53 
he had killed many people. Several tribes, from Kitamat and the Nass, 
organized together to defeat him and his confederates and curb his ascent 
to power. He then established his tribal quarters on Ta’awdzep (Fortress), 
a pyramiddike hill 2 miles north of the present village of Kitwanga, on 
Gitwinlkul river. To protect his stronghold against a surprise attack, 
which was anticipated, he made a fence of logs around the five houses of 
his tribe, and a trap door covered with deer hoofs, which would rattle at tlie 
least contact. When the enemies one night tried to climb the steep slope 
of Ta’aw’dzep, they were crushed to death by the logs that rattled down 
as soon as they were released by the besieged warriors above. This event 
is illustrated in the poles of Arhkawt. Njeqt was later wounded, some say 
by a gunshot (from the first gun used in the country), while he donned his 
Grizzly-bear armour on an expedition, and then clubbed to death. 
FUNCTION 
The Man-crushing-log (Qmnugyei), on the ground under cover, ^ was 
erected in memory of Arhkawt,^ at the time when tlie present Hlengwah 
(or Jim Larahnitz) was promoted, as a young man, to the rank of chief® 
— that is slightly over fifty years ago. 
The newer Man-crushing-log (QcBnagtjet)^ stands in memory of the 
former Hlengwah and Arhkawt, wlio died within two years of each other. 
It was erected from 20 to 25 years ago, through the efforts of Hlengwah’s 
successor, the present Jim Larahnitz. Here is a detailed account of the 
event, by Larahnitz: 
"My uncle died — Hlenfpvah or Naeqt (he had both names). I gave in his honour a 
'mtlatch at which 1 invited the people of Gitsegjmkia, Gitenmaks, Kispayaks, and Gitwinlkul 
Two years after, another uncle died — Arhkawt, and I gave another potlatch, two years 
after his death. I became halla-it (chief) in his place. I had a cedar pole cut, which was to 
become the Qcenagyei with the Door. This was done by Qawk (the head-chief of the 
Eagle phratry, in the same village) and Nees-laranows (of the Wolf phratry, at Gitwinlkul). 
Their payment was eighty blankets each. They selected the pole themselves, about 4 miles 
from Kitwanga, at the foot of the mountains, on the other side of the river. Tiysensk, 
of the Wolf pnratry (of Gitvinlkul) had the right to carve the pole. But she could not 
come. Her husband did the work for her — Kaldihgyet (Thom Campbell, of Hazelton), 
of the Larhsail phratry^. This happened about 20 years ago.* Not many members of 
my family could assist me, when I gave the feast {yuku) for its erection and the assumption 
of new names. Most of them had become Christians and moved down to Minskinish.^ 
My only helpers were my sister Siuhliyae and her fanuly, and my mother’s hou.sehold — 
Kamkal’owl. We invited as our guests the various Gitksan tribes, and also some of the 
notables of Gitrhadeen, Gitwinksihl, and Gitlarhdamks. I assumed the (traditional) chief 
names of Naeqt and Alerh, at that feast." 
The Qansil pole (Raven-sailing-through-the-air) was erected about 
1920. It stands in memory of Arhkawt, according to Alfred Sinclair; or, 
according to Larahnitz, in memory of two other people, his niece, who died 
'No. 4, Plate VII. 
‘According to Jim Larahnitz, it was to the memory of Rhstam-remgipieik, a persona] name in the family of 
Arhkawt. This was presumably an early name of Arhkawt. 
•As he termed it: “It wa.s at the time I made myself an o'yerh. The people’s hair at this feast was tied up with 
mink tails in Ksedrekhl style.’’ 
•Plate VII, figure 5; Plate VIII, figure 1. 
‘Being of the same phratry as Larahnitz, though of an unrelated family, he could otherwise not have been 
chosen. 
‘Information taken down in 1924. 
'Or Cedarvale, the Tomlinson mission village, some distance below Kitwanga. 
