SWA.XTON] WAK 449 



WAR 



Rivalries between opposing parties of dancers at a ])()tlatch often 

 resulted in serious conflicts, but the host's people could generally stop 

 thi-ni by rushing l)etween, bearing their emblem, or by making the 

 call of the animal — raven, wolf (or eagle) — for which their phratr}' 

 was named. 



If a man were killed and the murderer escaped into his own house, 

 the people of the murdered man held a council, and if they thought 

 that he was notof high enough caste to make up for the dead person they 

 went out and called the name of one Ixdonging to the same clan who 

 answered the requirements. This person then had to put on his best 

 clothing and run out to be killed, though before this happened lie tried 

 to stab one of his would-be slayers. After that the actual murderer 

 was punished bj' his friends by being compelled to pay a great deal of 

 property. Unless an eijual number of persons of the same rank had 

 been killed on both sides a money compensation to the losers, or their 

 extermination, was the only way in which a certain peace could be 

 brought about, and this law held for any number of years after a per- 

 son had been slain. It was in no way uncommon for such compensa- 

 tion to be demanded a long time after all actual hostility had ceased. 

 To start away for the purpose of obtaining it was called qii'djit u'wagut. 



Revenge for the death of some one for whom no payment had been 

 made and desire to obtain slaves in order to increase the power of the 

 chief and his clan were the commonest incentives to war. When this 

 was fully determined upon, all went out in a body and cut supports 

 for the canoes of the warriors. These were two crossed sticks set 

 under each end of every canoe, and crossed lines intended to resemble 

 these were painted on each warrior's face "so that he might die with 

 them." The paddles of the warriors were also tied up, and the war- 

 riors were not allowed to see or go to any woman. This tabu depended 

 upon the length of time they expected to be gone. " Sometimes they 

 did not see a woman for a year." They would also feign that certain 

 sticks were enemies, make images of them, kill them, and tie them up 

 as captives. All the men and their wives had such images. 



At the end of four days they took the canoes from their supports, 

 and, if there were a person in their town belonging to the clan they were 

 going against, they would kill him and use his body as a skid on which 

 to drag the canoes down. During those four days the war leader 

 and the shaman fasted. After they had launched their canoes their 

 wives brought down the wooden images they had tied up with strings 

 and gave them to their husbands, who tossed their own images back in 

 return. If any woman failed to catch the image tossed back her hus- 

 band would die. 



26 ETH— 08 31 



