great size was looked upon as lazy and  
weak until he became the laughing stock 
even of the children4 ,in the household 
was a powerful man named ,kash-ka-di1   
who in passing for his morning plunge   
would kick ,duck-toolh and call him by  
his nickname1 which he never resented4  
,upon coming out of the water each      
morning the bathers would test their    
strength by trying to pull up and break 
smaller trees4 ,all of this time        
,duck-toolh was shamming1 for every     
night after all had gone to sleep he    
would steal out and sit in the ice cold 
water by the hour1 and coming out would 
beat himself with bundles of brush to   
keep up his circulation1 then he would  

enter the house and throwing a little   
water on the hot coals to make steam1   
and wrapping himself in his bark mat    
would lie down and go to sleep in the   
ashes which covered his body and gave   
him his nickname4 ,one night while he   
was sitting in the water he heard a     
whistle1 and saw a heavily built man    
rise out of the sea4 ,he came to him and
 told him to get up1 when he whipped him
 on the back four times and with each   
stroke he fell down4 ,then he gave      
,duck-toolh the sticks and told him to  
whip him1 which had no effect upon him  
and he said1 ,you have not gained       
strength yet4 ,this operation was again 
repeated which gave ,duck-toolh great   
strength1 and then they wrestled with   
each other1 but neither could throw the 
other4 ,the strange man said1 ,now you  
are very powerful ,i have given you my  
strength1 when a heavy fog suddenly     
drove in from the sea and enveloped him 
and he disappeared4 ,then ,duck-toolh   
ran about and broke the limbs off the   

trees with little effort1 but he put    
them together again and they froze in   
place for he did not want any one to    
know that strength had come to him4 ,he 
felt very happy1 and was very willing to
 do anything for any one or to accept   
the ridicule and abuse heaped upon him4 
,in the morning1 ,kash-ka-di1 after     
coming out of the water1 ran about      
trying his strength and he took the     
great limb that was stuck together in   
his hands and pulled it apart4 ,he      
boasted to everyone that strength had   
come to him and that he was ready now to
 go out against the sealion4 ,duck-toolh
 said1 ,yes1 he would go too1 which made
 every one laugh4 ,even the girls made  
fun of him and asked him what he could  
do1 for he was like them1 and he said   
that he could bail the canoe1 which was 
a woman's or child's work4 ,he washed   
and put on clean clothes and going to   
his grandmother said1 ,you have no      
tlhan1 7strips of fur woven into        
blankets72 you have no da 7martin skin74

 ,she answered1 ,yes and gave him a     
strip of fur with which he tied up his  
front hair1 taken in a bunch 7this was  
done when one felt angry71 and he dabbed
 his mouth with red paint1 but still the
 people laughed at him1 although he     
looked like a chief4 ,then the canoe    
started for the sealion grounds and     
while ,kash-ka-di boasted of his great  
strength and what he would do1          
,duck-toolh sat silently in the bottom  
of the canoe4 ,when they reached the    
rocks ,kash-ka-di jumped out and        
grabbing a great sealion by its hind    
flippers tried to tear it in two1 but he
 was thrown high in the air and killed  
on the rocks4 ,then ,duck-toolh laughed 
and said1 ,who broke the tree1 ,i break 
it1 and he jumped on the rock and       
grabbed the sealion and tore it apart1  
beat the brains out of the smaller ones1
 and for some unknown reason he wound   
the intestines of the animals around his
 head4 ,then they loaded the canoe with 
the carcasses and returned home and     

everyone knew that ,duck-toolh was      
strength and he became a very powerful  
and wealthy man4 ,some versions of this 
story say that he remained alone on the 
island for some time during which the   
spirit of the doctor came to him1 but my
 informant knew nothing of this4        
,,yehlh-,,gars4  ,the carved post on the
 right of the ornamental screen was     
named ,yehlh-,gars ,raven ,post1 and    
told the story of the capture of ,ta the
 king salmon4 ,the main figure shows the
 ,raven in human form holding a head    
with a projecting blade-like tongue1    
which is known as ,tsu-hootar jade adze4
 ,at the bottom is the head of a fish   
which should have been that of the king 
salmon1 but through a mistake of the    
carver it resembles more nearly that of 
the sculpin4 ,coming out of the mouth of
 the ,raven is a bird form called       
,tu-kwut-lah-,yehlh1 telling lies raven1
 which symbolizes the lies the ,raven   
told to the little birds mentioned in   
the story4 7,plate #d;a47  ,many of the 

