ON THE NOETH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 559 



from him, the writer never lost even a trifle. In the olden times it seema 

 not to have been punished, and probably existed but to a very slight 

 extent. Adultery was not severely punished. In case of murder the 

 relatives of the victim were bound to avenge his death on the slayer. 

 Members of the murderer's family were also liable to be killed. A wer- 

 gild was customary ; the compensation depended upon the rank and 

 importance of the victim. This compensation did not, however, entirely 

 relieve the slayer from danger of being killed by members of his victim's 

 family. 



Religion and Supebstition. 



The sun-worship of the Kootenays, as described by Dr. Boas (' Report,' 

 1889, p. 848), which seems to indicate a belief in an over-ruling and 

 beneficent spirit — though this is not certain — is confirmed. The belief 

 that the dead go to the sun was strong with the ' pagan ' Indians. They 

 also believed that the dead would come back from the sun at Lake Pend 

 d'Oreille, where the Indians will meet them some time in the future. 



The Kootenays believe in the existence of spirits in everything 

 animate and inanimate ; even little stones, bits of rag, shavings of wood, 

 have their nipi'k'a or tcdk'd'ps, as these spirits are called. These spirits 

 can go anywhere, through glass, wood, or any substance, as through air. 

 The touch of the nipi'k'a causes death and disease. At the death of 

 Indians their spirits may enter into fishes, bears, trees, &c. ; in fact, into 

 anything animate or inanimate. While a man is alive his nipi'k'a may 

 exist in the form of a tomtit, a jay, a bear, a flower, &c. The nipi'k'as of 

 the dead can return and visit their friends ; and while the writer was at 

 Barnard, B.C., one Indian declared that the night before the spirits of hiy 

 children had come to see him. The spirits appear very frequently in the 

 folk-tales. 



In the olden times sacrifices appear to have been made to the nipi'k'as 

 of the mountains and of the forests to secure success in hunting, and to 

 appease them when angered. The language of the nipi'k'as differs 

 somewhat from the ordinary Kootenay, but the writer was unable to 

 ascertain in what respects, or to obtain examples of it. A great or strong 

 man has many spirits (see also p. 562 of this report). 



b 



Medicine-men, or SnAMArs. 



In the old days there were many medicine-men amongst the Kootenays,, 

 and they were very powerful, as it was their business to commune with 

 the spirits. In the camp they had special lodges, larger than the rest, in 

 which they prayed and invoked the spirits, who often would make theii* 

 appearance in the form of a bird or the like in response to their 

 entreaties. 



There existed, until recently, a tree in the Lower Kootenay region, in 

 Northern Idaho, from which, on two successive occasions, Indians had 

 jumped off in obedience to the promise of the medicine-men that they 

 should be able to fly like the birds if they did so. In the presence of the 

 assembled camp, men, women, and children, several Indians were hardy 

 enough to do this, which was, of course, certain death to them. The 

 invocation of spirits by the shamans now survives amoi gst the Lower 

 Kootenays only. 



These shamans were also the doctors of the tribe. They treated the 



