96 
the coast, and he temporarily lost his wife to the Blackfish of the sea, who 
kidnapped her on the shore and took her to their home beneath the waters. 
Gunarhnaesems pursued the sea monsters, and entered their abode in dis- 
guise. There he observed many young Blackfish moving about in the 
house (Lugurn^ncerhl J, and the House-front-painting-of-the-Blackfish {Qawa- 
m^ncerhl ), which was a mural decoration at the rear of the house of 
the Blackfish; he then took to flight up the Skeena with his wife, there to 
adopt as emblems some of the outstanding features of his supernatural 
experiences. These are still used in the family of Harhpegwawtu and other 
related families who share in the same ancient patrimony. 
The (Bird)-of-the-air (Larh’om) crest was part of the set of crests 
which the sons of Skawah brought down from the Sky, when they established 
their abode at Temlaham. In an account, it is given as the house-front 
painting of Ligi-jniwen, the fourth of the sky-born brothers. 
The native interpretation of Decayed-corpse (Lawrom-halerh ) is 
given on page 91. (The Poles of Ksrarom-larhw), This emblem is also 
used by some members of the “royal Gispwudwada” clan of the Tsimsyan, 
whose origin is traced back to Temlaham. 
FUNCTION 
The older of the two Single-fireweed poles was the first of the present 
set of poles erected at Gitsegyukla, soon after the fire of 1871.^ It stands 
in commemoration of Harhpegwawtu and Nagwaa, and was paid for by 
their relatives under the direction of Kurhskyan, Neetamlarh’awks, and 
the new Harhpegwawtu.^ 
The pole of the Decayed-corpse ( Lawrom-halerh ) was erected about 
forty years ago, in memory of Neetamlarh'awks and Leelebeks, of this 
house, at the initiative of their kinswoman the new Neetamlarh'awks, 
assisted by Harhpegwawtu.® 
The House-front-Blackfish pole ( Qawam’nmrhl ) was erected about 
thirty years ago,^ in honour of Ahledeks,® by his relative Harhpegwawtu.® 
The pole of the Moving-blackfish (Lugum’ncerhl) in the upper village 
is the most recent of all the carved poles of the Skeena, having been set 
up in 1925, in memory of Kurh-skyan, through the initiative of the present 
Harhpegwawtu (Arthur McDames). 
The new Single-fireweed pole ( Gilhcest ) was raised early in 1926 at 
the expense of Harhpegwawtu, in memory of his mother, Gihlarh’awlks. 
CARVERS 
The pole of Decayed-corpse (Lawrom-halerh) was the work of Gisarh- 
kees (Tom Harris, a brother of Laelt), of the Larhsail phratry at Kitwanga. 
The carvings in high relief, with flat surfaces, and attached parts (some of 
lit was erected, informants say, in the same year as the Winil pole of Weegyet, (p. 109). 
‘Wawralaw (Alec Brown) heard that "it was erected by Kitsalas people,” which may mean that the related 
family of Nees-tarhawk, of Kitsalas, also contributed. 
•Two subdivisions of the house of Harhpegwawtu had a serious disagreement about this pole. 
•The same year as Gurhsan’s Mountain-goat and Moon pole. 
•Another statement, equally credible, has it in memory of Harhpegwawtu. It may have been in memory 
of both jointly; the successor of Harpegwawtu promoting the event. 
•Or, according to Wawralaw’s statement (that of an outsider), it was erected as "the grave of Trhalgumtk, of 
the house of Kurhskyan. 
