Shamanism 



215 



knife. This disposed of one shade, but almost immediately the kila became 

 heavy again through the entrance of another, Alak, as I suggested. Ikpakhuak 

 tried to evict it in the same manner, but failed. Then a man suggested that 

 Higilak should breathe on the bundle, and this was successful. "It'sheavy again," 

 she said a moment later. Ikpakhuak caught hold of the cord and said, "No, it's 

 light." "Heavy, surely," she replied, not too well pleased, I fancied, at her 

 husband's interference. "Gp on," said a woman spectator. Higilak did not 

 trouble to enquire the name of the shade this time, but merely said "Go away," 

 and struck the kila with her knife and breathed on it. The bundle at once 

 became light; all the malignant shades had been disposed of, and nothing re- 

 mained presumably to prevent my recovery. A year later Higilak reminded me 

 of this performance, and claimed that she had been instrumental in curing me 

 of my illness. 



Fig. 61. Ilatsiak, the most important shaman among the Copper Eskimos 



Of the other divining performances that Higilak held at various times one 

 has a certain interest for our purpose. It took place in August, at a time when 

 no caribou had been sighted for several days and our food supplies were running 

 low. Besides myself and Higilak there was only Ikpakhuak in the tent, and he 

 was sound asleep. Higilak divined with my coats as usual, but when she found 

 that the shade of a dead kinsman of Ikpakhuak was recalcitrant and would not 

 leave the bundle she roused her husband from his sleep to propitiate it with 

 fair words and induce it to leave us. 



The last instance of divination that I was to witness was tinged with pathos, 

 and would alone have dispelled any doubts I might still have possessed as to 

 Higilak's good faith in these performances. I was paying the old couple one 

 of my final visits before we left their country. Late in the evening Higilak sent 



