swanton] tlingit myths and texts 449 



102. The Sea-lion Hunt 



Some hunters killed a laroe number of sea lions by pushing 

 sharpened sticks into their noses. 



103. The War in the Spruce Canoe 



The Chilkat people once warred against the Stikine in a spruce 

 canoe and killed numbers of people. (This probably refers to 

 story 21>. ) 



1(>4. Storv of the Ka'gwaiVTan 



A noted hunter named Qake'q!"te killed the sleep bird, and along 

 with it all his own people. Being unable to sleep himself, he wandered 

 north to the mouth of Alsek river where he tried to trap a ground 

 hog, but found a frog in his trap instead. He thought he saw some 

 people but found they were stones. Then he went up the river and 

 came among the Athapascans, whose good will he obtained by teaching 

 them how to catch eulachon, thus preserving them from starvation. 

 In spring they accompanied him back to his own people, bringing 

 loads of furs with them. They came first to the Grass people, but 

 these were afraid and sent them away, so they went to the Ka'gwAntan 

 who opened trade with them and became rich. Tiie Athapascans traded 

 particularly for a kind of seaweed. 



From the wealth thus obtained the Ka'gwAntan built Shadow house, 

 and had a great feast. By and by the chief's daughter, who was 

 menstruant, said something to anger the glacier, and it extended itself 

 over the town, driving the people to IvAqlAnuwu', while theTlA'qIdentan 

 settled opposite. Later on the people warred with the Luqii'xAdi of 

 Alsek river and captured the Wolf post from them. A Luqa'xAdi 

 shaman was attacked by some warriors and flew away. He flew 

 around for some time until a menstruant woman looked at him, 

 making him fall into a pond. The warriors who had attacked him 

 began to tamper with his spirit paraphernalia, and all but one of them 

 were destroyed. Then the Kil'gwAntfin erected another house, which 

 the}' named Wolf house, and carved its posts like the Wolf post they 

 had captured. They invited people to the feast from Chilkat, Sitka, 

 and Killisnoo. Slave's valley then received its name from some 

 slaves who came to life after having been killed and thrown down into 

 it. supposedly dead. Afterward two partiesof ,young people contended 

 with each other going after firewood, and later on ])ushed the house 

 fire over on each other until the great beams caught. As a result of 

 this fight the family scattered, and some moved to Sitka. From that 

 time, too, they came to l)e known as Burnt-house people (Ka'gwAntan). 



4'.)4.3S— Bull. ;!9— 09 29 



