ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 619 
the chief of the Atla’/lénoq (= wolves), who were preparing themselves 
in the woods for the Ts’étsa/ék'a. The Atla/lénog learnt that he had 
committed the murder, and invited him to a feast, during which they 
intended to kill him. He came and sang: Kap’amd'lug Kuén ago 
nEk'ama'eags Atld'lénog, 1.e., Kea (=mink), took the middle of face 
(= nose) of Atli’lénoq for his cap. This song is used ‘to make the 
Natimatl wild.’ If anyone makes a mistake in dancing he is killed by 
the Nitlmatl, who is assisted by Na’né, the grizzly bear. (See also 
No. 14. 
5. stains, the grizzly bear, also knocks down people when heis excited. 
He hates the red colour. (See also Nos. 4 and 14.) 
6. Td’q’uit is danced by women, the arms of the dancer being raised 
high upward, the palms of her hands being turned forward. The upper 
part of the dancer’s body is naked; hemlock branches are tied around her 
waist. She has four attendants, who always surround her. The dance is 
said to have been originally a war-dance. he warriors, before going on an 
expedition, went into the woods in order to meet the double-headed snake, 
the Si’siutl, which gives them great strength and power. After return- 
ing from the woods they engage a woman to dance the TO’q’uit. Very 
elaborate arrangements are made for this dance. A double-headed snake, 
about 20 feet long, made of wood, blankets, and skins, is hidden in a long 
ditch, which is partly covered with boards. Strings are attached to it, 
which pass over the beams of the house, and are worked by men who 
hide in the bedrooms. As soon as the dancer appears, the people begin 
to sing and tobeattime. In dancing the woman acts as though she were 
_ trying to catch something, and when she is supposed to have got it she 
throws back her hands and the Si’siutl rises from out of the ground, moving 
its heads. If it does not move properly the Ha’mats’a, No’ntsistatl, 
Nia‘tlmatl, and the bear jump up and bite and strike the people, driving 
them out of the house. Finally the snake disappears in the ditch. A mes- 
senger next calls upon one of the attendants to kill the dancer. Appa- 
_ rently a wedge is driven through her head. It consists of two parts, each 
being fastened to one side. She continues to dance, the wedge sticking 
out of both temples, and blood flowing down freely. Then her head is 
struck with a paddle, which is cut out so as to fit in the head, and she 
continues to dance, her head being apparently split by the paddle. Some- 
_ times she is burnt. For this purpose a box having a double bottom 
is prepared. She lies down, and the box is turned over so that her body 
may be conveniently pushed into it. At the place where she lies down 
_ a pit is dug, in which she hides. The box is turned up again, closed, 
_and thrown into the fire. Before the beginning of the ceremony a corpse 
has been put into the lower part of the box. From the pit in which 
the dancer hides, a tube of kelp has been laid underground, leading 
to the centre of the fire. It acts asa speaking tube. The woman sings 
through it, and her voice apparently comes out of the fire. Afterwards 
the bones are found in the fire. They are collected, laid on a new mat, 
and for four days the people sing over the bones, while the woman 
remains hidden in a bedroom. At last the bones are heard to sing 
(which is done by placing the mat over the mouth of the speaking tube), 
and the next morning the woman is seen to be once morealive. After the 
woman has been apparently killed the d’z'ntsik: is seen behind the spec- 
tators. It consists of a series of flat carved boards, which are connected 
on their narrow sides by plugs, which are passed through rings of cedar 
- ss2 
