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Chinook Texts

Pregnancy and Birth

When a woman is with child she does not sleep long. She awakes early in the morning and arises at once. She opens the door. She does not stay in the doorway, but goes out at once. When a woman who is with child sits down, nobody must stand back of her and nobody must lie down crosswise [at her feet]. It is the same at night [when she lies down]. When a person lies down near her, his head must point in the same direction as her feet are turned. When she comes to a creek she jumps across twice. She does not lie down outside the house, else the sun would make her sick. It is forbidden. She does not wear a necklace, else the navel-string would be wound around the child's neck. She does not wear bracelets, else the navel-string would be tied around the child's arm. She does not look at a corpse. She does not look at anything that is dead. It is forbidden. She does not look at a raccoon nor at an otter. She does not look at anything that is rotten. She does not blow up a [seal] bladder. She does not eat anything that has been found. It is forbidden. She does not eat trout nor steel-head salmon. It is forbidden. Her husband does not eat anything that has been found. He does not kill raccoons. He does not singe seals. He does not shoot birds. He does not look at a corpse. He does not kill otters, else the child would get sick by sympathy. It is the same with the raccoon. When the child should fall sick and nearly die it would have a hard struggle against death, like the otter. It is the same with a bird or a raccoon. It would obtain sickness by sympathy. When a raccoon's eye is squeezed out [by the husband of the woman who is with child] the child's eye would be squeezed out. When the raccoon cries much on being struck [with a stick] the child will do the same when it is near death. When a woman who is with child eats trout, her child will faint whenever it cries and recover only after a long time. This will happen every day, sometimes it may faint four times a day. When her husband singes a seal, the child's body will be burnt all over. It will have blisters. When she blows up a [seal] bladder, the child will always have winds. When she eats anything that was found and there is a hole in it [eaten by birds or other animals], the child will have a hole at the same place. When she sleeps outside of the house, and it is nearly time for her child to be born, her belly will be filled with blood and she dies. When she stays a long time in the doorway and looks out of the house, the child will do the same when it is being born. It will take long for the child to be born. Sometimes the woman will die; sometimes the child. When a woman who is with child stays in bed long, she will do the same when she gives birth to the child. When anybody stands back of her the child will be born feet first.

When she gives birth to the child, she always heats five stones. She makes a hole in the ground and throws two stones into it. Then she ties her blanket around herself and takes a steam-bath over these stones. Five days and nights she takes steam-baths all the time. When the stones get cold she takes them out of the hole and puts others into it. She does so day and night. After she has finished her steam-bath she takes the stones inland and places them in the hollow of a tree with her coat, her tongs and her cedar-bark belt. The after-birth receives presents-short dentalia and beads. If this is not done the child dies after a short time. Then the after-birth takes it back. A woman who is with child does not drink water that has been standing [in a vessel] a day. She drinks only water that has just been taken from the river, else she will be sick for a long time.

When a chieftainess gives birth to a child a woman is called to look after her. Sometimes two are called. They take the child when it is born and wash it in a large dish. They take a good knife and cut its navel-string. Then the two women are paid; sometimes it is only one woman. It is the same with a male and with a female child. When the child is a girl the taboos extend over ten days; if it is a boy, they extend over five days. When it is a boy the father and the mother may eat fresh food after five days. If it is a girl they may eat fresh food after ten days.

One month after the birth of the child the people are invited by the father of the child. Now they dance. Now a man who has a guardian spirit [who helps him to understand] children, is asked to practice his art on the child. Then its ears are perforated. This is the custom of the Katlamat. They finish perforating its cars. Two holes are made in each ear and presents are distributed among the people. They are paid for dancing [for the child]. After a year, when the child begins to stand and to walk, the father becomes again glad and invites all the people, who dance for the child. Its ears are again perforated. Now five holes are made in each ear. This is done with both boys and girls. When the chief's child grows up and [first] catches fish with a hook, the father is gladdened again and invites the people. They dance, and all are paid for dancing. When the child becomes really large and shoots [the first] bird, he again invites the people. He gives a potlatch, and the people dance. Again all are paid for dancing for the child.

 

Notes.

Other taboos and beliefs. – When a woman gives birth to a child out of doors, this will be a reproach to her child throughout life. Her husband is allowed to be present during her confinement.

The father must not go fishing for ten days nor do any work that requires his going out on the water. He must not go hunting, but he may gather wood. If the child is a boy this rule holds for five days only. If a sick person is in a house where a woman is about to be confined, his bed is surrounded with mats so that he cannot see the woman.

