648 REroRT— 1898. 



missionaries ordinary burial has been practised, the graves being protected 

 by a low fence of logs. 



The traditions of the Chilcotin are particularly interesting as showing 

 the influence of their coast and inland neighbours, details of foreign origin 

 being clearly traceable. Their chief tradition is of Lendix'tcux, a being 

 half man and half dog, who came to the Chilcotin country from the 

 north-west, and is their culture-hero. The story recites the adventures 

 of Lendix'tcux and his three sons on their journey through the land. 

 These adventures are chiefly with animals who before that time had been 

 dangerous to man, but who were now overcome and made harmless. 

 Methods of hunting and various arts were then taught to the people who 

 previously had been wretched and ignorant. The widespread conception 

 of the culture-hero as a trickster is especially well exemplified in this tale. 



In the other traditions obtained, none of which are as full nor as 

 important as the Lendix'tcux myth, but which cover a wide range of 

 subjects, the raven is possibly the chief character, some of the stories in 

 which he figures being identical with the raven tales of the coast, while 

 others are apparently independent in origin. Few myths regarding 

 natural phenomena were heard, and those which were told are of doubtful 

 origin. The general impression was made of a not very rich independent 

 mythology, but of surprising receptivity to foreign influences. 



III. The Social Organisation of the Haida. By Franz Boas. 



In the Fifth Heport of the Committee I briefly described the social 

 organisation of the Haida according to information obtained from a few 

 Indians from Skidegate. I pointed out (p. 823) that the tribe is divided 

 into two phratries, each of which consists of a number of clans the 

 members of which are connected by ties of consanguinity, not by an 

 imaginary relationship through the totem. I also pointed out that the 

 clans sometimes bear the names of the places at which their houses 

 stand. Since this statement was made I have had opportunity to in- 

 vestigate the social organisation of the Tsimshian and of the Kwakiutl 

 in greater detail. The result of these inquiries on the Tsimshians was 

 published in the Tenth Report of the Committee, and of those on the 

 Kwakiutl in the Report of the United States National Museum for 1895 

 (pp. 311-738). These investigations proved that among the southern 

 tribes of the Pacific coast the village commuiaity was the primitive unit, 

 and that clans originated through the coalition of village communities. 



During the past summer I had an opportunity of investigating the 

 social organisation of the Haida in somewhat greater detail, although not 

 as thoroughly as might be desired. The information thus obtained cor- 

 roborates Wie views expressed in the Fifth Report of the Committee, and 

 emphasises the fact that the village community is the constituent element 

 of the phratry. 



In oi'der to make this clear I will first of all eive a list of the Haida 

 families. The two Haida phratries are called Gyit'ina' and K-'oa'la, and 

 every family belongs either to the one or to the other group. Each 

 family has a number of emblems which are commemorative of certain 

 events in the earliest history of the family. The name of the chief of 

 each family is hereditary. For purposes of comparison I give the list of 

 villages recorded by Dr. G. M. Dawson in his Report on Queen Charlotte 

 Islands (Report of Progress, Geological Survey of Canada, 1878-70, 

 Montreal, 1880). 



