HUNTING AND FISHING EACES 151 



Interior a bitter feud was always in existence,' says Nelson, 1 who 

 is confirmed by Bancroft, 2 Hall, 3 and Ellis. 4 Of the Malemutes 

 we are told that ' the occupants of the several islands are almost 

 constantly at war '. 6 



It is among the American Indians both in the North and South 

 that we find war to be more frequent and sanguinary than else- 

 where. Certain tribes are more peaceful than others, but in the 

 lives of only a few did war play an unimportant part. In addition 

 to the evidence of actual fighting we have, what is suggestive in 

 this connexion, many accounts of the large part which martial 

 training played in the upbringing of these races. ' The whole 

 force of public opinion in our Indian communities ', says School- 

 craft, ' is concentrated upon this point, its early Lodge teachings, 

 its dances, its religious rites, the harangues of prominent actors 

 made at public assemblies, all, in fact, that serves to awaken and 

 fire ambition in the mind of the savage, is clustered about the idea 

 of future distinction in war.' 6 'They are', says an eighteenth- 

 century traveller, * early possessed with the notion that war ought 

 to be the chief business of their lives.' 7 And war does play a very 

 large part in their lives. ' All Indian tribes are frequently at war 

 with one another,' says Harmon. 8 The Thlinkeet are often at war 9 

 and the same applies to all the tribes of the Pacific Coast, including 

 the Haidahs, 10 the Ahts, 11 and the Kwakiutl. 12 Among some of 

 these tribes, however, as, for example, the Chinooks, 13 frequent as 

 fighting may be, it is not very sanguinary. The Northern tribes 

 of the interior we have seen to be at war with the Eskimos from 

 time to time, and we are told that among themselves it is practi- 

 cally continuous. 14 The Inland tribes are perhaps somewhat less 

 warlike, 15 though the accounts of the Shushwap, 16 Lillooets, 17 and 

 Thompson Indians 18 give the impression of tribes among whom 

 fighting and fighting of a severe kind is by no means infrequent. 



1 Nelson, loc. cit., p. 237. 2 Bancroft, loc. cit., vol. i, p. 120. 3 Hall, 



loc. cit., p. 598. 4 Ellis, loc. cit., p. 182. 5 Bancroft, loc. cit., vol. i, 



p. 91. 6 Schoolcraft, loc. cit., vol. ii, p. 57. See also ibid., vol. iii, p. 64. 



7 Carver, Travels, p. 229. For accounts of early military training see Domenech, 

 Seven Years' Residence., vol. ii, p. 229, and Dodge, Hunting Grounds of the Great 

 West, p. 256. 8 Harmon, Journal, p. 306. He is speaking in particular of 



the Carrier tribe ; a good account of the methods of fighting is given. 9 Krause, 

 loc. cit., p. 248 ; Swanton, 26th A. R. B. E., p. 449. 10 Niblack, A. R. 8. 1., 



1888, p. 340 ; Swanton, Jesup North Pacific Expedition, vol. v, pp. 55 ff. 

 11 Sproat, loc. cit., p. 59. 12 Boas, A. R. B. E., 1895, p. 425. 13 Mac- 



Kenzie, loc. cit., vol. ii, pp. 123-30. 14 Bancroft, loc. cit., vol. i, p. 236. 



15 Ibid., vol. i, p. 268. Teit, loc. cit., vol. ii, pp. 540 ff. 17 Ibid., p. 



234. w Ibid., vol. i, p. 263. 



