89 
ORIGIN 
The Thunder-bird, appearing here under the name of Rskaimsem and 
described as the Golden-eagle or Mountain-eagle, frequently appears as 
a crest among the members of the Sky clan. It is another form of Larh-ohm 
or Bird-of-the-Sky, described in the myth of Skawah as one of the original 
crests of the clan. It is otherwise a variant upon the widespread aboriginal 
theme of the Thunder-bird. 
The White-otter (’Mas-watserh) was adopted by Kweeyaihl when he lived, 
not long ago, at Qatqai’eeden (All visible), on Kispayaks (Kispiox) river. His 
family was on the verge of extinction,^ and the survivors resorted, in the 
last extremities, to their hunting grounds in the mountains, there to meet 
with supernatural experiences. Among other supernatural beings, they 
saw the WTiite-otter (Mawkskwe-watserh, in modern Gitksan, or as its 
name goes in archaic language, ’Mas-watserh), which they later adopted 
as a crest.^ 
No satisfactory account could be secured about the remote origin of 
the Tsenaanurh crest, which resembles the Crown-of-claws (Taqsem-asralt ) 
of Hak, of Qaldo (of the Wolf phratry), and Eagle-person (Gyoedem- 
rhskymk ) of Kweenu, of Gitwinlkul.^ It was first allotted to Kweeyaihl, 
according to the tradition, some time after his ancestors and those of Nees- 
tarhawk, of Kitsalas, had separated in their recent migrations along the 
Skeen a, the one to move up the river to Gitangwalk, and the other to settle 
at Kitsalas. Kweej’-aihl’s emblem at the time was the Grizzly-bear-of-the- 
water; to which Nees-tarhawk added the Prince-of-Blackfish, Tsenaanurh, 
and the Thunder-bird, Rskaimsem. A past KweeyaihB introduced it 
among his crests together with the Thunder-bird, the White-otter, and the 
White-porcupine, on a large totem pole “that stood up against the doorway 
of the house, through which the people entered” and was erected at the 
time when the white man’s trade articles first appeared in the country. 
Here is a summary of an account of the event, as given (in 1927) by 
John Brown,® of Kispayaks, the present Kweeyaihl: 
“The Tsenaanvrh, of Kitsalas, was an image. Its name in Tsimsyan is Senaanse-Crazy. 
My great-grandfather Nees-tarhawk, of Kitsalas, sent an invitation to ray grandfather 
Kweeyaihl, of Kispayaks, to come down to the canyon and help him out in a great feast 
which he intended to give. Kweeyaihl loaded his canoe with groundhog skins, and pro- 
ceeded down the river. Nees-tarhawk was very glad when he saw him arrive, called 
him ‘brother,’ and invited the village to a feast for his welcome. 
The upright posts of Nees-tarhawk’s house were carved. In acknowledgment of 
Kweeyaihl’s help he said, ‘When my brother returns to Kispayaks, he will use these 
carvings in his house.’ By this he did not mean to renounce their ownership, but simply 
to extend his privilege to his relative. Both afterwards could use the Tsenaanurh. 
After Kweeyaihl had returned to his home at Kaspayaks, he had a totem pole erected 
that served as an entrance pole or ‘opening’ (urhtsan) into his house. And he had the 
Tsenaanurh or Senaana; crest carved on it. 
'After an epidemic of smallpox (Kselak), informant Jolm Bro%vn believes. 
*.Since its name still appears under an archaic form, it assumes for this reason an air of greater antiquity than 
we might be otherwise inclined to concede. 
’See The Poles of Kweenu, of Gitwinlkul, p. 28. 
’“The third Kweeyaihl, or, the fourth after Temlaham," explained John Brown. 
’Brown’s remarks here may be of some significance: "In this the family of Kweeyaihl was helped by all the 
Kispayaks people. The Fireweeds at that time took individu.vl crests; the (various) Fireweed groups took their 
own crests." This may mean that the families of Kweeyaihl, as well as of other Kispayaks Fireweeds, at the time 
adopted new crests, which thereafter distinguished them from their kinsmen elsewhere. And the date of the event 
would be over a hundred years ago. 
84G28-7 
