44 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ass. 31 



The Tsimshian call the southern Tlingit G-'td-gane'dz; the Hai'da, 

 Haida; the Xa'isla (the most northern branch of the Kwakiutl 

 tribes), G-it'.ama't; the G'imanoi'tx (the branch of this tribe living 

 on Gardner Channel), G'it-te'°p; the BellabelJa, Wutsda'. 



Material Culture 



The Tsimshian, who belong to the northern group of tribes, inhabit 

 the valleys of Nass and Skeena Rivers and the channels and islands 

 southward as far as Milbank Sound. They are fishermen, who subsist 

 partly on the salmon that ascend the rivers of the coast in great num- 

 bers; partly on deep-sea fishery, which is prosecuted on the codfish 

 and halibut banks off the coast. At the same time they hunt seals 

 and sea lions, and use the whales that drift ashore. The people of the 

 villages along the river courses and deep fiords of the mainland are 

 also energetic hunters, who pursue particularly the mountain goat, 

 but also the bear and the deer. Vegetable diet is not by any means 

 unimportant. Large quantities of berries are picked in summer and 

 preserved for winter use in the form of cakes. The sap of the hemlock 

 and some species of kelp are also dried and stored away for use in the 

 winter season. The olachen is sought for eagerly, and early in spring 

 all the subdivisions of the Tsimshian tribe assemble on Nass River, 

 which is the principal olachen river of the northern part of the coast. 

 This fish is caught particularly on account of its oil, which is tried 

 out and kept in boxes. 



Mr. Duncan, the well-known missionary to the Tsimshian, gives 

 in one of his letters the following description of the preparation of 

 olachen, as witnessed by him at- Nass River: 1 



''In a general way." he says, "I found each house had a pit near it, about three 

 feetdeepandsixoreightincliessquare. filled with the little fish. I found some Indians 

 making boxes to put the grease in, others cutting firewood, and others (women and 

 children i stringing the fish and hanging them up to dry in the sun; while others, and 

 they the greater number, were making fish grease. The process is as follows: Make 

 a large fire, plant four or five heaps of stones as big as your hand in it; while these are 

 heating fill a few baskets with rather stale fish, and get a tub of water into the house. 

 When the stones are red-hot bring a deep box. about 18 inches square (the sides of 

 which are all one piece of wood I, near the fire, and put about half a gallon of the fish 

 into it and as much fresh water, then three or four hot stones, using wooden tongs. 

 Repeat the doses again, then stir the whole up. Repeat them again, stir again; take 

 out the cold stones and place them in the fire. Proceed in this way until the box is 

 nearly full, then let the whole cool, and commence skimming off the grease. While 

 this is cooking, prepare another boxful in the same way. In doing the third, use, 

 instead of fresh water, the liquid from the first box. On coming to the refuse of the 

 boiled fish in the box, which is still pretty warm, let it be put into a rough willow- 

 basket; then let an old woman, for the purpose of squeezing the liquid from it, lay 

 it on a wooden grate sufficiently elevated to let a wooden box stand under; then let 



1 (Juoted by Mayne, pp. W4-2.V1, from a letter to the Church Missionary Society. 