myths relative to the later wanderings  
of the ,raven after the release of the  
elements necessary to life on the earth1
 and particularly those in connection   
with animals1 represent him as always   
hungry1 unscrupulous and deceptive1 and 
friendly only for selfish purposes4 ,in 
the early spring before the salmon had  
come into the rivers1 or the berries had
 ripened on the mountain sides1 the     
season of little food1 ,yehlh happened  
to be on the seashore near ,dry ,bay and
 very hungry4 ,he saw a king salmon     
jumping in the ocean and he commenced to
 plan how he could take it1 for he had  
neither canoe1 spear1 nor line4 ,going  
back from the shore he found in a       
deserted camp a piece of an old         
cedarbark mat1 an old woven spruce root 
hat1 an eagle skin1 and a jade adze     
tsu-hootar4 ,putting on the hat1 folding
 the mat about his body1 and dressing   
his hair with eagle down1 he took the   
jade and seating himself on a big       
boulder at the edge of the water said to

 the salmon1 ,tsu-hootar is calling you 
bad names1 he says that you have an ugly
 black mouth and that you are afraid to 
come up to the shore4 ,this so enraged  
the salmon that he came towards the     
shore1 when ,tehlh said1 ,wait a little1
 ,i have to go to the woods for he had  
no club and the salmon must always be   
killed by striking it on the head with a
 club4 ,when he returned1 he again      
reviled the salmon and when it came and 
jumped in shallow water he killed it4   
,he then kindled a fire with his rubbing
 sticks and prepared the fish for       
cooking4 ,in the meantime many small    
birds came around hoping to get         
something to eat1 and the ,raven sent   
them off to gather skunk cabbage leaves 
to wrap the fish in1 but those that they
 brought he condemned as too small or   
smelling bad1 and told them to go to the
 far mountain where the proper kind     
grew4 ,as soon as they had disappeared  
he wrapped the fish in the discarded    
leaves1 scraped away the fire and the   

gravel beneath1 buried the fish1 and    
covered it with the hot stones and the  
fire4 ,when the fish was cooked1 he ate 
all of it and collecting the bones1     
carefully wrapped them in the old leaves
 and covered them with the fire and when
 the little birds returned with the     
mountain leaves he showed them the      
bones1 saying that the fire had eaten   
the flesh4 ,then all of the birds felt  
very badly1 the little chickadee cried  
bitterly and continually wiping its eyes
 with its feet wore away the feathers   
which ever after showed a white stripe  
from the corners down4 ,the blue jay was
 so angry that he tied up the feathers  
on top of his head which have ever since
 formed a crest1 for when the ,tlingit  
are angry they tie the front hair up in 
a knot2 while the robin in his grief sat
 too close to the fire and burned his   
breast red4   ,,tluke-,,ass-,a-,,gars4  
,the carved post on the left of the     
ornamental screen was named             
,tluke-ass-a-,gars ,wood-worm ,post and 

illustrated a very important happening  
in the early life of the family that is 
believed to have caused the separation  
of the body that first migrated         
northward4 ,the large upper figure      
represents ,ka-kutch-an1 the girl who   
fondled the wood-worm1 which she holds  
in front of her body with both hands4   
,over her head are two wood-worms whose 
heads form her ears4 ,beneath is shown a
 frog in the bill of a crane4 ,the whole
 post symbolizes the tree in which the  
wood-worm lives1 the crane lights on the
 outer surface and the frog lives       
underneath among the roots4  ,it is said
 that in early days in a village that   
would seem to have been near ,klawak1 on
 the west coast of ,prince of ,wales    
,island1 there was a chief of the       
,tlow-on-we-ga-dee family whose wife was
 of the ,kon-nuh-ta-di4 ,they had a     
daughter just reaching womanhood4 ,one  
day after the members of the household  
had returned from gathering firewood1   
the daughter1 picking up a piece of bark

