4 THE HAIDAH INDIANS OF 



The chief will have all the figures tattooed on his body to show his connection 

 with the whole. 



The principal portion of the body tattooed is the back of the hand and forearm ; 

 and a Haidah, particularly the women, can be readily designated from any other 

 northern tribe by this peculiarity. 



The carving which I shall next describe is the wooden figure on the left of Sketch 

 No. 2. This has four figures, one above the other. The lowest one is the beaver 

 Tsching. On his head sits the mythological mother of the Haidah tribe, who is 

 named Itl-tads-dali. In her arms she holds the young crow Keet-Jcie, and on her 

 head is seated the crow Hoo-yeh, bearing in his beak the new moon Koong. His 

 head is surmounted by the Tadn-skilUk, a peculiar shaped hat worn only by chiefs 

 or persons of importance. On the top of the Tadn-sTcillik is seated the bear 

 Eoorts. 



The legend connected with this carving is, that the beaver Tsching occupies 

 himself by eating the moon, and when he has finished his meal and obliterated it, 

 Itl-tads-dah sends out Hoo-yeh, the crow, to hunt for a new moon which he brings 

 home in his bill. The duty of Eoorts the bear is to keep watch that all goes on 

 well. 



The second carving is of stone (Plate 1, fig. 1), and consists of Tsching the 

 beaver, Shams-hwin the eagle, and Itl-tads-dah the grandmother. In the under 

 lip of the old woman is seen the staie, an oblong piece of wood or ivory which is 

 inserted in the under lip, and increased in size till the lip is distorted and stretched 

 out of all shape. 



This practice was formerly universal, but of late years has fallen somewhat into 

 disuse, particularly with those females who have visited Victoria and seen the 

 customs of civilization. 



Carving No. 2 is of stone, and represents two figures, the lower one is Hoorts 

 the bear holding in his paws the Stoo or crayfish. The upper figure is the Tsching 

 or Tsing, the beaver, holding the Tl-kam-kostan or frog in his paws. 



The Indian, however rude or grotesque his carvings or paintings may be, is 

 always true to nature. He knows that the bears eat crabs, crayfish, and other 

 littoral marine Crustacea, and that the frog is the fresh-water companion of the 

 beaver. Hence, if the carver had reversed the grouping, he would have been 

 laughed at by his friends, for the Indians are keen critics of each other's work, 

 and prone to ridicule. 



Stone carving No. 3 represents three figures. The lower one is the Tahn or sea- 

 lion ; on his head is the Wasko, a mythological animal of the wolf species similar 

 to the G hu-chu-hii-uxl of the Makah Indians. Above the Wasko is the bear, sur- 

 mounted by a head resembling a human head, but intended to represent the young 

 bear. 



The other stone carving (Plate 5, No. 6) is unfinished. It represents two figures : 

 the lower one, the bear, and the upper one, the Scana or killer (Orcaater). 



With the exception of the first-named carving, I did not learn of any legend or 

 allegorical history connected with these carvings of the Haidahs. But they will 

 be of interest and value to study at some future opportunity. 



