422 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
Salutation.—We had no opportunity of witnessing any meeting be- 
tween these people and strange Eskimo, so that it is impossible to tell 
whether they practice any particular form of salutation on such occa- 
sions. We saw nothing of the kind among themselves. White men 
are saluted with shouts of “Nakurak!” (good), and some Eskimo 
have learned to shake hands. They no longer practice the common 
Eskimo salutation of rabbing noses, but say that they oncedid. Seret. 
Middleton Smith, of our party, informs me that he once saw a couple 
of natives in Capt. Herendeen’s trading store give an exhibition of the 
way this salutation was formerly practiced. 
This custom was perhaps falling into disuse as early as 1837, since 
Thomas Simpson,! in describing his reception at Point Barrow, says: 
“We were not, however, either upon this or anyother occasion, favored 
with the kooniks or nose-rubbing salutations that have so annoyed 
other travelers.” Mr. Elson, however, expressly states that the people, 
probably Utkiavwinmiun, whom he met at Refuge Inlet eleven years 
before, rubbed noses and cheeks with him? and Maguire® narrates how 
the head of the party of visitors from Point Hope saluted him. He says: 
‘‘He fixed his forehead against mine and used it as a faulerum to rub 
noses several times.” 
Healing—As is the case with Eskimo generally, these people rely 
for curing disease chiefly upon the efforts of certain persons who have 
the power of exorcising the supernatural beings by whom the disease 
is caused. A large number of men and, I believe, some women were 
supposed to have this power and exercise it in cases of sickness, in 
some instances, at least, upon the payment of a fee. These people 
correspond closely to the angekut of the Greenlanders and Eastern Hs- 
kimo, and the so-called “shamans” of southern Alaska, but, as far as 
we could see, do not possess the power and influence usually else- 
where ascribed to this class. 
It was exceedingly difficult to obtain any definite information con- 
cerning these people, and we only discovered casually that such and 
such a person was a “doctor” by hearing that he had heen employed 
in a certain case of sickness, or to perform some ceremony of incanta- 
tion. We did not even succeed in learning the name of this class of 
people, who, in talking with us, would call themselves “tikté,” as they 
did our surgeon. On one occasion some of the party happened to visit 
the house of a sick man where one of these “doctors” was at work. He 
sat facing the entrance of the house, beating his drum at intervals, and 
making a babbling noise with his lips, followed by long speeches ad- 
dressed to something down the trapdoor, bidding it ‘*go!” We were 
given to understand that these speeches were addressed to a tuyna or 
supernatural being.!. Their only idea of direct treatment of disease is 
' Narrative, p. 155. 
2 Beechy's Voyage p. 312. 
3N. W. Passage, p. 385. 
4 Dr. Simpson says (op. cit., p. 275): ‘! Diseases are also considered to be turn’gaks.” 