 found a wood-worm which she wrapped up 
in her blanket and carried in the house4
 ,after the evening meal she took it    
into the back compartment and offered it
 some food1 but it would not eat1 and   
then she gave it her breast and it grew 
very rapidly and she became very fond of
 it1 as if it were her child1 and as    
time went on her whole life seemed to be
 absorbed by her pet which she kept     
secreted4 ,her constant abstraction and 
absences grew so noticeable that the    
mother's suspicions were aroused and one
 day she detected her fondling the worm 
that had now grown as large as a person4
 ,she called the chief and they wondered
 greatly for no one had ever seen       
anything like it4 ,as she played with   
the worm she sang to it all the time3-- 
,da-a-a see-ok bus k-e-e-e4             
,tchi-ok kon nok     ,they have small   
faces4           ,sit down here4        
,tu usk-k ka tel kin ka                 
,tchi-ok kon nok     ,they have small   
fat cheeks4      ,sit down here4  ,the  

father told the uncle and he sent for   
his niece and set food before her1 and  
while she ate he stole away to see the  
worm1 which she had hidden behind the   
food chests in the back apartment4 ,that
 evening the uncle called the people    
together and told them that his niece   
had a great living creature             
,kutze-ce-te-ut that might in time kill 
them all and they decided to kill the   
worm4 ,another reason given for the     
destruction of the creature was that it 
was held accountable for the loss of    
much food that had been mysteriously    
disappearing from the grease boxes for  
some time past4  ,the following day the 
aunt invited her to come and sew her    
martin skin robe1 and in her absence the
 men sharpened their long wooden spears 
and going to the house killed the worm4 
,upon her return she cried bitterly and 
said they had killed her child and she  
sang her song night and day until she   
died4 ,then her family left this place  
and migrated north4 ,in commemoration of

 this event the ,tlow-on-we-ga-du family
 display the tail of the worm on their  
dance dress1 pipes1 etc41 as they       
attacked that part1 while the           
,kon-nuh-ta-di display the whole worm   
figure as they killed the head which was
 the most important part4     ,,objects 
,,associated ,,with ,,the ,,house4      
,closely associated with the ,whale     
,house1 and in the keeping of the chief1
 were many ceremonial objects in crest  
form1 that were never exhibited except  
upon such important occasions as when   
the whole family was assembled and much 
property was distributed to those of the
 opposite phratry who had assisted at   
house and grave building1 cremation1    
etc4 ,most prominent among these was a  
great wood feast dish1 and an           
exceptionally large basket4 ,the former 
was known as ,thluke-hotsick wood-worm  
dish1 and as a crest object it told the 
same story as the carved interior post  
previously described4 ,it was hollowed  
out of a tree trunk #ad feet #f inches  

long1 #b feet #f inches wide and #a foot
 high4 ,it was shaped and ornamentally  
carved and painted to represent a       
wood-worm and inlaid along the rounded  
upper edge with opercula4 ,in #ahhe it  
had so far decayed that its usefulness  
was past although it was still displayed
 upon ceremonial occasions 7,fig4 #f74  
,illustration3 ,fig4 #f4 ,wood-worm     
,dish1 as seen in the ,house4  ,the     
basket although at least two generations
 old1 has been carefully cared for so   
that it is in an excellent state of     
preservation4 ,it is named ,kuhk-claw   
basket mother on account of its great   
size1 measuring #cc inches in both      
height and diameter4 ,it was woven of   
split spruce root in cylindrical form1  
by a woman of the family1 in the        
characteristic weave of the ,chilkat1   
where alternate spirals of woof are in  
the double twining and plaiting1 giving 
a rough and irregular appearance to the 
wall surface4 ,the only variation on the
 outside are four short darker colored  

lines of weave which mark its capacity  
at different heights as we mark a       
commercial measure4 ,it is fitted with  
twisted root handle for carriage4 ,both 
of these receptacles were used at       
feasts1 filled with native food1 and are
 generally known throughout southeastern
 ,alaska4     ,,the ,,present ,,whale   
,,house4   ,in #ahii this house and     
,yehlh-hit 7,raven7 ,house adjoining    
were torn down and preparations for the 
erection of new buildings were gotten   
under way1 and in the winter of #aija1  
after the walls were up and the roof on1
 a great potlach was given by the       
,kon-nuh-ta-di1 to the three ,wolf      
families of the opposite phratry in the 
tribe and the ,ka-gwan-tan of ,sitka1 in
 which over ten thousand dollars in     
property1 food1 and money were          
distributed4 ,the head chief of the     
family the master of the whale house    
,yehlh-guou ,raven's slave1 welcomed his
 guest upon landing1 wearing the ,raven 
hat4 ,the new house although modern in  

