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The mythic pedigree of the Thunder-bird is not so clear. No separate 
account could be found to explain it. Nurhs (Jimmy Williams) believed 
that his remote ancestors once had killed a bird of this description at the 
headwaters of the Skeen a and had adopted it as a crest. But it is more 
likely to be a derivative of the Thunder-bird or Bird-of-the-air, which was 
among the emblems brought down from the sky, according to the Skawah 
myth, by the ancestors of the Sky clan. 
The Mountain-fern emblem belongs exclusively to the Kispayaks 
family of Wawsemlarhae and his close relatives both of Kispayaks and 
Hazelton. In various ways they seem to lay more emphasis upon it than 
upon the others, presumably because they are its exclusive owners; their 
other crests being shared by outsiders. A short narrative recounts in 
what circumstances four ancestors of these households once discovered the 
giant Mountain-fern at night, on their own mountain game preserve, at 
Maple-grows-on-it (Larh’anse-warawrhs ), 30 or 40 miles above Hazelton 
on the Kisgagas side. They dug up the fern root, brought it down to their 
village at Larh-sendzihl, and invited the four neighbouring tribes of Qaldo, 
Kisgagas, Gitenmaks, and Hagwelget to a feast. There, in the presence 
of all, they adopted the Mountain-fern as their own emblem. 
Nowhere have we found the origin of the Grouse explained among 
those who use it on their coat-of-arms, both on the Skeena and the Nass. 
FUNCTION 
The oldest of these poles, “The White Owl,” is stated to be “very old,” 
about, or over, “seventy years,” and to have been put up in memory of 
one of the former Wawsemlarhae. 
The second, at the front, was erected in memory of his successor, of 
the same name, from forty to fifty years ago. 
The Sun-dog pole is about twenty years old (John Brown says thirty), 
and stands in commemoration of Nurhs, of the same family. 
CARVERS 
“The White Owl” pole is said to have been the work of a Nass River 
carver, Qelran, of Gitlarhdamks village, who belonged to the Wolf phratry. 
The second, and tallest is ascribed to Haray (Salomon Johnson), of 
Kispayaks, whose phratry is the Larhsail. 
The Sun-dog pole was carved by Tsinhlsek or Tsugyet (James Green), 
an old man still living at Kispayaks, and belonging to the Wolf phratry. 
(23) Poles of Kweeyaihl, at Kispayaks 
Kweeyaihl* of Kispayaks, and Nees-tarhawk,* of Kitsalas, are con- 
nected by strong family ties. They are believed® to have lived together 
in the same house at Temlaham, long ago, under the chieftainship of 
‘The first head erf this family, in legendary times, was Ligi-yu’en, one of the sky-born sons of Skawah. At 
later dates, he was succeeded in that poet by Qaugymren, Kweeyaihl, and Urantu. 
iWhoee name, in traditions, formerly was Sqagyaihik. 
•By John Brown, of Kispayaks, the present Kweeyaihl. 
