INDIANS OF THE QUINAIELT AGENCY. 



277 



waves a largo American flag, the property of tlie deceased, in i^lace of 

 the usual gaily colored or white streamers of calico or other cloth. 







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I IG 7 r\ III ])le of (j>nMn(lt buinl 



The bod}' of an Indian girl who died about a month ago rests in a 

 large ocean canoe, raised on posts, to which it is tied, a white roof cov- 

 ering the coijQn. 



Between tliese two is a grave, to which are nailed rusty pans and 

 crockery, and near by a small one resembling a house, covered with 

 white cloth. These graves with others are on the river bank just across 

 from the village and very near the river's mouth. Others are scattere<l 

 along at short intervals on the Avay up the river. When articles such 

 as shawls are placed in the collin, a narrow strip 2 or 3 inches wide is 

 torn off by some friend ])robabl3' to render the shawl useless and to pre- 

 vent its being stolen. The house in which an Indian dies is sometimes 

 torn down ; recent orders forbid this iiractice now. Instead, a tama- 

 nawas is often kept up in the house for three days after death to drive 

 away the spirit supposed to be still haunting the place. 



They are superstitious concerning owls, believing them to be dead 

 Indians. The idea of eating a robin is regarded with horror, not from 

 any humane feeling, as I liave yet to see an Indian child of this tribe 

 who does not take pleasure in torturing birds and small aninmls. To 

 eat while passing an Indian grave is to cause the mouth to grow awry 

 and so remain ; to use any clothing that belonged to a dead person 

 would be speedy death. Their dances seem to have no special meaning^ 