form and of two stories took the old    
name1 and it stands today windowless and
 doorless1 the interior grown up in     
weeds1 a monument of the last great     
potlatch of the ,chilkat1 as the chief  
died soon afterwards and his successor  
has neither the means to finish it nor  
the desire to live in it and the        
elaborate carvings have never been      
placed but are stored and will probably 
so remain4     ,,plate #a4  ,decorative 
figures carved in bas-relief on the face
 of the retaining timbers supporting the
 two interior superimposed platforms4   
,for their positions in the house see   
,fig4 #f4 ,the three upper figures      
represent the native hammered copper    
plate1 ,tinneh1 which was an important  
feature in the ceremonial life of the   
,northwest ,coast and was the most      
valued of possessions1 while that below 
was said to symbolize ,kee-war-kow1 the 
highest heaven4 7,see p4 #bb47          
,illustration3 ,,plate #a4  ,,plate #b4 
,carved and painted screen at the back  

of the house partitioning off the       
chief's apartment4 ,it is called        
,su-kheen1 or rain wall4 ,the central   
figure with outstretched arms represents
 the ,rain ,spirit1 while the small     
crouching figures in the border are     
called ,su-cou-nutchee1 raindrops splash
 up1 or the splash of falling drops     
after striking the ground4  ,a portion  
of the screen has been broken off and   
the otherwise unsymmetrical form of the 
drawing is due to photographic          
distortion4 ,its position in the house  
is indicated by ,fig4 #f4 ,the hole     
through the body of the symbolic figure 
is the door or entrance to the apartment
 behind4 7,see p4 #bc47  ,illustration3 
,,plate #b4  ,,plate #c4  a ,carved     
interior post to the right of the       
entrance1 ,gonakatate-,gars1            
representing the mythical sea monster   
that brings good fortune to one who sees
 it and illustrates a story in the early
 wanderings of ,yehlh1 the ,raven4 ,at  
the top is ,gonakatate's child who holds

 a hawk in its paws4 ,next is the head  
of ,gonakatate1 the principal figure    
whose body extends to the bottom of the 
post4 ,he holds in front of him a whale1
 peeping from whose blow hole is the    
head of the ,raven4 ,on the back of the 
whale is the figure of a woman4 7,see p4
 #be47  b ,carved interior post to the  
left of the entrance1 ,duck-,toolh-,gars
 representing the legendary hero1       
,black-,skins rending the sealion4 ,the 
large human figure is ,duck-,toolh1 who 
holds a sealion by the hind flippers4   
,the head at the base of the post       
represents the island upon which he     
stood while tearing the sealion asunder4
 7,see p4 #bf47  ,illustration3 ,,plate 
#c4  ,,plate #d4  a ,carved interior    
post to the right of the decorative     
screen in the rear of the house1        
,yehlh-,gars1 ,raven ,post1 telling the 
story of the ,raven capturing the king  
salmon4 ,the main figure with head at   
the top represents the ,raven1 holding  
the head of ,tsu-hootar1 or jade adze1  

and standing upon the head of a fish4   
,from the mouth of ,raven is issuing a  
bird representing lies4 7,see p4 #bh47  
b ,carved interior post to the left of  
the decorative screen in the rear of the
 house1 ,tluke-ass-a-,gars1 illustrating
 the story of the girl and the          
wood-worm4 ,the human figure above is   
that of ,ka-kutch-an1 the girl who      
fondled the wood-worm4 ,she holds the   
wood-worm in front in her hands4 ,two   
worms are peeping around her head4 ,the 
lower figure represents a crane holding 
a frog in its bill4 7,see p4 #bi47      
,illustration3 ,,plate #d4     ,american
 ,museum of ,natural ,history4          
,,publications ,,in ,,anthropology4     
,in #aijf the present series of         
,anthropological ,papers was authorized 
by the ,trustees of the ,museum to      
record the results of research conducted
 by the ,department of ,anthropology4   
,the series comprises octavo volumes of 
about #cej pages each1 issued in parts  
at irregular intervals4 ,previous to    

