boas] DESCRIPTION OF THE TSIMSHIAN 419 



child, whom his (supernatural) father called GunaxnesEmga'd." 

 Later she gives a great potlatch and announces this name publicly 

 (1.171). 



In a note on 1.223 the customs relating to naming are described. 

 In a great many cases it is not stated explicitly who gives the name, 

 but the festival of taking the name or of proclaiming the name is 

 mentioned. Thus it is said (26S) that a great name is given to a 

 woman; a boy takes a name publicly (274); a boy and a girl take 

 names publicly (277) ; a man takes or is given a great name (232, 306, 

 1.143, 1.191); a girl receives a woman's name (243). 



After the names have been established, individuals take names 

 belonging to their families. A boy takes his uncle's name (267), and 

 a man takes his mother's eldest uncle's name (312). 



It remains here to state what we can learn regarding the relations 

 between the clans. The towns are the property of certain clans. 

 Thus we hear of a Raven town, an Eagle town, and a Wolf town in 

 Metlakahtla (272, 306), and of an Eagle and a Raven town on opposite 

 sides of a river (270). 



On the other hand, it is stated that the chief's brothers-in-law have 

 their hous'es on each side of the chief's house (234), so that in this 

 case these must be house owners belonging to at least two clans in 

 the village. 



. Rivalry and hostdity between clans is the theme of many tales. 

 Examples are the tale of the war between the Eagles and Ganha'da 

 in Alaska (270), the Eagles and GispawadwE'da in Gits lEinga'lon 

 (253), between Eagles and Wolves in Metlakahtla (307), in the Nass 

 version the conflict between the Gi-t-g-inio'x and GispawadwE'da 

 (N221). 



Sometimes a clan, on being defeated, would seek a new home in a 

 distant country (270), or the survivors would flee to then- clan fellows 

 in a neighboring tribe, as the G - its lEinga'lon Eagles to the Nass 

 Eagles (253, also 354). We hear of the Wolf Clan that after a war 

 with the Eagles (316) they were scattered over all the villages. 



Family Life 



Families. — In many cases families are spoken of, consisting of sev- 

 eral brothers and one sister. Thus we find mentioned a chief who 

 has four sons and one daughter (278, 1.115, 1.121, 1.193), and another 

 family consisting of four brothers and one sister (216); a chief who 

 has four sons and two daughters (1.213), another one who has five 

 sons and one daughter, the daughter being the youngest child N 98; 

 others who have sLx sons and one daughter (140, 161) ; another family 

 of many brothers and one sister (154); also a chief who has one son 

 and one daughter (260). In quite a number of instances we find a 

 number of sons and two daughters, three sons and two daughters 