There is a certain guardian spirit which enables its possessor to understand the cries and the cooing of babies. The child may tell him where it came from. It may say: After four days I shall go home; then it will die after four days. This spirit informed us that the land of the children is in sunrise. If a child in a family dies and another one is born later on to the same family, it may be the same child which returned. Sometimes, if it died after its ears had been perforated, the new-born child will have its ears perforated. Old people cannot return as new-born infants.

 

Puberty

When a chief who is continually sick has a daughter about ten years old and not yet mature, he makes a potlatch and pretends that she is menstruant for the first time. The people dance five days and are paid for dancing.

When a chiefs daughter is menstruating for the first time, she is hidden [from the view of the people]. Only an [old] woman takes care of her. Cedar bark is tied to her arms [above the elbows and at the wrists], to her legs, and around her waist. She fasts sometimes five days, sometimes ten days, or four or six days. Now the people are invited and a potlatch is made for the girl. She remains hidden five days. Now she is taken out [of her hiding place] and the cedar bark which is tied around her [arms, legs, and waist] is taken off. Then strings of dentalia are tied around her arms and legs, and a buckskin strap is tied around her waist. This remains tied around her for one hundred days, then it is taken off. Now an old woman washes her face. Another old woman paints her; still another one combs her. When this is finished the people are paid for dancing for her. Now these old women are paid and the girl is hidden again. She has a separate door. She bathes in a creek far [from the village]. For fifty days she does not eat fresh food. When she is menstruant for the second time her father gives another potlatch. She must not warm herself. She must never look at the people. She must not look at the sky. she must not pick berries. It is forbidden. When she looks at the sky it becomes bad weather. When she picks berries it will rain. She hangs up her [towel of] cedar bark on [a certain] spruce tree. The tree dries up at once. After one hundred days she may eat fresh food, she may pick berries and warm herself.

If the people move from one place to another, she is carried into the canoe. She must not paddle and is carried on the back into the canoe. She must not step into salt water. When it is night she must go to bathe. She must rise earlier than the birds. If the birds should rise first she will not live long. If she does everything in the right way she will get old before she dies. After her second menses [these customs] are finished. Later on, when she is menstruant, she goes out of the house and comes back after five days. Every month when she is menstruating she goes out at once. Sometimes she stays outside four days. No sick person must see her. When a person is sick she makes a house for herself far away. The same is done by a girl menstruant for the first time. The latter must not look at children.

When a menstruant woman eats fish that was caught in a net, the net becomes unlucky. If the people try to catch fish in the net, they find that it has become unlucky. It is the same with a hook. When she eats sturgeon, and the people try to catch sturgeon with that hook, they find that it has become unlucky. After five days she may eat fresh food. Berries which she has picked must not be eaten by children or sick persons.

When a girl who is menstruant for the first time has no father, then her mother's brother gives a potlatch for her. Sometimes her father's brother, or her father's sister or her mother's sister will make a potlatch for her. If anybody has not many dentalia the people are invited. They do not dance, but look at the girl. Presents are distributed among them. Not many dentalia are distributed. In the same way presents are distributed among the people when she has her second menses.

 

Marriage

When a man of one town likes a girl of another town his relatives take [part of] their property and go to buy her. They send messengers. The [girl's relatives] keep the dentalia [which have been sent them] and the messengers go home. Now the girl's father divides that property among all his relatives. Now her mother prepares her dentalia and the people make themselves ready. They bring her to the town where the people live who have bought her. They bring the bride to the groom. When they had given a small amount only in payment, they add to the purchase money, giving more dentalia and several slaves to her father. Now the [amount paid] is sufficient. The relatives of the girl stand outside the house. They put on their blankets, dance, and sing conjurer's songs. Now the man's relatives run to the other party and take off their blankets. This is done three or four times. Now a road is strewn with dentalia by the man's relatives. When it is finished a woman carries the girl over it on her back. A blanket is pulled over her head, so that her face can not be seen. Two or three blankets are laid down. The woman who carries her receives a payment of dentalia. When she lifts her load again, she receives blankets in payment. She lifts her once more. She receives much property for carrying her on her back. At last she puts her down on those blankets. Now the relatives of the girl bring her dentalia. They are torn over her head, and [they feign to] louse her. Dentalia are also strewn on the man's head by his relatives and they feign to louse him. Now the girl's relatives bring her food. This food is divided among those who helped [in the ceremonies]. Then the woman's relatives return the purchase money. When ten blankets are paid, they refund eight. When five were paid, four are refunded. When much food is brought to her, the man's relatives pay once more, and this purchase money is also returned.