#aijf articles devoted to               
anthropological subjects appeared as    
occasional papers in the ,bulletin and  
also in the ,memoir series of the       
,museum4 ,a complete list of these      
publications with prices will be        
furnished when requested4 ,all          
communications should be addressed to   
the ,librarian of the ,museum4  ,the    
recent issues are as follows3--         
,volume ,x4     ,i4 ,chipewyan ,texts4  
,by ,pliny ,earle ,goddard4 ,pp4 #a-ff4 
#aiab4 ,price1 #a4jj4    ,,ii4 ,analysis
 of ,cold ,lake ,dialect1 ,chipewyan4   
,by ,pliny ,earle ,goddard4 ,pp4        
#fg-agj1 and #bdi text figures4 #aiab4  
,price1 #a4jj4   ,,iii4 ,chipewyan      
,tales4 ,by ,robert ,h4 ,lowie4 ,pp4    
#aga-bjj4 #aiab4 ,price1 4#be4    ,,iv4 
,the ,beaver ,indians4 ,by ,pliny ,earle
 ,goddard4 ,pp4 #bja-bic1 and #ai text  
figures4 #aiaf4 ,price1 #a4jj4     ,v4  
7,in press47   ,volume ,,xi4     ,i4    
,societies and ,ceremonial ,associations
 in the ,oglala ,division of the        

,teton-,dakota4 ,by ,clark ,wissler4    
,pp4 #a-ii1 and #g text figures4 #aiab4 
,price1 4#ej4    ,,ii4 ,dance           
,associations of the ,eastern ,dakota4  
,by ,robert ,h4 ,lowie4 ,pp4 #aja-adb4  
#aiac4 ,price1 4#be4   ,,iii4 ,societies
 of the ,crow1 ,hidatsa and ,mandan     
,indians4 ,by ,robert ,h4 ,lowie4 ,pp4  
#adc-ceh and #ah text figures4 #aiac4   
,price1 #b4jj4    ,,iv4 ,societies and  
,dance ,associations of the ,blackfoot  
,indians4 ,by ,clark ,wissler4 ,pp4     
#cfc-dfj1 and #bi text figures4 #aiac4  
,price1 #a4jj4     ,v4 ,dancing         
,societies of the ,sarsi ,indians4 ,by  
,pliny ,earle ,goddard4 ,pp4 #dfa-dgd4  
#aiad4 ,price1 4#be4    ,,vi4 ,political
 ,organization1 ,cults1 and ,ceremonies 
of the ,plains-,ojibway and             
,plains-,cree ,indians4 ,by ,alanson    
,skinner4 ,pp4 #dge-edb1 and #aj text   
figures4 #aiad4 ,price1 4#ge4   ,,vii4  
,pawnee ,indian ,societies4 ,by ,james  
,r4 ,murie4 ,pp4 #edc-fdd1 and #ah text 
figures4 #aiad4 ,price1 #a4jj4  ,,viii4 

,societies of the ,arikara ,indians4 ,by
 ,robert ,h4 ,lowie4 ,pp4 #fde-fgh4     
#aiae4 ,price1 4#ej4    ,,ix4 ,societies
 of the ,iowa1 ,kansa1 and ,ponca       
,indians4 ,by ,alanson ,skinner4 ,pp4   
#fgi-hja1 and #e text figures4 #aiae4   
,price1 #a4jj4     ,x4 ,dances and      
,societies of the ,plains ,shoshone4 ,by
 ,robert ,h4 ,lowie4 ,pp4 #hjc-hce4     
#aiae4 ,price1 4#be4    ,,xi4 ,societies
 of the ,kiowa4 ,by ,robert ,h4 ,lowie4 
,pp4 #hcg-hea4 #aiaf4 ,price1 4#be4     
,,xii4 ,general ,discussion of          
,shamanistic and ,dancing ,societies ,by
 ,clark ,wissler4 ,pp4 #hec-hgf4 #aiaf4 
,price1 4#be4  ,,xiii4 7,in             
preparation74   ,volume ,,xii4     ,i4  
,string-figures from the ,patomana      
,indians of ,british ,guiana4 ,by ,frank
 ,e4 ,lutz4 ,pp4 #a-ad4 and #ab text    
figures4 #aiab4 ,price1 4#be4    ,,ii4  
,prehistoric ,bronze in ,south ,america4
 ,by ,charles ,w4 ,mead4 ,pp4 #ae-eb1   
and #d text figures4 #aiae4 ,price1     
4#be4   ,,iii4 ,peruvian ,textiles4 ,by 

