522 TSIMSHIAN MYTHOLOGY [eth. ann. .".1 



The crests of irregular distribution are few as compared to the 

 typical series. Much of the confusion in the treatment by the three 

 tribes of clans characterized by certain crests is due to the fact that 

 the Tsimshian Raven corresponds to.the Haida Eagle, and that the 

 Haida Eagle and Tlingit Raven correspond to both the Ganha'da 

 (Ravens) and Eagles of the Tsimshian. 1 



Accordingly the Tsimshian Eagles and Ganha'da are considered 

 as Haida Eagles, and in most cases as Tlingit Ravens; the Tsimshian 

 G'ispawadwE'da and Wolves, as Haida Ravens and Tlingit Wolves; '' 

 the Tlingit Nex'A'di correspond to Tsimshian Eagles. If we may rely 

 on tradition and on the evidence of the crests, we shall have to con- 

 clude that the Gun-hu'°t division of the Tsimshian Eagles were 

 Tlingit Nex'A'di. The Tsimshian tradition tells of a war between a 

 Ganha'da and an Eagle village on Copper River, Alaska. Since these 

 two clans correspond to the Tlingit Nex'A'di and Ravens, only these 

 two clans can be meant. Furthermore, the Gun-hu'°t are said to have 

 possessed only the Eagle crest at the time when they started from 

 Alaska, while they acquired the characteristic Eagle crests of the 

 Tsimshian — beaver and halibut during their travels. The crests 

 which they acquired during this time are property of the Tlingit 

 Ravens. 



The Haida and Tsimshian Eagles have much in common. Even 

 one of their clan stories, called in our series " Asdilda and Omen," by 

 the Haida ''The story of the town of DjI'gua," is found among both 

 tribes. Both stories begin with the destruction of the Eagle town 

 of DjI'gua (Dzl'gwa) on Queen Charlotte^ Islands by Djila'quns 

 (Dzila'gans) and the rescue of a princess. They lead to her marriage 

 to a Tsimshian chief. The Tsimshian version tells that the man was 

 a chief of the G'id-wul-g - a'dz (G'ispawadwE'da), and reports the 

 return of some of her children, including a girl; to Queen Charlotte 

 Islands, while another girl staid among the Tsimshian. According 

 to the. Haida version, the chiefs of the. G'i-spa-x-la'°ts and of the 

 Gitlanda' (namely, LEg'e'°x and Saga-gwait) are the descendants 

 of tins woman among the Tsimshian. 3 The statement made by the 

 Sladegate and Masset, to the effect that two of the Eagle crests of the 

 Haida (namely, beaver and weasel) were obtained from the Tsimshian, 

 corroborates the contents of our story. 



The Wolf story, p. 354, agrees with the original tale of the Kake 

 division of the Tlingit. Swanton ascribes the tale particularly to 

 the Raven family Qa'tc.vdi, while, according to the correspondence 

 of clans, it should belong to the Wolf families. 



1 Tstetsia'ut Wolves correspond to the Sanya Wolf family Te'qoedl; their Eagles should therefore 

 correspond to the Nex'A'di. although they mr-dil possibly correspond to the IviksA'di. 



» See Swanton 2, p. 66. 

 I'urinL' (he past century the sister of each LEg*e'°x married Dzeba'sa, a G'ispawadwE'da, and chief of 

 the Git-qxa'la. 