The relatives of the married couple transact the purchase. [Male and] female relatives of a married couple are [called] Lâ'qoqcin.

When the relative of a family who is married in another village gives birth to a child and the child dies, the woman's father gives a slave or a canoe. He pays indemnity. When [the young wife] gathers roots or berries, she distributes them among the people who bought her. This is done every year when she goes to gather berries. When her husband dies she is taken to his younger brother. If he has no younger brother, she is taken to his father. If he has no father, she taken to one of his relatives. Then the relatives of her husband feel satisfied.

When a youth tries to buy a wife and his property is refused, he may try twice or three times. If he is still refused, he hides in the woods. in order to wait for the girl. Often he meets her there and carries her away. She goes to him. Then her relatives have lost her. Her relatives learn where she is. If she has elder brothers, they all go to take her back. They arrive at the place where she is and carry her back home. After several days she leaves again and goes to the young man. Her relatives go again and carry her back. When she leaves a third time they let her go. Sometimes she is allowed [to stay with the man] after she has left three times. Now she is bought for a small amount of property. They are married. All her relatives go to [attend the marriage]. If the man has no property, they live with his father-in-law. He looks after his father-in-law's house. He looks after his fire and catches salmon for his wife's relatives.

If a man's wife is carried away, many slaves are paid to him as an indemnity, and he is satisfied. If he is not paid indemnity he kills [the abductor]. If he does not find him he kills one of his relatives. Then a family feud arises. It is the same when the wife of a man's deceased brother is taken away. Then, also, indemnity is paid and he is satisfied.

 

Death

When a person dies who has many relatives, much property, and many slaves, his relatives tie [dentalia] to his body. Two young men are selected to prepare the corpse. If [the deceased] had a good canoe, he is placed into it and it is put up. It is painted and two holes are made in its stern. The people go down to the beach and wash and comb themselves. They cut their hair – men, women, and children. After they have cut their hair, they take other names. Women, men, and children change their names. Then the dentalia of the deceased are distributed. His relatives take them as well as his slaves and canoes. If the deceased liked one of his relatives [particularly] he would say. "He shall take my wife after I am dead." If he had two wives he speaks in this way to two persons. Now the women are taken to his relatives. When a woman loves her husband and she is near her death, she will say to her elder sister: "Your brother-in-law shall marry you;" or she may say so to her younger sister. When an old man dies and his widow is young, she is taken to his younger brother. In the same way [when and old woman dies and her widower is young, he is given his wife's younger sister].

When there is a chief, he takes the [deceased chief's name a long time, after the death of the latter]. His relative takes his name. Two people are told to name him. Now two people give him the name. They are given much property [for performing this service]. This is done when a man, a woman, or a child is named. After a year the corpse is cleaned. Two young men are hired, who also rearrange the canoe and paint it.

When a man dies who has a guardian spirit, his baton is placed next to the canoe. When a shaman dies, his baton is placed next to the canoe. His rattle of bear claws is hung on to the stern of the canoe. When he had a rattle made of shell, it is hung in the same place. When a shaman has many children, his baton is carried far into the woods. His rattle is carried there also. When a brave dies, his headdress is placed on top of a pole near his canoe burial. When he had a shell rattle, it is hung on to the canoe. When a woman dies, only her coat is hung on the canoe burial.

When anybody takes the dentalia away from a corpse, the person who took them is killed. When anybody makes fun of a canoe burial, and [the relatives of the deceased] learn about it, he must give away many dentalia, else he is killed. If he gives away many dentalia he is not killed.

When the child of a chief dies, he becomes very sad. He says to his relatives: "Let us go to the chief of that town." The chief tries to please him. Now the people go to another town. Then he is given three slaves, canoes, and dentalia by the chief whom he visits. He receives many dentalia. He distributes all these dentalia and canoes among his relatives. He keeps only two slaves. If [the chief of] that town does not give him any dentalia they fight. Many people are killed, and now a feud originates. When a relative [of the chief] who has given dentalia dies, he assembles all his relatives and goes to the man whom he had given dentalia. Now the same is done [as before]. They give him slaves, dentalia, and canoes. His heart becomes glad.

When a chief dies, his relatives are sad. They speak to each other and go to war. They kill the chief of another town.

