304 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [eth.ann. 18 



murderer tlieii calmly returned to the village as though nothing had 

 happened. In the course of the next twenty-four hours the man who 

 had been beaten managed to crawl back to the village, where, after a 

 long illness, he finally recovered, but was badly crippled for life. The 

 one who had done the killing made no further effort to molest him, ajid 

 no one attempted to avenge him for the murder of the other three men. 

 The murderer and the survivor continued to live in the same village 

 for years. 



The Alaskan Eskimo, so far as I observed, have no recognized chiefs 

 except such as gain a certain intiuence over their fellow-villagers 

 through superior shrewdness, wisdom, age, wealth, or shamanism. 

 The old men are listened to with respect, and there are usually one 

 or more in each village who by their extended acquaintance with the 

 traditions, customs, and rites connected Mith the festivals, as well as 

 being possessed of an unusual degree of common sense, are deferred to 

 and act as chief advisers of the community. 



On the lower Yukon and beyond to Kuskokwim river such leaders 

 are termed nas-hiik, meaning literally "the head." Among the Unalit 

 Eskimo they are called (in-ai-yu-JcdJc, "the one to whom all listen." 



These terms are also applied to men who gain a leadership by means 

 of their greater shrewdness, whereby they become possessed of more 

 property than their fellows, and by a judicious distribution of food 

 and their superior force of character obtain a higher standing and a 

 certain following among the people. 



The man who has accumulated much property, but is without ability 

 to guide his fellows, is referred to merely as a rich man or tu-gii. 



All Eskimo villages have a headman, whose influence is obtained 

 through the general belief of his fellow villagers in his superior ability 

 and good judgment. These men possess no fixed authority, but are 

 respected, and their directions as to the movements and occupations of 

 the villagers are generally heeded. 



In some cases a headman may be succeeded by his son when the 

 latter has the necessary qualities. An example of this was the Eskimo 

 najned Tal ya-li\k, the headman at Unalaklit, whose father had been 

 one of the best headmen in that region. 



In some villages, where trading stations are established, the traders 

 are accustomed to make a sort of chief by choosing men who are 

 friendly to the whites, and who at the same time have a certain amount 

 of influence among their people. In order to have any standing in a 

 position of this kind a man must be endowed with a greater amount 

 of good sense and ability than the majority of his fellows. Usually 

 these headmen have greater force of character than their associates 

 and are either feared or liked by them; in either case their position is 

 assured. If at anytime another man shows superior ability or skill in 

 promoting the welfare of the village, the older leader may be replaced 

 by common consent. 



