Haida texts and myths

He-who-travels-behind-us (or Qonā′ts)

Reading edition

[Told by the Chief of Kloo of Those-born-at-Skedans]

Then they built a house there. And there he began to bathe for strength. After he had bathed for some time he became strong. Then he made a bow for himself. And he shot a goose with his arrows. Then he skinned it and cut a hole on its under surface. He put it on his head, and it fitted well. Then he dried it.

The geese being plentiful on the water, he put his head into [the skin] and swam to them. From beneath he pulled them under water. At once he twisted off their necks. He did the same thing to their wings. Then he carried them to his grandmother, and his grandmother plucked them. He at once dried them.

Then some one in the house said concerning him: “Throw him out. Throw the thing he wants out along with him.” Then he again lost consciousness. When he came to himself he was lying near the ocean. A whale lay near him.

Then he cut it open, twisted a young tree, and fastened it to it. And he dragged it along and brought it before his grandmother’s house, and his grandmother cut it up. After she had cut it all up she steamed it. After she had got through hanging it up he had his grandmother make a big basket. She finished it.

And, after his uncles had fished for herring for some time, they killed another porpoise. Then a slave again came in and commanded that they should spill none of the blood. Then [the chief] came in and seized it, and he carried it off. As he was going out with it, he took it away. He became so angry where he sat in the rear of the house that the floor planks were as if split into slivers by the finger nails.

Then he pulled it away from him again. And, when he picked it up again, he let him go outside with it. Then he twisted [the chief’s] neck round outside. And he said: “Wā-ā-ā, wā-ā-ā.” When he came near the end of the town [he said]: “Wā-ā-ā, he has killed me.” Then his voice was lost in the woods.

Now he had a crowd of people go over for the basket. And they could not lift it. Then he went to get it. And he brought it in. Then he began to call the people. Next day he called the people again, and the day after.

[Sequel to the above, told by Edward of the Food-giving-town people]

This is also one of the most esteemed Haida myths. The version here presented was obtained from the present chief of Kloo with the exception of the portion about Sea-otter-woman, which was contributed by an old man of the nearly extinct Daiyū′ał-lā′nas or People of Skidegate creek. Qonā′ts, the hero of the story, was one of the Sea-otters (Qogā′ñas), and, were any of those people still living, a much longer version might perhaps have been secured.

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Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · Sg̣îl, the word translated “duck,” is said to be applied to the Surf Scoter or “Coot” (Oidemia perspicillata, Linn.), and also to the White-Note 2 · Łg̣ā′xet is a word applied to round stones lying on the beach. “Pebble” seems to be the nearest English equivalent, although the Haida word Note 3 · That is, they were not to cut it because he was going to take all. ↑Note 4 · A creek on the east coast of Graham island where the Haida of Skidegate inlet used to assemble before starting for the mainland. ↑Note 5 · Compare Story of the House-point families, notes. ↑Note 6 · The locally famous Rose Spit that runs out for miles at the northeastern end of Graham island between Dixon entrance and Hecate strait. It w Note 7 · I have not identified the root to which the Haida word Tag̣ᴀ′nskia is applied. ↑Note 8 · Some seemed to think that Qonā′ts and He-who-travels-behind-us were the same person. The word translated “behind us” means “back from the sh Note 9 · Slate creek, which flows into Skidegate inlet near its head, and along which the famous slate is found, carved so extensively by the Haida. Note 10 · There lay Pebble-town.1 At times the town people fished for herring with nets. Sometimes they got a porpoise in their nets. And, when they r Note 11 · And his nephew was a child. He saw that his uncles were treated like slaves. He saw that, although they had been nearly starved for some tim Note 12 · And one time he punched his nose with broken pieces of basket work and let [the blood] run upon these. He used them to bait his halibut hook Note 13 · And one day he went down the inlet in search of something. After he had gone on for a while some creature wearing a broad, blue hat came to Note 14 · And he had two duck skins6 on his back, one of which had the top of its head spotted with white. He seized one of them. He did not know what Note 15 · Then she put the food into it. She put in all kinds of berries, salmon, roots,7 and kinnikinic berries. And it was finished. Then he and his Note 16 · And he became town mother [instead of the old chief]. The one he sent off killed is He-who-travels-behind-us.8 Note 17 · Her brother (i.e., the old town-chief) was killed. Then she started from the town. And she put the two bracelets she wore into the middle of