When a person has been killed, an old man who has a guardian spirit is asked to work over the murderer. The old man takes coal and mixes it with grease. He puts it onto the face [of the murderer]. He gives him a head ring of cedar bark. Cedar bark is also tied around his ankles and knees and around his wrists. For five days he does not drink water. He does not sleep, and does not lie down. He always, stands. At, night he walks about and whistles on bone whistles. He always says ä ä ä. For five days he does not wash his face. Then on the next morning the old man washes his face. He takes off that coal. He removes the black paint from his face. He puts red paint on his face. A little coal is mixed with the red paint. The old man puts this again on to his face. Sometimes this is done by an old man, sometimes by an old woman. The cedar bark which was tied to his legs and arms is taken off and buckskin straps are tied around his arms and his legs. Now, after five days he is given water. He is given a bucket, out of which he drinks. Now food is roasted for him, until it is burned. When it is burned black it is given to him. He eats standing. He takes five mouthsful, and no more. After thirty days he is painted with new red paint. Good red paint is taken. Now he carries his head ring and his bucket to a spruce tree and hangs it on top of the tree. [Then the tree will dry up.] People never eat in company of a murderer. He never eats sitting, but always standing. When he sits down [to rest] he kneels on one leg. The murderer never looks at a child and must not see people while they are eating.

When a woman's husband dies she becomes a widow. Then she goes up the river. [There she stays] sometimes one day, sometimes two days. She bathes. For thirty days she does not eat fresh food. She also does not look at a child or at a sick person. She bathes every day. She rubs her body with sweet-smelling herbs. She never wears a good blanket. Her blanket is always bad. For one year she must not laugh. Then her dead husband's relatives tell her: "Now be glad; your brother-in-law will marry you;" then she puts on a good blanket. When she laughs shortly after becoming a widow, her husband's relatives are not pleased. When she marries again quickly, they ask a shaman to send disease to her and she dies. When a widow has a child which is small, her dead husband's relatives say to her soon: "Now be glad," and, indeed, she gets glad.

 

Whaling

When the people of Sealand find a whale they tell a youth to go to the town and to inform the people. A person who has to observe taboos is asked to go up and down [in his canoe] below the whale. Then he goes up and down below the whale. Thus also a person who cohabited the preceding night goes up and down below the whale. If no person who has to observe taboos would go up and down, it would drift away. Those who found the whale do not cut it; they wait for the chief. All the people reach the whale. Then the chief takes a stick and measures the whale from the head to the tail. Then he tells the people: "You will cut here; you will cut there." It is distributed among those people. The common people cut from the tail end. When it is all cut, it is carried to the town into the houses. When the whale is measured, the chief tells the people to make the [measuring] sticks two spans and one hand width long, if the whale is large[; two spans wide if the whale is smaller]. The people are told: "You cut here," and they cut the whale. Everything is done this way. A cut two spans and one hand width large is exchanged for one blanket, or for a string of dentalia five shells longer than a fathom. When a cut two spans large is sold it is exchanged for a ground-hog blanket.

When travelers from Chehalis find a whale it is taken back from them. If it is found at Oysterville, it belongs to the people of Sealand; when it is found north of Oysterville, it belongs to the Willapa. When the people of Sealand find a whale north of Oysterville, it is claimed by the Willapa. If the Willapa find one south of Oysterville, it is claimed by the people of Sealand.

When a person who has taboos sees a whale nearly drifting ashore, it will drift out to sea again. This happens with one who has cohabited the preceding night, with a menstruating woman, with a girl who is menstruant for the first time, and with a murderer. People who have taboos do not go to the beach. When they go often to the beach, no whale will be found and the people get hungry.

When a whale is found in Chehalis all the Nisal and Willapa go to buy whale meat. When a whale is found in Sealand, all the Chehalis go to buy its meat.

When the people are starving, a person who has a supernatural helper of the sea sings to bring a whale. No woman who has her regular menses enters, no young man; else a person might see the singing who has cohabited the preceding night. Therefore, also, no woman must enter, as she might become menstruant in the house where they sing. Only old people, boys, and young girls help sing. For five days he sings. Then a youth is sent and told to look seaward. Five times he is sent; then, indeed, he finds a whale adrift. When a man who has cohabited the preceding night enters the house in which the singing goes on, the supernatural helper vanishes at once. Thus also when a menstruant woman enters. The singer is covered with down. He places a pole upright on the beach and says: "Here a whale will drift ashore," and, indeed, it drifts ashore there after he has sang five days. The name of the supernatural helper of the sea is Ikê'tal.

