ON THE NOnTH-WK;?TERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 849 



understanding of this subject, which offers one of the most interesting 

 bat at the same time most difficult problems of North- West American 

 ethnology. The crest of a clan and the insignia of the secret societies 

 are acquired in the same way. They are obtained by marriage. If a 

 man wants to obtain a certain carving, or the membership of a secret 

 society, he must marry the daughter of a man who is in possession of this 

 carving or who is a member of the secret society ; but this can be done 

 only by consent of the whole tribe, who must declare the candidate 

 worthy of becoming a member of this society or of acquiring that crest. 

 Notwithstanding this fact, the man who is thus entitled to become a 

 member of the secret society must be initiated. 



The insignia of all these societies are made of the bark of cedar, 

 carefully prepared, and dyed red by means of maple bark. It may 

 be said that the secrets are vested in these ornaments of red cedar bark, 

 and wherever these ornaments are found on the north-west coast secret 

 societies occur. I do not hesitate to say that this custom must have 

 originated among the Kwakintl, as it is principally developed among 

 them, and as the other tribes whenever they have such societies desio-nate 

 them with Kwakiutl names. Historical traditions are in accord°with 

 this view. 



I will not attempt in this place to describe all the secret societies and 

 their insignia, my knowledge of them being still deficient, and an amply 

 illustrated article having appeared in the ' Internationales Archiv fiir 

 Ethnologie.' I shall describe, however, the general character of these 

 societies and some of the most important among them. 



The secret societies are allowed to meet and to perform their dances 

 and ceremonies only m winter. The time of the year when they meet is 

 called by most tribes Tsa'ek-a, or Tsetsa'ek-a (=the secrets). The follow- 

 ing facts were observed among the Kwakiutl. During the Tsa'ek-a season 

 the whole tribe is divided into a number of groups which form secret 

 societies. Among the Kwakiutl I observed some groups, the principal 

 of which is called the Me'emqoat (=the seals). It embraces the secret 

 societies, principally the Ha'mats'a and the Nutleraatl. Besides these the 

 masks of the crane, Ha'maa, grizzly bear, and several others belong to 

 this group. Among the other groups I mention the following : 



2. K-o'ko.ski'mo, who are formed by the old men. 



3. Maa'mq'enok ( = the killers, Delph. orca), the young men. 



4. Mo'smos (=the dams), the married women. 



5. Ka'k-ao ( = the partridges), the unmarried girls. 



6. He'melk- (= those who eat continually), the old chiefs. 



7. Keki'qalak- ( = tlie crows), the children. 



Every one of these groups has its separate feasts, in which no member 

 of another group is allowed to take part; but before beginning their feast 

 they must send a dish of food to the Ha'mats'a. At the beginning of 

 the feast the chief of the group— for instance, of the Ka'k-ao— will say, 

 'The partridges always have something nice to eat,' and then all peep 

 like partridges. All these groups try to offend the Me'emqoat, and every 

 one of these is offended by a particular action or object. The grizzly 

 bear mask must not be shown any red colour, his preference being black. 

 The Nutlematl and crane do not like to hear a nose mentioned. ;is theirs 

 are very long. Sometimes the former try to induce men to mention 

 their noses, and then they burn and smash whatever they can lay their 



1889. 3 J 



