ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 581 



experiment, but as he failed and burnt his hands and feet he gave up his 

 supernatural helper and became a Christian. He also added that many 

 who pretend to be shamans have no supernatural helpers at all. They 

 cannot cure or foresee disease. When he was called to cure disease the 

 four supernatural men appeared to him and helped him. They told him 

 to draw the breath of the supernatural beings out of the body of the 

 patient. Other shamans suck the disease out of the body. They pointed 

 out witches to him, and enabled him to see ghosts. A few years ago a 

 number of shamans were dancing in a house. When he entered he saw a 

 ghost dancing among them, and foretold at once the death of one of the 

 shamans. Indeed, after a few hours one of them died. The shaman 

 wears stone and bone amulets, and does not cut his hair. His appearance 

 is the same as that of the Tlingit shaman. 



Witchcraft is practised by people called Halda'wit. They steal a 

 portion of a corpse, which they place in a small, long, watertight box. A 

 stick is placed across the middle of the box, and thin threads are tied to 

 this stick. The piece of corpse is placed at the bottoni of the box, 

 and part of the clothing or hair of the person whom the Halda'wit desire 

 to bewitch is tied to thin strings. If it is in immediate contact with the 

 body the person will die soon ; if it is hung a little higher he will be sick 

 for a long time. If hair is put into the box he will die of headache ; if 

 part of a_ moccasin, his foot will rot ; if saliva is used he will die of 

 consumption. If the person is to die at once the Haldd'wit cuts the 

 string from which the object is suspended, so that it drops right on to the 

 corpse. This box has a cover, and is kept closely tied up. It is kept 

 buried under the house or in the woods. After the Haldd'icit has killed 

 his enemy he must go around the house in which the dead one is lying, 

 following the course of the sun. After his enemy is buried he must lie 

 down on the grave and crawl around it, again following the course of the 

 sun, and attired in the skin of some animal. If they do not do this they 

 must die. Therefore the Nisk-a' watch if they see anyone performing this 

 ceremony. Then they know that he is a Haldd'ioit, and he is killed. He 

 is not tied and exposed on the beach at the time of low water, as is done 

 .by the Tlingit. When a corpse is burnt i\ie Haldd'toit tries to secure 

 some of the charred remains and uses them for painting his face. This is 

 supposed to secure good luck. The Haldd'wit sometimes assemble in the 

 woods, particularly when dividing a body. Then they cover their faces 

 with masks, so that a person who should happen to come near may not 

 know them. If anyone should happen to see them they try to catch him 

 and make him a Haldd'wit also. If he refuses to join them he is killed. 

 Once a man by the name of K-'amwa'skye was caught in this manner. 

 He pretended to accept, and was given a mask. They made a song and 

 sang while he danced 



Tarj-ahO'dd ImVIeIi-c, 



^^ 'Uwula'ns K'amwd'sliyH, 



i.e. the ghosts run to the beach on account of the winds of K 'amwa'skye. 

 He emitted winds while he was dancing. He danced, hidden behind the 

 trees. Then he turned his mask round so that it was on his occiput, and 

 made good his escape. He reached his house, told what he had seen, and 

 the Halda'tvit were killed. 



The similarity between this method of witchcraft and the e'ta of the 

 Kwakiutl (Sixth Report, p. 613) is striking. 



As in olden times cremation was prevalent, they tried to secure 



