504 REPORT—1899. 
N’tlaka/pamug were common property. But no one under penalty of a 
severe punishment could take a fish, pick a berry, or dig a root until after 
the Feasts of First Fruits had been held. These feasts were conducted 
as follows :—When the salmon, for instance, begin to run, word is brought 
to the divisional chiefs that the fish are coming upriver. Messengers are 
then sent to the neighbouring villages, calling a meeting of the people on 
a certain day, at which all must attend at the appointed place. When the 
day has arrived and the people have assembled, the head chief, attended 
by the other lesser ones and the elders, opens the ceremony at daybreak 
by a long prayer. While the prayer is being said everybody must stand 
with eyes reverently closed. To ensure this being done, as it was regarded 
as an essential part of the ceremony, certain of the elders were assigned the 
duty of watching that no one opened his eyes while the prayer was being 
said. Exactly to whom these prayers were addressed my informant could 
not tell me. All I could gather was that the ‘old Indians’ believed in 
some great and beneficent power who dwelt behind the clouds, and who 
gave them the salmon, fruits, roots, &c. ; who, if they showed themselves 
ungrateful or unthankful, could, and might, withdraw his gifts from them. 
He could not give me any of the words of these prayers.! After the prayer 
is over every one present is given a bit of salmon which has been cooked 
for the purpose. As soon as all have partaken of the salmon a feast is 
prepared at which each is free to eat as much as he desires. When the 
meal is concluded, a dance takes place. Each person lets down his or her 
hair and a space is cleared for the dancers. Singing always accompanies 
the dancing, and a certain individual leads the dance song in a loud voice, 
and the dancers keep time with the singer. They dance on this occasion 
in a circle, with the hands extended, palm upwards, before them, swaying 
them with a rhythmic motion from side to side as they sing and dance. 
Towards the conclusion of the dance the time quickens and the move- 
ments are more rapid and vigorous. As the dance is about to end the 
master of the ceremonies calls to the people to stretch their palms 
towards the sky and look upwards. They continue in this attitude for a 
little while, and the chief presently brings his hands together, closing them 
as he does so, as if he held something in them, and lowers them gently to 
the level of his breast and then places them, one fist over the other, 
against his breast. This action signifies the reception of the gifts asked 
for in the prayer and song. The whole ceremony is conducted throughout 
with the greatest decorum and reverence. This dance is repeated again 
at noon and at sunset. The Feast of Berries and Roots is conducted in a 
similar manner. Besides these periodic prayings, daily prayers were said 
by one of the elders in each ‘keekwilee-house’ every morning at day- 
break, all the worshippers closing their eyes reverently the whole time and 
repeating in an earnest tone the closing formula Aksai/as, which signified 
to them very much what our Amen does to us. 
Other dances were indulged in at times besides these at the Feasts of 
First Fruits, at which all the actors sat and swung their extended hands, 
palm upwards, from side to side, keeping time to a song called K-dia/tct. 
Tn an account of the training of the young men of the tribe given below, the 
young man addresses his prayer to a being called Adana'hkoa, who is the giver of the 
gifts he desires. From the strong resemblance this word bears to those having 
reference to the sun, and to heat, day, &c., 1am disposed to think this being to 
whom the N’tlaka'pamuq addressed their prayers was the Sun God of the Coast 
tribes (see below) 
