SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE NASS RIVER INDIANS. 
21 
of the name, laxtszme'l'x, is strictly analogous to that of the 
phratric names lax^cbo" u (Wolf) and laxsgr'k* (Eagle), thus 
directly suggesting that in the remote past the group character- 
ized by the beaver crest was a distinct social unit quite indepen- 
dent of and parallel to the groups characterized by the wolf and 
eagle crests. The evidence derived from the family legends 
would naturally be of the greatest assistance in establishing 
these and other such reconstructions. One thing seems very clear 
at present — that the present fourfold (not to speak of a simpler 
tripartite) arrangement into phratries cannot be forthwith 
assumed as the historical nucleus from which the present com- 
plex clan system, with its irregularities of crest distribution, 
has arisen. 
HOUSE NAMES AMONG THE NASS RIVER INDIANS. 
One of the privileges owned by certain families was the use of 
a distinctive house name, a privilege to which the same term 
’ ayu'k*s is applied as to the crest. According to Chief Derrick, 
by no means every chief house of a clan has such a name. At 
any rate, he knew of only eight such house names among the 
Nass River tribes, three of which belong to the fed'anwt'l'kc, two 
to the %dwankct'lk u , and three to the %dxate ,n \ the 1$d$i$€''nt% y 
according to Chief Derrick, have no ceremonial house names. 
Beginning with the fed’anwt'Vkc, we find that their old 
village of )$dlaxla' ,a mikc possessed the following three house names 
(the new village of 'd'yd'nc has naturally no new house names of 
its own, but simply uses the older names from ^dlayta^mckc): 
1. Of fytstiansnarH * clan (Wolf phratry): wuccnfcd- 
fidldm'ald'' "fire going through two smoke-holes" 
(cf. ' did '* "smoke hole”). This house is inhabited 
by chief ni' H c *y?q l "father of (i.e. owner of) (slave 
named) ’ yoq \” 
2. Of fedwd’na-fii'’ 1 clan (Wolf phratry): wdlo'’a”ml 
qo' ,3 t "(house) entrance of which is attended by joy” 
(literally, "being-good- therein heart”). This is 
Chief Derrick’s ( %e'xk lU ) house, recently built at 
'a’ya'nc. 
