SWAXTO.N] CLAN KMBLKM8 415 



CLAN EMBLEMS 



As with other Northwest Coast peoples, the diflferent Tlingit clans 



usually laid claim to certain distinctive carvings and names; but, unlike 



the Haida clans, each of which used a luunber of crests of this kind, 



the TliiiLrit divisions had c()mi)urativcly few, and generally held but 



one or two in particular esteem. In the case of carvings these crests 



were conmioidy held in special consideration only when thev occurred 



in some definite form, such as a wooden hat, bouse post, or baton. An 



emblem is said to have been put on the war helmet, so that its owner 



might die with it. Theoretically, the emblems used on the Kaven 



side were diti'crent from those on the Wolf or the Eagle side, and, 



although a man of high caste might borrow an emblem from his 



))rother-in-law temporarily, he was not permitted to retain it. Some 



families were too poor to have an emblem, and on the other hand it is 



said of some of the great ones, like the Nanvaa'yi, that thev were so 



. ft 



rich that they could use anything. 



The wolf is used by most \Vo\i dans, l)ut was especially valued by 

 the Ka'gwAntfm, and also apparently by the Yenye'di of Taku. The 

 Xoqie'di, who anciently had no crest, began to use the wolf in recent 

 times, but met opposition on the part of the Kfi'gwAntan and desisted. 

 Most families wore this as a hat; the DAqtlawe'di had it designed 

 upon a dance blanket. The tcllt (miirrelet — Emmons), a small bird 

 that makes a whistling sound, was used by many Wolf clans, especially 

 the I)A(ii,Iawe'di and the Ka'gwAntan. 



The Eagle was a special possession of the NexA'di of Sanya, who 

 were outside of both phratries; but it is now employed by the north- 

 ern Wolves, who from this crest were called also Eagles. Katishan 

 thought that it might have been adopted by them after some trouble 

 with the NeXA'di, but it is by no means certain that this is the case, 

 esiH'cially since the corresponding Haida plu'atry is likewise called 

 Eagle, and many Ilaida seem to have married in Sitka. The eagle 

 hat is now worn by the Kfi'gwAntan of Sitka and Chilkat. The IS'exA'di 

 claim to it is based on the Ixdief tiiatoiieof their people was formerly 

 assisted by an eagle, and finally turned into one. The eagle hat is 

 claimed by some of the DAqLlawe'di. also. 



The grizzly-bear hat was used by the Te'qoedi, who claimed that a 

 member of their clan had married a female grizzly bear, while the 

 Ka'gWAntan, who claimed the same thing, had bears' ears fastened to 

 the sides of their heads and called them KatsI after the name of the 

 man through whom the right had been obtained. The Kfi'gwAntan of 

 C'hilkat have a sliirt made out of grizzly-bear hide, whicli they wear 

 in memory of this event. 



At the time of the flood a gi'izzly bear and a mountain goat climbed 

 a mountain in company with the fleeing Nanyaa'yi, and ever since that 



