ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIHES OF CANADA. Gil 



II. The Chilcotin. By Livingston Farrand. 



The Chilcotin tribe occupies a territory lying chiefly in the valley of 

 the Chilcotin lliver. They are somewhat isolated in situation, though on 

 the east they are only separated from the Shuswap by the Fraser Rivei-. 

 Between these two tribes, howevei', there is little intercourse. Toward 

 the north their nearest neighbours are the related Tinneh tribe of Carriers 

 or Porteurs ; and while distance prevents frequent communication, 

 they regard each other as more or less akin, and the relations are cordial 

 On the west a pass leads over the coast range to Bella Coola ; and, as 

 many Chilcotin make annual expeditions to the coast, they are fairly 

 familiar with the people of tliat region. Toward the south the only tribe 

 at present with whom they come in contact is the Lillooet, and with them 

 but seldom. 



Intercourse with the coast Indians, and particularly with the Bella 

 Coula, was formerly much more frequent than now, for the reason that the 

 early seat of the Chilcotin was considerably farther west than at present, 

 while the Bella Coola extended higher up the river of that name into the 

 interior. The results of this early intercourse is seen very clearly in 

 certain of their customs, and particularly in details of their traditions. In 

 former times and down to within about thirty years the centre of territory 

 and population of the Chilcotin was Anahem Lake, and from here they 

 co\ ered a considerable extent of country, the principal points of gathering 

 beside the one mentioned Ijcing Tatlah, Puntze, and Chizaikut Lakes. 

 They extended as far south as Chilco Lake, and at the time of the salmon 

 fishing were accustomed to move in large numbers down to the Chilcotin 

 Itiver to a point near the present Anahem Reservation, always i-eturning 

 to their liomes as soon as the fishing was over. More recently they have 

 been brought to the eastward, and to-day the chief centres of the tribe 

 are four reservations — -Anahem, Stone, Risky Creek, and Alexandria — 

 the first three in the valley of the Chilcotin, and the last named, consisting 

 of but a few families, somewhat removed from the others, on the Fraser. 

 Besides these there are a considei-able number of families leading a semi- 

 nomadic life on the old tribal territory in the woods and mountains to the 

 westward. These latter, considerably less influenced by civilisation than 

 their reservation relatives, are known by the whites as Stone Chilcotin or 

 Stonies. 



Although subjected to more or less intimate intercourse with the 

 whites for a comparatively short period, the Chilcotin have assimilated 

 the customs and ideas of their civilised neighbours so completely that their 

 own have largely disappeared except possibly among the families still 

 living ill the mountains, whom it was not practicable to reach. 



The following notes were obtained ^vith considerable difficulty, but the 

 information was for the most part confirmed by the independent testimony 

 of difierent individuals. 



As regards the social organisation, persistent inquiry failed to disclose 

 any traces of a clan system. The family unit w^as the family in the con- 

 tracted sense, viz., the parents and unmarried children. Marriage was 

 ordinarily monogamous, but many men had tw^o wives. Recognised blood 

 relationship was and is always an aljsolute bar to marriage, and at present 

 this recognition seems to extend no further than first cousins. There 

 seem to have been no local preferences in contracting marriages. MaiTiage 



