37 
bark (Qalmas).’ At the four corners of the house were posts that went through the roof, 
at the upper end of which were figures of men. Nceqt again inquired, ‘How does your 
uncle call these carvings on the posts?' She answered, ‘'The name is All-people (Marhgyet).' 
The rafters of the house went out through the eaves; on the end of each were carved 
faces of children, looking downwards with their hair hanging down. He inquired again, 
‘How does your uncle call these carvings?’ She replied, ‘He calls them Worth-while- 
looking-at (Kwim’alralsu).’ Outside the door there was a large totem pole. He asked 
her the name of the figure at the top. It was a remarkable car\ing: as soon as anybody 
walked near the pole, the bird waved its wings and moved its head. He inquired, ‘How 
does your uncle call this bird on the end of the totem pole?' She replied, ‘He calls it 
Live-eagle (Dedilsem-rhskycrk)]’ Nseot took all these names and crests (ayuks) as his ow'n 
.... And he returned to his village on the Skeena.” 
Thus, through conquest, the Eagle became the emblem of several 
Skeena River families, of the Larhsail phratry, in spite of the rule, elsewhere 
prevalent, that the Eagle is an outstanding emblem owned exclusively 
within the phratry of the same name. The Gitksan, for that reason, 
admit only reluctantly that it is an Eagle. The present Rarhs-rabarhs^ 
acknowledged that “It resembles the Eagle very much. It was conquered. 
But we call it the Maw^ out of respect for the Larkskeek (Eagle phratry), 
not to hurt their feelings.” The Kitamat raid was explained somewhat 
differently by Tseegw'ee,^ as follows: 
"Naiqt and his party found the houses deserted. The people had taken to flight, 
but had left behind a very stout woman. They went and looked around the village. On 
one of the poles was a being, a bird that gazed at them wherever they went, and seemed to 
turn around as if it were alive. Nseqt asked the woman, ‘What is that, on the pole?’ 
She replied in Tsimsyan, ‘That is the Cieeladal.'^ Then they saw the huge rafters of the 
chief's house. These were logs, hollowed out. Nacqt inquired, ‘How' do you call them?’ 
She answered, 'We known them as Without-bark (Qalmas)’. They w'ent out, along the 
shore and saw a large war canoe. . . . They took everything that was of value, filled 
the canoe and started homewards.” 
FUNCTION 
The older of the two poles, Empty-canoe ( Qabnas )* was erected from 
25 to 40 years ago,® in memory of a former Nemluleq (whose later name was 
that of the household chief Rarhs-raharhs ), by an uncle of the present chief. 
The newer pole was erected about ten years later than the first,® 
in memory of Wistis (or Rarhs-rabarhs) , by his successor of the same name.^ 
In the words of Alec Brown (Wawralaw), the first pole was erected for 
Nemluleq, and the second for his successor, who died two years after his 
uncle, whom he had replaced. 
CARVERS 
The pole of Empty-canoe (Qalmas) was “adzed and carved” by Mark 
Weegyet, the head-chief of Gitsegyukla, of the Fireweed phratry.® 
>Simon Turner, of Gitsegyukla. 
•Isaac Ttens, another Gitsegyukla informant. 
•The Thunder-bird, the Mountain eagle, also owTied by Hlengwah, of Kitwanga. 
•The second in the row. 
•About 26 years ago (in 1924), according to Simon Turner (Rarhs-rabarhs); 20 years ago (1924), according to 
Alec Brown (Wawralaw); and about 40 years ago (in 1923), according to Charles Mark (Ramaysem). 
•That is, according to Charle.s Mark, about 30 years ago (in 1923); or, according to Simon Turner, 15 years ago 
(in 1924). 
•This second Wistis died recently. 
•Who died a very old man, in 1925. Charles Mark was mistaken w'hen he asserted that it had been carved by 
Illamee.of Gitwinlkul, as the other pole. The technique is not the same, although it is rather alike in both carvings. 
