THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 



421 



performed by the man animals (uu'xnemis) or, as we may say, a drama- 

 tization of the myth. Therefore the people who do not represent spirits, 

 represent these animals. 



As might be supposed from the laws governing the clan system, the 

 "dance" is principally acquired through marriage. Together with 

 the house, the carvings, and names of the father-in-law, the young man 

 obtains his dance name and quc'qutsa name, l)ut not for his own use. 

 They are given to his successor (Lawu'hianu""'), who is initiated in the 

 prescribed way and then performs the ceremony. But the son-in-law 

 of the former owner controls the dance. It can be shown only with 

 his consent, and, when another man marries his daughter, he may take 

 it away from his successor and give it to this person, who then owns 

 and controls it. 



By means of marriages with the Awi'k-'enox and He'iltsuq the num- 

 ber of dances of the Kwakiutl has been materially increased. 



I can now describe the manner in which these privileges which are 

 obtained by marriage are transferred by a man to his son-in-law. I 

 stated previously (p. 

 359) that according 

 to the number of 

 children of the couple 

 the purchase money 

 which was given by 

 the young man to his 

 father-in-law at the 

 time of marriage is 

 returned with from 

 100 to 300 per cent of 

 interest. As the time approaches when this money must be returned, the 

 father-in-law calls in all his outstanding debts and gathers all his prop- 

 erty, until he has a large stock of food, blankets, boxes, dishes, spoons, 

 kettles, bracelets, coppers, and the ceremonial box lids (g-i'sExstala or 

 koqetaya'no). These are old lids of boxes, some evidently of very great 

 age. Their shape is the same as that of the lids which are still in use, but 

 thefront part is much higherand painted with designs representiiigfaces 

 and set with sea-otter teeth (fig. 41). The bracelets are tied to sticks, ten 

 to each stick ; besides the large coppers, small ones, about an inch or two 

 in length, are used. Four of these are tied together and to the end of a 

 stick. When the father-in-law has collected the necessary amount of 

 property, he is ready for theceremony of the return of the purchase money 

 (qaute'x-a). This may be done either in the ba'xus season or during the 

 ts'e'ts'aeqa. The ceremonies at both seasons are much alike. I wjll 

 describe here the former, as the latter form a part of the winter cere- 

 monial. The father-in-law calls his clan together.' They all come, and 



Fig. 41. 



G-I'SEXSTALA, CEREMONIAL BOX LID. 



A, No. 1128, Royal Ethnographical M 



Berlii 



' Saying to his messengers, Ilag-a Le'lala XEus nK'nit-'miita. 

 Go call our clan. 



