SWANTON] TLINGTT MYTHS AND TEXTS 119 



time, follow ino; a certain regular sequence and, if one that does not 

 know the song starts it and begins with the wrong verse, it is looked 

 on as a disgrace to his people. The guests danced, wearing their 

 masks, hats, emblem coats, and other festal paraphernalia. After 

 that he distributed his property, the people that had invited him 

 before and the leading chiefs obtaining most of it." 



After this Raven returned to the place where he was born and 

 found the box which had held the sun, moon, and stars, and which 

 now contained his mother, still hanging up in the house of Nas-cA'kl- 

 yel. Then he went out with his bow and arrows and shot a whale 

 (jai'i). It floated ashore on the beach and every day he saw all 

 kinds of sea birds sitting upon it, but he did not like the looks of any 

 of them. Finally, however, he shot a bird called cax and a large 

 bird which was very pretty and had a bill that looked like copper. 

 Then he went to Nas-cA.'ki-yers house, took down the box which 

 contained his mother,'' and liberated the flickers (kun) which she 

 always kept under her arms. When Nas-cA'ki-yel saw that, he 

 said, "All those pretty things of mine are gone." They knew that 

 Raven had done this, so they called him into the house, and Nas- 

 CA'ki-3^el asked him if it was indeed he. He said, "Yes." Then 

 Nas-cA'ki-yel said, "Go and fell that tree standing over there," for 

 he wanted the tree to kill him. But when the tree fell upon ]{aven 

 it could not kill him because he was made of rock. Finding him still 

 alive, Nas-cA'ki-yel called him in th(» following day and said, "Go 

 and clean out that canoe." It was a canoe just being made, and 

 wdien Raven got into it to clean it out it closed upon him. Then he 

 simply extended his elbows and broke the canoe after which he 

 smashed it up for firewood. All this Nas-cA'ki-yet saw, and again 

 sent for him. He came in, and they put into the fire a large copper 

 kettle made like a box, filled it with water, and put heated stones 

 into it. Then they told him to get in, and they covered it over in 



a "So nowadays a man that has invited people previously is paid first, receiving more than he had given. 

 If he thinks that he has received more than he ought he gives another feast. When we now look back 

 at this it looks as though these people were fighting to see which family was highest. 



"When a man has invited people and they are coming in toward the town he himself remains in the 

 house. Then some of his relations come and pound on the door and say to him, 'Why are you staying 

 in the house? You are acting like a coward. Your enemies are coming.' . So the host comes out with his 

 how and arrows, or nowadays his gim, and says, 'AVhere are those enemies you were telling me about?' 

 'There they are out there in that canoe.' 'Those are not my enemies. That is a crowd of women in that 

 canoe. Years ago ray relations invited them.' He calls them women when his people had invited them 

 twice without a return invitation. The people that are going to give the feast study what they are to say 

 before they have it, and they never let outsiders know what it is. As the visitors' canoe approached shore 

 they might say, ' What is that I see out there? ' Then one would look and reply, ' That is a Gonaq.\de't.' 

 They call it a GonaqAde't because they know that that party will give a feast and invite them in return. * 

 They also have songs ready to sing at the very beginning of the feast, and, when such a song is started 

 it shows that the feast will be a big one." (From the writer's informant.) 



b" Some people call this woman Nas-CA'ki-yel's wife and some his daughter, but I have always heard 

 that she was his daughter." (From the writer's informant.) 



*To see a GonaqAde't brought wealth to the beholder. 



