﻿INDIAlSr 
  VILLAGES 
  OF 
  ALASKA 
  KRIEGER 
  477 
  

  

  Food 
  and 
  animal 
  resources. 
  — 
  The 
  larger 
  land 
  mammals, 
  such 
  as 
  

   the 
  elk 
  and 
  moose, 
  do 
  not 
  occur 
  on 
  the 
  islands, 
  nor 
  do 
  mountain 
  sheep 
  

   or 
  mountain 
  goat 
  frequent 
  the 
  larger 
  islands 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  past. 
  These 
  

   animals 
  are 
  hunted, 
  however, 
  on 
  the 
  adjacent 
  coast 
  range 
  of 
  British 
  

   Columbia. 
  Hunting 
  expeditions 
  are 
  undertaken 
  by 
  the 
  Tlingit 
  and 
  

   the 
  Haida 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  obtain 
  meat, 
  furs, 
  and 
  antlers 
  for 
  making 
  

   their 
  dishes, 
  ornaments, 
  and 
  implements. 
  Bear 
  and 
  deer 
  are 
  gen- 
  

   erally 
  distributed 
  over 
  the 
  islands, 
  and 
  smaller 
  mammals, 
  such 
  as 
  

   the 
  beaver, 
  mink, 
  and 
  others, 
  are 
  also 
  hunted 
  and 
  trapped. 
  

  

  A 
  number 
  of 
  varieties 
  of 
  sea 
  mammals 
  as 
  seals, 
  sealions, 
  and 
  

   whales, 
  including 
  the 
  killer 
  whale, 
  were 
  formerly 
  abundant. 
  The 
  

   sea 
  otter 
  and 
  the 
  fur 
  seal 
  were 
  hunted 
  many 
  miles 
  from 
  shore 
  in 
  

   the 
  open 
  waters 
  of 
  Dixon 
  Entrance 
  by 
  the 
  Kaigani 
  Haida 
  of 
  Prince 
  

   of 
  Wales 
  Island. 
  Varieties 
  of 
  migrator}^ 
  birds 
  and 
  wild 
  io\A 
  are 
  

   prized 
  but 
  are 
  difficult 
  to 
  trap. 
  Wild 
  geese 
  are 
  caught 
  after 
  they 
  

   have 
  shed 
  their 
  large 
  wing 
  feathers 
  and 
  are 
  unable 
  to 
  fly. 
  Wild 
  fowl 
  

   are 
  also 
  hunted 
  at 
  night 
  with 
  torches 
  and 
  are 
  killed 
  with 
  clubs. 
  

  

  Hie 
  salmon 
  and 
  its 
  hiiportance 
  in 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  natives. 
  — 
  Both 
  

   Haida 
  and 
  Tlingit 
  traveled 
  far 
  in 
  season 
  to 
  obtain 
  food. 
  Journeys 
  

   of 
  hundreds 
  of 
  miles 
  Avere 
  undertaken 
  in 
  their 
  huge 
  war 
  canoes, 
  

   often 
  for 
  the 
  mere 
  love 
  of 
  adventure, 
  but 
  usually 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  new 
  

   fishing 
  grounds 
  or 
  to 
  carry 
  on 
  trade 
  with 
  the 
  tribes 
  of 
  the 
  mainland. 
  

  

  The 
  Indian 
  had 
  to 
  follow 
  the 
  salmon 
  to 
  its 
  new 
  habitat 
  whenever, 
  

   for 
  unlaiown 
  reasons, 
  it 
  migrated 
  to 
  different 
  spawning 
  places 
  far 
  

   from 
  those 
  near 
  the 
  Indian's 
  ancestral 
  village. 
  In 
  his 
  quest 
  for 
  food 
  

   tlie 
  Alaska 
  Indian 
  was 
  often 
  forced 
  to 
  abandon 
  his 
  Avell-established 
  

   winter 
  town 
  with 
  its 
  large 
  framed 
  houses 
  of 
  split 
  cedar 
  slabs 
  and 
  

   decorative 
  totem 
  poles. 
  

  

  The 
  salmon 
  formerly 
  entered 
  every 
  inlet 
  and 
  stream 
  on 
  their 
  way 
  

   to 
  spawn 
  in 
  the 
  fresh 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  inland 
  brooks 
  and 
  rivers. 
  There 
  

   are 
  several 
  varieties 
  of 
  salmon 
  — 
  the 
  king, 
  silver, 
  sock-eye, 
  humpback, 
  

   and 
  dog 
  salmon. 
  The 
  humpback 
  is 
  cured 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  by 
  the 
  

   natives 
  for 
  winter 
  use. 
  The 
  humpback 
  and 
  dog 
  salmon 
  are 
  caught 
  

   in 
  shallow 
  streams, 
  while 
  the 
  king 
  and 
  silver 
  salmon 
  are 
  caught 
  with 
  

   hook 
  and 
  line 
  or 
  with 
  net. 
  Formerly, 
  salmon 
  were 
  never 
  caught 
  on 
  

   a 
  hook, 
  although 
  the 
  silver 
  salmon 
  was 
  caught 
  with 
  harpoons. 
  Troll- 
  

   ing 
  has 
  been 
  introduced, 
  where 
  formerly 
  the 
  salmon 
  were 
  speared 
  or 
  

   caught 
  in 
  nets 
  at 
  the 
  mouths 
  of 
  streams. 
  Weirs 
  were 
  placed 
  farther 
  

   up 
  the 
  streams 
  and 
  the 
  salmon 
  were 
  either 
  speared 
  or 
  dipped 
  out 
  

   with 
  scoop 
  or 
  dip 
  nets. 
  Since 
  the 
  advent 
  of 
  the 
  canneries 
  and 
  the 
  

   distribution 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  fishing 
  grounds 
  among 
  the 
  large 
  fishing 
  

   concerns, 
  the 
  Indian 
  has 
  had 
  to 
  discontinue 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  seines 
  which 
  

   he 
  formerly 
  worked 
  on 
  shares. 
  

  

  When 
  caught, 
  the 
  salmon 
  are 
  turned 
  over 
  to 
  the 
  women, 
  who 
  clean 
  

   them 
  by 
  cutting 
  off 
  the 
  head, 
  slitting 
  the 
  fish 
  down 
  the 
  back, 
  remov- 
  

  

  