338 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1895. 



FiK. 1. 



POST OF CLAN Sl'siXLAE OF THE NIMKISH 

 AT ALERT BAY. 



(«) The post represents the sun snnnonnt- 

 ing the speaker of the clan. The upper 

 part is carved in the shape of two cop- 

 pers,' the lower one ))einj; painted with 

 the design of ahear. Tlie lower portion of 

 the pole has a rectangular cros.s-section, 

 and is painted with figures representing 

 coppers. 



(6) Side view of sun mask on top of pole. 



Frmu a sketcli made by Ihe author, December, 1886. 



becoming- hereditary in the clan. Owing 

 to the influence of the northern tribes, 

 this maiiitou became attenuated to a 

 crest, which, in consequence of the 

 same influence, no longer descends in the 

 male line, but may be given in mar- 

 riage, so that it descends upon the daugh- 

 ter's children. 

 So far we have 

 considered the 

 clan as a unit. 

 The individu- 

 als composing 

 the clan do not 

 form, however, 

 a homogeneous 

 mass, but ditt'er 

 in rank. All 

 the tribes of the Pacific Coast are divid- 

 ed into a nobility, common people, and 

 slaves. The last of these may be left 

 out of consideration, as they do not 

 form part and parcel of the clan, but 

 are captives made in war, or purchases, 

 and may change ownership as any 

 other piece of property. The clan of the 

 Kwakiutl is so organized that a certain 

 limited number of families are recog- 

 nized. The ancestor of each of these 

 families has a tradition of his own aside 

 from the general clan tradition, and, 

 owing to the i)ossession of the tradi- 

 tion, which almost always concerns the 

 acquisition of a manitou, he has certain 

 crests and i^rivileges of his own. This 

 tradition and the crests and privileges 

 connected with it descended, together 

 with the name of the ancestor, upon his 

 direct descendants in the male line, or, 

 as indicated above, through marriage 

 of his daughter, upon his son-in-law, 

 and through him upon his grandchil- 

 dren. But there is only one man at a 

 time who personates the ancestor and 

 who, consequently, has his rank and 

 privileges. The individuals personat- 

 ing the ancestors form the nobility of 



' See page 314. 



