Haida texts and myths

War between the people of Kloo and the Tsimshian

Reading edition

[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o]

When they came out of the woods a Tsimshian shot a Haida. “A,” he was glad to have shot him. Then some Tsimshian got into a medium-sized canoe and paddled off in fright. And the Kloo people also got into one. The Tsimshian had one paddle, and the fighters also had one.

And after they had chased them for a while, they chased them ashore and seized them at the edge of the water. Only one escaped to the woods. When they seized his wife she cried out, and he turned around quickly with a knife. Then Djix̣ia′al ran toward him. When he got near he shouted at him. He (the Tsimshian) shook, and he seized him.

And, when they started off, one [Tsimshian] who was a good hunter started after something [from the camp of Nî′swas]. He shot at them. Then they started back.

Then they (the assailants) went back. And they also went away. When the sun had passed behind the hills, they arrived at Chicken-hawk town. At that time they sang a high song. They had brought in ten slaves.

The chief did not get off. But the others walked about on shore. They took then the wife of Nîsʟā′ganūs, and they also took the wife of his nephew. And they seized the other woman in the woods. She was very pretty, and they lay with her there and let her go.

After he had ceased dancing, Gîtku′n also started to dance. After he had done so for a while, and had stopped, they had the wife of Nîsʟā′ganūs stand up, and the other with her. And, when they struck her on the back to send her to the other side, she almost touched the ground with her lips. They did the same thing to the other one. In this way they exchanged.

After they got back to Kloo Kꜝuia′ns and Kꜝadja′-i paid for their sisters. Kꜝuia′ns paid two slaves for his sister, along with sea otters. Kꜝadja′-i also paid a slave for his sister, besides much property and many guns.

After they had loaded for a while, some came down in a crowd out of Cave-house with a sail pulled tightly around them. Inside of it many horns sounded. They got into the canoe and started across. It went along in the midst of the other canoes, and something whistled inside of the sail. All thought that Gîtku′n was in it.

One day, when the secret society was at its height, it was foggy. At that time the two brothers of Nîsʟā′gañūs’ wife came to fight. They were Nīstadâ′ and Nîsūłna′tc.

The next fine day after this they went home. They found their minds were different, and they found their own country.

“Hō⁺ hō⁺ hī hō⁺ hī⁺ hō⁺ hī⁺ hō⁺ hī⁺ hō⁺ hī hō⁺ hōga haaa hoga hog̣a ha ha gudixē′” [they sang].

They put a dance hat on Nīstᴀdâ′. They also struck Nîsūłna′tc with a copper plate (that is, they gave it to him). And he danced, holding it by means of his neck [and chin]. Hu hu hu hu, it was a great dance. The town people also struck him with some property.

This is the end. They had peace with each other.

