Social Organization 93 



All that the possessor can bequeath is a knowledge of the necessary procedure, 

 and what may be called his " good-will in the business." The actual acquisition 

 of the power depends on other factors which will be discussed in a later chapter. 



Chieftainship 



One of the most noticeable features in Eskimo society almost everywhere is 

 the absence of chiefs, and the Copper Eskimos are no exception. A man acquires 

 influence by his for«e of character, his energy and success in hunting, or his skill 

 in magic. As long as these last him age but increases his influence, but when 

 they fail his prestige and authority vanish. Although there were at least half 

 a dozen shamans in Dolphin and Union strait, and Ikpakhuak himself professed 

 no shamanistic powers, yet his personal dignity, his sagacity, and his prowess as 

 a hunter won him the most prominent place among the natives of this region. 

 He had no delegated powers, no established authority, but his counsels always 

 carried the greatest weight and his advice was constantly sought in all matters 

 of importance. On my first visit to the Puivlik settlement in 1914 I carried on 

 a little trading in the crowded dance-house, and one of the natives attempted 

 to rob me of a long machete. The rest looked on and watched the outcome. 

 Only Ikpakhuak had the courage to interfere; he seized the man's wrist and 

 forced him to give up the knife. Even Ikpakhuak's influence, however, could 

 not always prevent stealing, or secure the restoration of stolen property, even 

 among his own people. Two boxes of .30-30 cartridges which he had cached on 

 the coast in the summer of 1914 were stolen, and it must have been one of his 

 kinsmen who perpetrated the theft, since there were no other natives in the 

 vicinity at the time. His nephew was robbed of a knife in the following winter 

 and could obtain no redress. In the spring of 1916 a case of .30-30 ammunition 

 was stolen from the expedition's cache at Bernard harbour; Ikpakhuak secured 

 about 15 boxes from one of the thieves, but the remainder we had to recover 

 ourselves by a display of force. 



The shaman Uloksak, who was credited with wonderful powers of control 

 over the world of spirits, was probably not more than thirty years of age. He 

 was bolder and more unscrupulous than most of the Eskimos, and for a time had 

 considerable authority among the natives around the Coppermine river; but a 

 streak of cowa dice in his nature finally brought discredit on him and destroyed 

 much of his influence. Farther east, however, in Bathurst inlet, there was one 

 man, Ilatsiak, who might with justice have claimed the title of chief. His fame 

 as a shaman had spread far and wide, and he had no rival in that sphere. The 

 most extraordinary powers were ascribed to him — he could discover the past, 

 foretell the future, and, more than any other shaman, control the supply of game 

 and the elementary forces of nature. In all matters relating to everyday life 

 his integrity was beyond question; he had never been known to abuse his 

 influence, or divert it to his own selfish ends at the expense of his fellow-country- 

 men. In stature he was below the mean, and he was well a"dvanced in years — 

 his beard, in fact, was quite white — but he was still vigorous and full of energy, 

 and his movements quick and decided. His pleasant and open countenance 

 wore usually a somewhat grave expression, and his manner was calm and digni- 

 fied, but there was no trace of arrogance in his demeanour. Natives in his 

 presence would recount the most wonderful tales of his shamanistic feats, and 

 he would listen quietly, without either assenting or denying. His small black 

 eyes were shrewd and sparkling, indicating a personality far in advance of the 

 average Eskimo's. The natives of Bathurst inlet seemed to obey him without 

 question. Frequently he led them on their migrations; he brought about forty 

 of them with him to visit our station, and without question they were the 

 most honest and the best behaved natives we ever had dealings with. The Rev. 

 Mr. Girling informs me that Ilatsiak is now the very best friend that the 



