BOAS] TSIMSHIAN SOCIETY 537 



an otter and put the infant into the otter skin, and tied each end of 

 the skin so that no water could enter it. Then he put the otter skin 

 into the sea on the beach. When the father saw the child struggling 

 in the otter skin, he went out to the water, took it, and untied it. 

 Then he took the child out. When the child was four years old, the 

 father would kill a wolf and take out the heart. He gave it to the 

 boy to eat raw. The father would also kill a wolverene, take out 

 the heart, and give it to the child to eat raw. Then he took a bee 

 and let him eat it whole. He also killed a porcupine, took out the 

 heart, and gave it to the child to eat raw. When the child had grown 

 up to be a man, he would not fear any one; and he would be brave 

 in battle, like the grizzly bear or some other terrible animal, and he 

 would not die early. 



The Potlatch 



In the preceding remarks I have had to refer repeatedly to the 

 potlatch, the ceremonial distribution of property, which plays a 

 most important part in the life of the Northwest coast Indians. An 

 essential faature of the Tsimshian potlatch and of that of the tribes 

 farther to the south is the opportunity it gives for the public announce- 

 ment of events that are important for the social standing of the indi- 

 vidual. The public announcement gives the legal claim to the social 

 advance made at the time; and the higher the honor claimed, the 

 wider must be the circle of witnesses or the degree of publicity. 

 The first naming of children, and the first steps in their social prefer- 

 ment, are therefore confined to the mother's relatives; or, when 

 services have been rendered to the individual by the father's family, 

 the father's relatives are also invited. At this time the services in 

 question are publicly rendered and publicly paid for. At the same 

 time the recipients of payment are feasted. At more important 

 events all the people of the village are invited; on still greater occasions, 

 all the nine Tsimshian tribes; and on the most important occasions, 

 also members of outside groups, even those of alien speech. In a 

 stricter sense of the term, only the great festivals to which outsiders 

 are invited are called potlatches (yaPlc) . 



By means of a potlatch, particularly by the destruction of property 

 during a potlatch, a loss of prestige, owing to untoward accidents or 

 to objectionable actions, could be made good. Mayne says in regard 

 to this (p. 295) : 



It is astonishing what they will do or suffer in order to establish or maintain dignity. 

 Yesterday a young man fell down and cut himself a little with an ax. On arriving 

 home, his father immediately announced his intention to destroy some property, 

 which was to save his son from any disgrace attached to the accident. When a few 

 people or friends were collected to witness the brave act, the father would carry out 

 his vow, with no small show of vanity. 



