Copper Eskimo Traditions 71a 



(Another native in the same group varied the words a little. Instead of 

 IcLymdqaxaqtu'yuUn he said kiymdqoaq^aqtu'yutin, i.e., "your old heel is too big"; 

 and instead of huhixjutixai'naq he said kukiyutisfaiyau'riman, which has the 

 same meaning.) 



Cf. No. 18; Rasmussen, p. 163; Rasmussen and Worster, p. 77; Kroeber, p. 19, 173f. Meddeleleer om Grfcland, 

 XXXI, p. 293, 311; Boaa, J. A. F. L., Vol. X, p. 110. 



43. The Owl and the Squirrel 

 (Told by Natsin, the adopted son of a Kilusiktok shaman) 

 The owl once said to the squirrel : 

 uma'hkcaya qa\-u'Ukcaya hda'ni ha'pivaya 

 "Heart for me, back-fat for me, its holes I have blocked it up." 



But the squirrel answered: 



umatd-oyimayi'ymaka qak-utd-Dyimayi'ymaka 



ceqmi'q-a ha-'\u tivoKxyoa'yXayin 



"You wish to eat my heart, you wish to eat my back-fat. 



Turn towards the sun and let me hop towards you." 



But when the owl turned towards the sun the squirrel ran into its hole. 



(Another version gives ceq'miq ha-'\uyo tiva'\-ain, which means the same.) 



The Owl and the Squirrel — -Second Version 

 (Told by Milukattak, a Dolphin and Union strait Eskimo woman) 

 The snowy owl once said to the squirrel: 

 Xi.yxik xiyxik umd'Ukxaya qoK-u'hkxaya 

 "Squirrel, squirrel, my heart, my back-fat." 



But the squirrel came out of its hole and with its paw speckled the owl all over. 

 Then it went back into its hole and the owl flew away. That is the reason why 

 the owl has black specks on its feathers. 



Cf. Boas, Bulletin, A.M.N.H., Vol. XV, pt. I, p. 219, 319; J. A. F. L., Vol. X, p. 111. 



44. The Seagull, the Raven, and the Old SquAW Duck 



(Told by Milukattak, a Dolphin and Union strait woman) 



The seagull was always stealing the raven's food till one day the raven got 

 angry. But the seagull took some charcoal (pauq) and blackened the raven all 

 over; that is why the raven has black feathers, for originally it was white. 

 The old squaw duck too was white at first, but the sea-gull, when it blackened 

 the raven, at the same time blackened the old squaw too. 



45. The Loon and the Raven 

 (Told by Ilatsiaq, a Kilusiktok shaman) 



The yellow-billed loon once met the raven. They talked together and the 

 raven fattooed the loon (iw'Xtfc), putting all the streaks on it, and painted its 

 bill yellow. Then it asked the loon to paint it in turn, but the loon threw lamp- 

 black over it. The raven was white before, but thereafter it was black. 



Cf No. 20; Rasmussen, p. 309 ; Rasmussen and Worster, p. 66 ; Kroeber, p. 174; Boas, Central Eskimo, p. 641 ; 

 Boas, Bulletin, A.M.N.H., Vol. XV, pt. I, pp. 220, 320 and 360; J. A. F. L., Vol. VII, p. 49; Hawkes, p. 160. 



