THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS. 581 



Now we fight with button bhiiikets and other kinds of property, smil- 

 ing at each other. Oh, how good is the new time! That is all. Now 

 to these button blankets. Son-in-law, come and stand where I can see 

 yon." Then Nau'aqala stepped to the front of the house and said: 

 "Here I am." LamaLa continued: "I understand that you have no 

 button blankets. Therefore, I thought I might bring you some. Here 

 are six button blankets. I took them from your wife's back. Now 

 come and take them, and do with them as yon please." 



Nau'aqala asked: "What did you say, my father in-law?" Then 

 LamaLa repeated: "I told you, son-in-law, that I had taken six button 

 blankets from the back of your wife and I give them to you. Now 

 come and take them." Nau'aqala spoke : " I will go, for I am not afraid 

 to go and take them. I have given away button blankets three times, 

 and this will be the fourth time. Now I will go and take them." Then 

 he went back to his place and said, turning toward the people: "Oh, 

 my tribe! look at these button blankets and see what I am going to do 

 with them. One of you shall tell me what to do with them." 



To this the old woman who was stauding near the door replied : "My 

 tribe, I want to say a few words to you, and i^articularly to my son, who 

 asked to be told Avhat to do with these blankets. Friends, you all 

 know my name. You knew my father and you know what he did with 

 his property. He was thoughtless and did not care what he did. He 

 gave away or killed slaves; he gave away or burnt his canoes in the 

 fire of the feast house; he gave away sea-otter skins to his rivals in 

 his own tribe or to chiefs of other tribes, or he cut them to pieces. You 

 know that it is true what I say. This, my son, is the road your father 

 laid out for you and on which you must walk. Your father was no 

 common man; he was a true chief among the Koskimo. Do as your 

 fiither did. Either tear up these button blankets or give them to our 

 rival tribe, the Kwakiutl. That is all." 



Lo'Xoaxstaak" arose when she had finished and asked: "Did you 

 hear what our aunt said? I will not block the road my father laid out 

 for me. I will not break the law that my chief laid down for me. I 

 will give these button blankets to my rivals, the Kwakiutl. The war 

 that we are having now is sweet and strong." Then he gave the but- 

 ton blankets to the Kwakiutl; first to Ya'qois, then to the old chiefs. 

 After they had been distributed, Lo'Xoaxstaak" said: "These button 

 blankets are the red cedar bark that I have taken from the head of my 

 ha'mats'a. Next the men brought him 40 white blankets, and he said: 

 "These white blankets are the red cedar bark that 1 have taken from 

 the neck of mj^ ha'mats'a and I am going to give them to you, Kwa- 

 kiutl." He distributed them among the next in rank. Then he took 

 the calico and said: "This is the red cedar bark that I took from the 

 arms and from the legs of my ha/mats'a. I will give it to the women 

 and children of the Kwakiutl." They tore it up, and gave the pieces 

 to the Kwakiutl — first to Y'a'qois, then to the others. 



