KAI POMO AND KASTEL POMO. 147 
fied that this is chiefly a modern graft on the stock of their mythology. 
The coyote exercised supreme functions in the genesis of all things. It is 
singular how great is the admiration of the California Indians for this tricksy 
and dishonest beast. He was not only the progenitor, but he has been the 
constant benefactor of mankind. 
Nearly all their acts of worship are held in honor of beasts, reptiles, 
or birds. One of the tribes on the lower reaches of Russian River is named 
for a snake, but on the upper waters nearly all the tribal names are formed 
from some characteristic or prominent object of the valley where they 
dwell. They all believe too that their coyote ancestors were molded 
directly from the soil; hence their family designation ‘“‘ Pomo,” though it 
now signifies ‘‘people”, originally, I think, meant “‘earth” or “‘earth-people”, 
being evidently related to the Wintiin pum, paum, which denotes “earth”. 
As the Pomo are less warlike, less cunning and more simple-hearted 
than the northern tribes, so they are more devoted to amusement. The 
tribes hitherto described engage with passionate eagerness in gambling, and 
have certain austere and solemn dances of religion; but the Pomo add to 
these a kind of ball-playing, and down about Healdsburg they also have a 
curious sort of pantomime or rude theatrical performance. 
The broadest and most obvious division of the Pomo family is into Hel 
River and Russian River Pomo. There are two tribes on Eel River, 
‘between it and South Fork, who call themselves Pomo (Kas’-tel Po-mo and 
Kai Po-mo), though it is an assumed name, because they belong to the 
Wailakki family, and prefer their company. It was mentioned heretofore 
that the Wailakki were rather despised by their neighbors; hence when 
any member of these two tribes intermarried with a true Pomo, he or she 
went to live with that nation and learned their language; hence also the 
fact that nearly every man of the Kai Pomo understands both Pomo and 
Wailakki. Nevertheless, because of their name and their claims, I have 
included them here. 
THE KAS'-TEL PO-MO. 
Concerning both this tribe and the next I know very little, for in the 
ferocious and destructive wars which their audacity badgered the whites 
into waging upon them, both they and many of the old pioneers went down 
