364 REPORT— 1902. 



totem ; and when we know more of the groundwork of the beliefs of the 

 Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshean, as evidenced in their totemic systems, we 

 shall, I am convinced, find that it does not differ in any essential feature 

 from the fetishism and su'liaism of the neighbouring and, in these respects, 

 more primitive tribes.^ 



Next in rank to the SQEla'm came the O'lla. One of his duties was, 

 as I have intimated, to dress and cure wounds and other external injuries. 

 His chief function, however, was to interpret dreams and visions, as his 

 name indicates. He was specially skilled in the I'eading of omens and 

 portents. Other of his functions were to take charge of the bodies of the 

 dead and prepare them for burial, and protect the people from the evil 

 influence of the pdlakoe' tsa, or ghosts of the dead. Only an O'lia might 

 venture to handle or have any dealings with a corpse or its pdlakoe'tsa. 

 He was able to see and hold communion with the latter, who, it was sup- 

 posed, nightly haunted the burial-grounds. The people were consequently 

 warned to keep away from such places, especially after recent burials. 

 The O'lia figured also in the puberty and other social customs of the tribe. 

 Last in rank came the yeu'fva, the witches or wizards. These dealt in 

 seu'iva, or witchcraft. I have described in my notes on the neighbouring 

 Pila'tlq, given below, how this was usually effected, so that it will be 

 unnecessary to repeat it here. 



Mortuary Customs. 



The burial customs of the Tcil'Qe'uk differ in detail from those ali-eady 

 described. I was able to gather the following concerning them. As 

 soon as the breath has left the body one or more o'lia immediately carry 

 it outside the house. The longer a corpse remains in the house, the more 

 diflicult it becomes to drive away the pdlakoe'tsa, whose presence is 

 inimical to the survivors. The o'lia then wash and paint the body all 

 over with red paint ; after which it is doubled up, bound in a mat or 

 blanket, and borne away to the family vault or corpse-box, if the hour 

 of noon has not passed. Should a death occur after noon, the body is laid 

 apart by itself some little distance from the house till sunrise next morn- 

 ing. This is the most propitious hour of the day for disposal of the dead, 

 the palakOe'tsa then having all retired to shade-land.-' The corpse among 

 the Tcil'Qe'uk was usually stowed away in a large box or coffin, the 

 members of the same family being laid side by side in it. On the exterior 

 of this were painted the family crests or totems, called salu'lla (collective 

 of su'lia) := 'the dream objects.' Among these figured the bear, goat, and 



' In view of the recent discussions on totemism it is important to remember that 

 the totems of onr northern tribes are merely crests, i.e., visiblesymbols of unity of the 

 gens or clan. It is the common possession of the privileges and powers the owner- 

 ship of these implies, not a belief in a common descent from their prototypes, which 

 binds together the individual members of the gens or clan in a mystic union and 

 brotherhood. 



- It is difficult to obtain any coherent statement from the natives regarding their 

 beliefs or conceptions of the after-life. An individual possesses, it seems, two kinds 

 of bodies, one visible and tangible, the other visible only to an o'lia. This latter — 

 which is given to haunting the scenes of its earth-life, and is specially attracted by 

 its former personal belongings, such as clothes, tools, utensils, &c. (hence the general 

 disposal of these with or about the corpse in burial)— seems to be different again 

 from the soul or spirit with which the SQEla'm deals, and which goes to live in spirit- 

 land. I have found it very difficult, thus far, to get any clear or definite knowledge, 

 if such exists, on these points 



