GENERAL NOTES. 



RELATIONS AND AFPINTTIES OF THE TLINGIT, HAIDA, TSIMSHIAN, 

 AND KWAKIUTL — THE HAIDA. REMARKS ON THE MAORI OF NEW 

 ZEALAND — THB'KAIGANL ETHNOLOGICAL WORK TO EE DONE. 



A thorough study of the ethuical affiuities and mutual influences of 

 the various Indian stocks of the northwest coast is out of the question 

 with the data at hand, yet many attempts have been made to isolate 

 the Haida and to give them an origin dilfereut from the others. It is 

 held by some that this stock is an offshoot of the Asiatic Mongoloid 

 group, particularly of the Japanese branch, and by others that they 

 are of Aztec origin. The supporter of this latter theory is Mr. J. G. 

 Swan, of Port Townsend, Washington Territory. A comparative study 

 of the languages, customs, habits, and traditions of the different In- 

 dian stocks of this region even with the meagre data at hand, would, 

 however, seem to locate the Haida as of near kin to the Tsimshian and 

 Tlingit. Difference in environment would seem to account sufficiently 

 for the physical and linguistic differences. Along with much originality, 

 the inhabitants of the Queen Charlotte Islands have shown so much 

 genius and receptiveness in adapting and. adopting the customs of others, 

 that they present some very puzzling affinities with distant stocks, giving 

 color to these various theories as to their origin. In their legends the 

 Haida are at one with the Tlingit, and the totemic organization of the 

 two stocks do not differ very materially, although this needs further 

 study. Their languages are, according to Dr. Franz Boas, very much 

 alike in structure, while their vocabularies show great differences. In 

 their arts the Haida have borrowed so largely from so many sources, 

 that they are considerably in advance of the Tlingit. All things con- 

 sidered, the Tlingit and Haida show evidences of near relationship and 

 of intercourse at a remote period. A consideration of the mutual influ- 

 ences of the Tsimshian stock and the northern Kwakiutl tribes of the 

 Haeltzukan stock will throw much light on the origin of certain cus- 

 toms amongst the Haida, for the last named have been considerably 

 influenced by the Tsimshian. Indeed, the Tsimshian seem to have been 

 the middle men or center of distribution in this region. 



The Tlingit present the simplest i)roblem. Confined to the northern 

 end of this region and only slightly influenced by adjacent tribes, their 

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