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Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · See “Wars between the Peoples of Skidegate and Kloo,” note 26. ↑Note 2 · A place where the Kloo people were in the habit of camping before starting on a war expedition. ↑Note 3 · See preceding story, note 25. ↑Note 4 · See the story of “Sacred-one-standing-and-moving, Stone-ribs, and Upward,” note 8. ↑Note 5 · Port Simpson; see “A raid on the Tlingit,” note 13. ↑Note 6 · Given in the story of “Fights between the Tsimshian and Haida and among Northern Haida.” ↑Note 7 · See notes to the story of Cloud-watcher. ↑Note 8 · The word used here, Tcîmᴀskî′n, is less common than Kî′lgat. ↑Note 9 · See notes to “Story of the Food-giving-town people.” ↑Note 10 · See notes to “Fight at the town of Da′x̣ua.” ↑Note 11 · See “The one abandoned for eating the flipper of a hair seal,” note 1. ↑Note 12 · One of the great Tsimshian chiefs. ↑Note 13 · See “Story of the House-point families” and note 15 under it. ↑Note 14 · Cape Ball. High-point town stood just north of Cape Ball. ↑ a b Note 15 · Mature particularly old men were generally known by the names of their children, as in “Story of the shaman, G̣ᴀ′ndox’s-father.” ↑Note 16 · Or “Port Simpson house,” the inside house posts being carved to resemble white people. ↑Note 17 · Chief of Kloo. ↑Note 18 · Given in previous stories. It was thought so much of that it was only used upon very special occasions, of which my informant remembered fiv Note 19 · He was so happy over his success. ↑Note 20 · Bonila island. ↑Note 21 · A name of Djē′basa. ↑Note 22 · So my interpreter translated the word. It was probably the season when berries were gathered and roots and potatoes dug. ↑Note 23 · This was the name of the chief of the Sand-town people, a Raven family at Ninstints. It means “dressed-up.” ↑Note 24 · See the story of “Raven traveling,” note 10. ↑Note 25 · Cant word, meaning “to give.” ↑Note 26 · A house belonging to the Qā′gials qe′ig̣awa-i. The name probably means “mother of houses,” referring to its size. ↑Note 27 · See “Wars between the peoples of Skidegate and Kloo,” note 14. ↑Note 28 · Chief or nephew of the chief at Skedans. ↑Note 29 · The word for house here, dā, is properly applied to the retaining timbers used to hold back the earth in houses having an excavation beneath Note 30 · This biting only produced a very slight wound. In later times, a chief’s son having died of blood poisoning, it was made still milder. ↑Note 31 · This eating was a pretense. ↑Note 32 · One of the islands outside Skedans. ↑Note 33 · Because the novices, or the beings inspiring them, were violent, and the people feared them. ↑Note 34 · Payment of kꜝa′da, remuneration for having enslaved a person, was accompanied by dancing; payment of wał, remuneration for having killed or Note 35 · The people at Chicken-hawk1 town were at Wā′nats2 prepared for war and had done raising their canoes. They were going to Kitamat.3 And becau Note 36 · Then some Skedans4 people met them. And they gave them the following news. Bufflehead had thrown a dry halibut at Î′ngîlîn,5 on account of w Note 37 · They went on and took all the dry salmon a slave was getting in Skidegate creek9 away from him. They took a large number of bundles of salmo Note 38 · They then went seaward and came to the mouth of the Skeena. And they went toward Metlakahtla11 and pulled their canoe up into the woods. Clo Note 39 · They then got into the two canoes and went over to the place where they had come out. They went over to the war canoes that were there. On a Note 40 · They came across then, and the warriors came to Raven-creek.13 Two canoes landed at a house that stood on the farther side of High-point.14 Note 41 · Then one whose canoe was empty went into Kitamat for a short raid. After he had been gone for a while they heard the sound of his guns. Whil Note 42 · Some time after this they went to war on the Tsimshian in two canoes. Gîtku′n17 and Gitagᴀ′ñgiasʟas went. After they got into the Tsimshian Note 43 · They pushed them along then to the place where the canoes were. And, when they started off, Nîsʟā′ganūs’s nephew walked about on the opposit Note 44 · The Tsimshian then came to fight for her in a crowd. And, when they camped at Qal,20 Häl21 sent a canoe to talk with them. He had them tell Note 45 · They stayed at the town of Skedans. The Kloo people also crossed thither. The great Häl got Kꜝuia′ns’s23 sister and another woman who had be Note 46 · On the night when the Kloo people came he began to dance. After he had done this for a while he sent the two Ninstints people [to the Kloo p Note 47 · After this winter came. When spring came Gîtku′n joined the secret society. At the end of two days he disappeared into the woods. On the nex Note 48 · When they got near Skedans Reef-canoe changed still more. They let the one who had fallen [that is, joined the secret society] at Kloo be in Note 49 · The day after this, about noon, Wā′nᴀg̣ᴀn went out and bit the arms of the sons of Skedans chiefs belonging to good families.30 After a time Note 50 · During three days and nights it was foggy at sea. After that, when they made land very early in the morning, they saw it (land) all at once.Note 51 · Just at daybreak the sound of the bad secret society came to their ears. When day broke they discovered that they were coming out to them in Note 52 · And, when the secret society was all over, they (the people) returned to Kloo. When the middle of the following summer arrived they came to