INDIANS OF NORTH PACIFIC COAST 



13 



Haida Canoe 



Totem Poles 



® 



South Central Wing 



INDIANS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC COAST 



North of Memorial Hall — that is, to the rear of 

 the Jesup statue — is the North Pacific Hall, where 

 Indians of are displayed collect ions illustrating 

 British the culture of the Indians of the north- 



Columbia west coast of America. These collections 

 and Alaska are arranged geographically so that in 

 passing from south to north through the hall the 

 visitor meets with the tribes in the same sequence 

 that he would in traveling up the west coast of 

 North America. 



The most striking object, is the great Haida 

 Canoe in the center of the hall. In it is a group 



representing a party of ( 'hilkat Indians 



on their way to celebrate the rite of the 

 "potlatch." The potlatch is the great "giving cere- 

 mony," common to all the coast tribes, when indi- 

 viduals and families gladly impoverish themselves 

 that the dead may be honored, and social standing 

 of the clan or family recognized and increased. At 

 the stern of the canoe, which is represented as 

 approaching the beach, stands the chief or "medi- 

 cineman." who directs the ceremony. The canoe is a 

 huge dugout made from a single tree, is 64 %. feet long 

 and 8 feet wide and capable of carrying 40 men. 



Against the pillars and walls of the hall are many 

 house posts and totem poles with their grotesque 



carvings; the latter may represent 



either the coat of arms or family tree, 



or they may illustrate some story or legend connected 



with the family. The Haida Indians together with 



the Tlingit are recognized as superior in art to the 



other Indian tribes along the northwest coast of 



North America. Thev are divided into a number of 



, ... ... , . , .. L otem pole at \\ ran- 



taniihes with various crests tor each family and ge l, Alaska. At the 



Chilkat grouped in two main divisions, the bottom is a beaver with 



_, , . „ . . „ . _, ,_. ., a frog under his chin; 



Blankets Ravens and the Eagles, lne llmgit above is a raven; and 



are makers of the famous Chilkat blankets, of which above the raven a frog, 



, A T ., ,. ,. which is surmounted bv 



the Museum possesses an exceptionally hue collection. a human head. 



