HAIDA TEXTS AND MYTHS 



Skidegate Dialect 



Recorded M' 

 John R. Swanton 



INTRODUCTION 



The followino- texts and in3'ths were obtained on the Queen Charlotte 

 ishmds, Britisli Columbia, during the winter of 1900-01. They com- 

 prise all those procured at Skidegate, the more southern of the two 

 towns on these islands still regularl}' occupied, which is made up of 

 people -from a number of towns that formerl}' existed along the eastern 

 and western coasts, whose speech differed in certain particulars from 

 that of the Haida on the northern coast. Since, however, all now live 

 at Skidegate, their language is conveniently called the Skidegate 

 dialect. For a similar reason the language of the northern Haida is 

 called the Masset dialect, although it is spoken also in three Alaskan 

 towns — Hovvkan, Klinkwan, and Kasaan. For study and comparison 

 one text in each dialect has been given with interlinear translation, 

 and twelve others with translations on the pagp opposite. Although 

 the remaining stories were also obtained in Haida, English versions 

 only are given, but they are kept as close to the original as possible. 



I have tried to handle the translations in such a way as to assist the 

 philologist without too far obscuring the meaning. Where obscure 

 passages occur the notes will usually clear them up. 



My interpreter was Henry Mood}-, who belongs to the principal 

 family of Skedans, Those-l)orn-at-Qa'gials, and has since become its 

 chief. 



For identitications of man}" of the plants and animals named in 

 these stories I am indebted to Dr C. F. Newcombe, of Victoria, British 

 Columbia. 



Alphabet 



For convenience in study phonetic signs have been adopted similar 

 to those em[)loyed in the publications of the .Jesup North Pacific 

 Expedition on the tribes of the northwest coast of America, and for 



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