﻿212 
  JOURNAL 
  OF 
  THE 
  WASHINGTON 
  ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES 
  VOL. 
  12, 
  NO. 
  8 
  

  

  and 
  then 
  the 
  limbs 
  are 
  cut 
  over 
  at 
  all 
  joints 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  knee 
  and 
  elbow 
  

   joint, 
  the 
  head 
  separated, 
  and 
  several 
  deep 
  cuts 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  body. 
  

   This 
  is 
  then 
  covered 
  with 
  fresh 
  deer 
  meat. 
  The 
  dead 
  has 
  to 
  have 
  his 
  

   sledge, 
  ax, 
  knife, 
  tobacco 
  pipe, 
  and 
  tea-cup 
  with 
  him. 
  On 
  the 
  next 
  

   day, 
  the 
  reindeer 
  herd 
  is 
  taken 
  to 
  the 
  burial 
  place, 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  deer 
  

   are 
  killed, 
  and 
  their 
  antlers 
  gathered 
  into 
  a 
  large 
  heap 
  northwest 
  of 
  the 
  

   burial 
  place. 
  This 
  ceremony 
  is 
  repeated 
  usually 
  three 
  times 
  at 
  intervals 
  

   of 
  one 
  year. 
  Later, 
  the 
  relatives 
  of 
  the 
  dead 
  one 
  will 
  sacrifice 
  a 
  piece 
  

   of 
  meat 
  or 
  what 
  they 
  may 
  have 
  at 
  hand, 
  if 
  they 
  pass 
  the 
  burial 
  place. 
  

   If 
  the 
  dead 
  one 
  has 
  expressed 
  a 
  particular 
  wish 
  for 
  it, 
  his 
  body 
  may 
  be 
  

   burned. 
  

  

  The 
  religion 
  of 
  the 
  Chukchi 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  two 
  fold 
  . 
  They 
  have 
  them- 
  

   selves 
  no 
  idols, 
  but 
  they 
  keep 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  idols 
  for 
  the 
  reindeer. 
  Thus, 
  

   the 
  fire 
  drills 
  used 
  in 
  former 
  times 
  for 
  starting 
  a 
  fire 
  are 
  regarded 
  as 
  

   some 
  of 
  the 
  reindeer's 
  idols. 
  All 
  ceremonies 
  in 
  which 
  these 
  idols 
  play 
  

   a 
  part 
  seem 
  intended 
  only 
  to 
  guard 
  the 
  reindeer 
  from 
  the 
  dangers 
  

   which 
  surround 
  them. 
  Other 
  ceremonies 
  aim 
  to 
  guard 
  the 
  Chukchi 
  

   themselves. 
  They 
  aim 
  to 
  keep 
  away 
  the 
  evil 
  spirits 
  living 
  in 
  the 
  Earth, 
  

   or 
  to 
  reconcile 
  them, 
  and 
  to 
  seek 
  help 
  from 
  the 
  Sun, 
  which 
  seems 
  to 
  

   represent 
  the 
  good 
  powers. 
  In 
  addition, 
  the 
  Chukchi 
  pay 
  attention 
  

   to 
  an 
  endless 
  series 
  of 
  small 
  matters; 
  their 
  superstition 
  is 
  unlimited. 
  

  

  Their 
  conception 
  of 
  the 
  soul 
  or 
  mind 
  is 
  animistic. 
  The 
  soul 
  develops 
  

   with 
  the 
  body; 
  an 
  old 
  man 
  is 
  highly 
  estimated 
  because 
  his 
  soul 
  is 
  

   great. 
  At 
  death, 
  the 
  soul 
  separates 
  from 
  the 
  body 
  and 
  goes 
  to 
  the 
  

   northwest, 
  where 
  it 
  lives 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  shadow 
  life. 
  It 
  can, 
  however, 
  

   communicate 
  with 
  the 
  living, 
  and 
  the 
  Chukchi 
  believe 
  that 
  dogs 
  act 
  

   as 
  links 
  between 
  the 
  living 
  and 
  the 
  dead. 
  

  

  Generally, 
  the 
  Chukchi 
  are 
  perfectly 
  content 
  with 
  their 
  existence; 
  

   they 
  have 
  no 
  desire 
  to 
  leave 
  their 
  country 
  or 
  change 
  their 
  habits. 
  

   They 
  do 
  not 
  care 
  for 
  the 
  outside 
  world, 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  this 
  outside 
  world 
  

   is 
  willing 
  to 
  bring 
  tea 
  and 
  tobacco 
  in 
  exchange 
  for 
  fox-skins. 
  Civiliza- 
  

   tion 
  would 
  not 
  bring 
  them 
  any 
  good, 
  so 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  well 
  if 
  they 
  might 
  

   remain 
  as 
  primitive 
  as 
  they 
  are. 
  

  

  