ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 827 



of the Kwakiutl in Hardy Bay. No other connection between the several 

 gentea seems to exist. We shall see later on that the Coast Salish have 

 the same organisation, with the exception that the gentes arc named on a 

 different principle. The latter, however, have only very slight indications 

 of crests, wliile the crests play an exceedingly important part in the life 

 of the Kwjikiutl. 



In order to make clear the organisation of these tribes, I will enu- 

 merate the divisions and gentes of one group of tribes. 



The following foui- tribes which inhabit the north-eastern part of 

 Vancouver Island form one group I enumerate the tribes, subdivisions, 

 and gentes of this group according to their rank. 



1. Kwa'kiutl, called by the Bilqula and Coast Salish, Kwako'otl; Fort 



Rupert. 



Subdivisions : 1 . Kue'tEla, so called by the tribes north of Van- 

 couver Island. 

 Gentes: 1, Maa'mtakjila. 2, Kwokwa'kum. 3, 

 Gye'qsEm. 4, La'alaqsEnt'aio. 5, Si'sintlae. 



2. K'o'moyue (=rich people). War name : 



Kue'qa (= murderers). 

 Gentes : 1, Kwokwa'kum. 2, Ha'anatlino. 3, 

 Yaai'nak'Eme (^crab). 4, Hfiailakyawe or 

 La'gse. 5, Gyi'gyilk'am. 



3. Walaskwakiutl=the great Kwakiutl. 



Gentes : 1, Ts'Ents'Ennkaio. 2, Gye'qsEm. 3, 

 Wa'ulipoe. 4, K'omkyutis (=the rich ride). 



2. Mamalelek'a'la. East of Alert Bay. 



Gentes : 1, TE'mtEmtlfits. 2, We'6mask"am. 3, Wu'las. 

 4, Ma'malelek'am. 



3. Nfi'mkic, K"a'matsin Lake and Nimkish River. 



Gentes : 1, Tsetsetloa'lak'amac. 2, TlatEl'a'min. 3, Gyi'gyit- 

 k'am. 4, Si'sintlae. 5, Ne'nelky'enoq. 



4. Tlauitsis, Cracroft and Turner Islands. 



Gentes : 1, Si'sintlae. 2, NunEraasEk-alis. 3, Tletlk'et. 4, 

 Gyi'gyilk'am. 



It remains to describe briefly their ci'ests. Every gens has certain 

 tales in which the reason for their using these crests is explained. I 

 shall confine myself in this place to a list of crests of the tribes of 

 Fort Rupert. 



1. Maa'mtakyila : Carvings : Thunder-bird, crane, grizzly bear, raven, 

 sun. Mask : Ma'takyila, sun. 



2. Kwokwa'kum: Ancestor, Tla'k'oaki'la. Posts: Grizzly bear on top 

 of crane, thunder-bird, crane, sun. 



3. Gye'qsEm : Crane on top of a man's head. 



4. La'alaqsEnt'aio : Delphimis orca with man's body. 



5. SE'ntlae : Sun. 



6. Haailikyawe : Large head-ring with raven head attached to it. 

 Heraldic columns : Tsono'k'oa, grizzly bear, thunder-bird ; Si'siutl, 

 crane, raven. 



7. Kwokwa'kum. Ancestor, No'lis. Dancing utensil : Bear with 

 beaver tail. Post : Sea-lion. Heraldic column : Pole, man on top of it. 



8. HjVanatlino. Mask : Man, on top of wliom moon and eagle. Posts : 

 Bear, thunder-bird. 