,m4 ,d4 ,c4 ,crawford4 ,pp4 #eb-aja1 and
 #bc text figures4 #aiae4 ,price1 4#ej4 
,,iv4 7,in preparation47   ,volume      
,,xiii4     ,i4 ,social ,life and       
,ceremonial ,bundles of the ,menomini   
,indians4 ,by ,alanson ,skinner4 ,pp4   
#a-afe1 and #cj text figures4 #aiac4    
,price1 #a4ej4    ,,ii4 ,associations   
and ,ceremonies of the ,menomini        
,indians4 ,by ,alanson ,skinner4 ,pp4   
#afg-bae1 and #b text figures4 #aiae4   
,price1 4#dj4   ,,iii4 ,folklore of the 
,menomini ,indians4 ,by ,alanson        
,skinner and ,john ,v4 ,satterlee4 ,pp4 
#bag-edf4 #aiae4 ,price1 #a4fj4         
,volume ,,xiv4     ,i4 ,the             
,stefansson-,anderson ,arctic           
,expedition of the ,american ,museum3   
,preliminary ,ethnological ,report4 ,by 
,vilhjalmur ,stefansson4 ,pp4 #a-cgf1   
#id text figures1 and #b maps4 #aiad4   
,price4 #c4ej4    ,,ii4 7,in            
preparation47   ,volume ,,xv4     ,i4   
,pueblo ,ruins of the ,galisteo ,basin1 
,new ,mexico4 ,by ,n4 ,c4 ,nelson4 ,pp4 

#a-abd1 ,plates #a-d1 #ac text figures1 
#a map1 and #g plans4 #aiad4 ,price     
4#ge4    ,,ii4 7,in preparation47       
,volume ,,xvi4     ,i4 ,the ,sun ,dance 
of the ,crow ,indians4 ,by ,robert ,h4  
,lowie4 ,pp4 #a-ej1 and #aa text        
figures4 #aiae4 ,price1 4#ej4    ,,ii4  
7,in preparation47   ,volume ,,xvii4    
,i4 ,riding ,gear of the ,north         
,american ,indians4 ,by ,clark ,wissler4
 ,pp4 #a-ch1 and #bg text figures4      
#aiae4 ,price1 4#ej4    ,,ii4 ,costumes 
of the ,plains-,indians4 ,by ,clark     
,wissier4 ,pp4 #da-ia1 and #bh text     
figures4 #aiae4 ,price1 4#ej4   ,,iii4  
,structural ,basis to the ,decoration of
 ,costumes among the ,plains ,indians4  
,by ,clark ,wissler4 ,pp4 #ic-aad1 and  
#ab text figures4 #aiaf4 ,price1 4#be4  
,,iv4 ,basketry of the ,papago and      
,pima4 ,by ,mary ,lois ,kissell4 ,pp4   
#aae-bfd1 and #ha text figures4 #aiaf4  
,price1 #a4ej4     ,v4 7,in             
preparation47   ,volume ,,xviii4     ,i4
 ,zuni ,potsherds4 ,by ,a4 ,l4 ,kroeber4

 ,pp4 #a-cg1 and #b text figures4 #aiaf4
 ,price1 4#cj4    ,,ii4 7,in            
preparation74   ,volume ,,xix4     ,i4  
,the ,whale ,house of the ,chilkat4 ,by 
,george ,t4 ,emmons4 ,pp4 #a-cc4 ,plates
 ,i-,,iv1 and #f text figures4 #aiaf4   
,price1 #a4jj4    ,,ii4 7,in            
preparation74   ,the ,cosmos ,press1    
,cambridge1 ,massachusetts