THE TOBACCO FEAST « 



If one of the family of the writer's informant, the Kasq lagne'di, 

 had married a Nanyaii'yi woman and she died, the Nanyafi'jn would 

 invite his people for tobacco. They invited them there to mourn. 

 This feast was ditieront from the pleasure feasts, when dancing and 

 such things took place. The people asked them while the dead l)ody 

 was still l3'ing in the house. Then the other Kasq!ague'di would ask 

 the bereaved man to deliver a speech. The Nanyafi'yi would be very 

 quiet because they were mourning. Then he would rise and speak as 

 follows: 



" Yes, yes, my grandfathers, we remember you are mourning. We 

 are not smoking this tobacco for which you have invited us. These 

 long dead uncles of ours and our mothers are the ones who smoke it. 

 Do not mourn, my grandfathers. She is not dead. Her aunts are 

 holding her on their laps. All her father's brothers are shaking 

 hands with her. Our [dead] chief has come back because he has seen 

 you mourning. Now, however, he has wiped away your tears. That 

 isall."^ 



("A'a AxlI'ik!-hAs Adfi't hatu'wati yltu'Ja ylca'ni. Yaayi's! 



("Yes, yes, my grandfathers, about it werememl)er you are mourning. This [tobacco] 



hayilq!is!eq Lei oha'ntc a'yatilsle'qs. Ya-tc!ak!"-wu'nayi haka'k-hAS 



you have invited not wo we are smoting it. These long dead uncles of ours 



us to smoke 



qa haLa'-hAsdjaya hAs Asle'qs!. Lil yituwu' unl'gnq Axli'lkl-hAS. 



and our mothers are they smoke it. Never your minds let mourn my grandl'athers. 

 the ones 



Lei wu'na. Dua't-hAstc goc kAt I'sa. He dJA'JdakA't dusA'ni-liAstc 



Not she is dead. Her aunts have her on All her father's 



their laps. brothers 



5 Adji'n hAs A}i.e'k". Haanqa'wo eq uwagu't ylkA'x yituwnnl'gu 



hands they are shaking. Our chief back has come on you you are mourning 



with her 



aosTtl'n. HayidA't qo'a yfwAq-hi'ni aoligo'. Yua'.") 



he has seen. Now, however, your eye water he has wiped That is all.") 



away. 



One of those giving the feast would now reply: 



" I thank you deeply, deeply for the things you have done to these 

 grandfathers of yours with your words. A person will alwa_ys take 

 his shell to a dry place. *" So you have done to this dead of ours. 



^Obtained from Katishan at Wrangell. 



fc Immediately following the English translations of the several speeches on pp. 372-386 are givec 

 the corresponding Indian texts accompanied by interlinear translations, 

 c The opposite elan is spoken of as the "outside shell." 



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