When the Clatsop find a whale, and there are two people, they make holes [in the skin] and tie their straps to it. If they have no strap they take kelp. Each ties as many straps to it as he has relatives. Then they cut the whale. They cut much. Now they send one man to bring word to the town. Then the people go and all cut it. They will not cut where a strap has been tied to it. When the man arrives for whom the strap has been tied to the whale, he cuts at that place. If one man cuts at the strap of another one, they will fight. Those who come last take the lower side of the whale. All those people sell their whale meat. The pieces are not cut – when they are large they are left large, when they are small they are left small. Small ones are not expensive. Large ones are exchanged for a blanket. If there is a strong woman who can carry several cuts, she does so and is paid [for her services]. Sometimes she helps three people; when she is strong she may help four people. Thus also is a youth paid who helps the people carrying several cuts of meat. The Clatsop always eat very early. When a person has not yet eaten and they learn [that a whale has stranded] and they run there, he gets faint and is left behind. He comes too late to the whale and finds that only little is left. He may not arrive until the cutting is finished. The Clatsop always carry their straps and knives, which are tied together, and their mats. All do thus.

 

Elk Hunting

When a hunter has killed a male elk far away, then twelve men go to fetch it. When he has killed a female elk, eight go to fetch it. When a hunter has killed two elks, many people go to fetch it. When he has killed many, then it is dried in the woods [it is not carried away]. The people go home when it is dry, and the hunter distributes the meat among all the people.

A menstruating woman must not take the head of an elk. Women do not eat the tongue; only men eat it. They do not break the bones of the forelegs. These are carried faraway, else a menstruating woman might see them. When such a woman eats the feet and hoofs, the hunter will be unlucky. When she steps over an elk's head, she will be sick with dropsy. Just so a girl who has just reached maturity. She does not look at an elk, else she will be sick with dropsy. When a hunter is unsuccessful, his child must not go near the water. When it goes near water, it will fall sick and die at once. When he goes hunting, his wife and children sit motionless. His wife must not go anywhere. When his children make noise, one of them will fall sick if the hunter is unsuccessful.

 

The Potlatch.

When a chief intends to give a potlatch, four, five, or six men are sent out in a canoe [to invite the guests]. One man who has a guardian spirit is sent among them. When they approach a town the man who has the guardian spirit sings. The people of that town hear him and say, "Oh, we are going to be invited." The messengers land and tell the people to come. Then they go to the next town. After having visited all the towns they go home. Now the people make themselves ready. They wait for those who live farthest away. When they arrive they all go down the river together. Thus they do also when a chief on the upper part of the river has sent an invitation. They go up the river together. When they reach the town to which they were invited they put their canoes side by side and lay planks across. This is done with all their canoes. Now they dance, and those who have guardian spirits sing. The people dance on the planks. Their faces are painted red, their hair is strewn with down. All the women wear their dentalia, their ear and hair ornaments, and their necklaces. They wear good blankets. Braves wear their head ornaments and their faces are blackened. Shamans carry their batons. They sing and finally land. Then they tell a woman, "You shall be our head dancer." She replies, "No; I do not dare to do it." One who knows how to dance well is made head dancer, a man or a woman. Now they enter the house dancing. When a woman [while dancing] bends her head, another one goes and raises it. Then she pays her for having made her head straight. When a person gets out of rhythm, he is taken to the side of the house and must sit down there. All those who have guardian spirits sing. When the people of one town have finished, those of another town enter dancing. When there are not many people of one town, those of two towns enter together. When the house is large, the people of three towns will enter together.

If the host has too little food, two youths are sent and told, "Go and ask my relatives to bring food." The youths go to a town and ask the [host's relatives] to bring food. They all come and bring food. They also dance on the canoes and land. They enter the house dancing. When they bring dry salmon, five men hold it in their mouths while they enter the house dancing. When they bring roots, five men carry them on their backs when they enter the house dancing. After the people have danced five days they receive presents. One man is asked [to stand near the host and] to name the people. First he names the chief of one town. When the host is liberal, he gives the man who calls out the names a blanket. Or he is given long dentalia. After one town is finished, another one receives presents. Again first the chief is called. When he drags his present he is called back. Men as well as women are thus given presents.

The people are forbidden to shoot with arrows during the potlatch. If a man should want to fight against the people of a town and shoot an arrow, then the people would fight and several would be killed.

The women receive each a fathom of short dentalia. Only men are given long dentalia. Common men receive short dentalia. If a chief has many dentalia, then every one receives two fathoms of short dentalia.

 

War

Before the people go to war they sing. If one of them sees blood, he will be killed in battle. When two see blood, they will be killed. They finish their singing. When they sing, two long planks are put down parallel to each other. All the warriors sing. They kneel [on the planks]. Now they go to war and fight. When people of both parties have been killed, they stop. After some time the two parties exchange presents and make peace. When a feud has not yet been settled, they marry a woman to a man of the other town and they make peace.

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