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Haida texts and myths

Wars between the towns of Kloo and Kitkatla and between the Kloo families

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

They then discovered Axłua′ls swimming from the fort. Some youths pursued him. And, when they got near him, one held a spear over his shoulder ready for him. He said to him: “Spare me brother-in-law,” but still he speared him. He broke his back.

They towed the body of Axłua′ls ashore. Those taken as slaves then sang the same song for his body that had been sung for him when he acted in the secret societies and got power from the sea otter and when he performed sleight-of-hand feats.

Lawē′⁺ huwā′⁺hō⁺ hō⁺ lawē′⁺ī iä′⁺ la⁺wē′⁺ huyä′ u ō⁺ lawē′⁺ hu wä⁺ ō⁺ lawē′⁺ hē⁺ iyä′⁺ ō⁺ ōō⁺ lawē′⁺ī⁺ iyä′⁺ō⁺ ō⁺ lawē′⁺ yē⁺ huwä′⁺ ō⁺ hō⁺ lawē′ēē⁺ hēhē⁺ iyä′⁺ ō⁺ ō⁺ lawē′⁺ hē hē iyä′wâ wâ⁺.

Then the canoe was backed toward her, and he gathered the boxes of grease which were in the canoe together and landed them in exchange for her. Then she also got in, and they went away.

When they first arrived there Djē′basa ate dry fish and grease in the canoe. They saw that his mind was good. And South-east began to speak of building a house with what he had obtained in exchange for the slaves. And they were glad, and the Town-of-Djī′gua people sang a song outside.

Wai⁺ aiyā′⁺ aiyā′⁺ aiyā′⁺aiyā′ uyâ⁺ uyâ⁺ ayā⁺ ayā⁺ wâ ai′ya⁺ aiyā′ha⁺ aiyā′ha aiyā′ha haiyā′haho haiyā′hahē, etc.

At the time they sang they made a forward motion, and when they moved much the platform fell. No one was injured. Then one of them asked his child: “Hî′ndju, is your brother there?” They then sang another song: “Hî′ndju, is your brother there?”

And he asked for two guns which were in the bow. They were afraid to hand them to him then. By and by they handed him one, and he shot his brother-in-law. He shot true and killed him.

Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o bestirred themselves at once and fired at him. They shot him in the elbow. Then he lay there. That day three were killed. Qā′-idjît was made to sit on the sand. But still Qā′-idjît escaped into the house. And he lay in the back part of Cave-house. He had two large blankets over him. Over these he also had a cotton canoe sail.

Here this ends.

Kitkatla was an important town and tribe belonging to the Tsimshian stock. The town was on Dolphin island.

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Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · Chief of Sea-grass town. The whites’ name for this place, Kloo, is a corruption of his own name, Xeu. ↑Note 2 · A fort of the Kitkatla people. ↑Note 3 · The one who appears in “War between the people of Kloo and the people of Ninstints.” ↑Note 4 · Situated at the northeast angle of Lyell island. ↑Note 5 · Chief of Kitkatla. ↑Note 6 · Referring to his storehouses; see “Wars with the Niska and Tsimshian and conflicts between Haida families,” note 6. ↑ a bNote 7 · See the preceding story, note 26. The house that South-east built at that time was so large that he named each half of it separately. The hoNote 8 · See “War between the people of Kloo and the people of Ninstints,” note 14. ↑Note 9 · See the preceding story. ↑Note 10 · See note 1 and the preceding story, note 33. ↑Note 11 · A house was sometimes so named because it had a very deep house hole, making it dark inside. ↑Note 12 · See “Fight at the town of Da′x̣ua,” note 2. ↑Note 13 · It is curious that this was the very family to which the town chief of Kloo himself belonged. The section living at Skedans comes to make waNote 14 · See the story of “Sacred-one-standing-and-moving, Stone-ribs, and Upward,” note 35. ↑Note 15 · See the story of Moldy-forehead, note 2. ↑Note 16 · See “Story of Those-born-at-Skedans,” note 19. ↑Note 17 · Also one of the names of the chief of the Seaward-sqoā′ładas. ↑Note 18 · Because he did not think that Qā′-idjît had honored his sister enough. ↑Note 19 · Haida, “short gun.” ↑Note 20 · A shaman, who was also chief of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o. This was the name of his supernatural helper. ↑Note 21 · This house was probably named after the original one which gave its name to the ruling branch of the Gîtî′ns of Skidegate. ↑Note 22 · The usual name given to Skincuttle inlet. Skincuttle is said to be a corruption of the Haida sqꜝên-g̣atł (“Sea-gull-went-up”), a name used bNote 23 · A peace offering sent over as a sign that they would make proper reparation for the death of the chief. ↑Note 24 · Another chief of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o, of the same name as the one who was killed. ↑Note 25 · The northernmost tribe of the Wakashan stock; called by whites Kitamat. ↑Note 26 · A man of Those-born-at-Skedans. The chief of Ninstints was also so called; in fact, that is the meaning of the word Ninstints. ↑Note 27 · Hot Spring island. ↑Note 28 · This was near Hot Spring island. ↑Note 29 · The placing of chiefs at potlatches and feasts was regulated in accordance with their wealth, the richer sitting nearer the inside house polNote 30 · Once South-east1 and the people of his town went trading. He came to I′nūł.2 And, after they had given them food for a while, berries were dNote 31 · At that time they took forty slaves for South-east. All together, they took seventy at that time. When they came home they started to fortifNote 32 · And, after they had been there for a while, Djē′basa5 came with many canoes. They stopped in front of the fort and bought them (the slaves) Note 33 · They removed then from the fort to Chicken-hawk town.7 But there they built houses. After this a long time elapsed before there was another Note 34 · And while Qā′-idjît was sitting idle in front of his house with a Pebble-town woman,12 whom he had married, Those-born-at-Skedans13 came froNote 35 · And when summer came he married a woman of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsg̣o.16 The brother of the one that was killed also stayed there. His name waNote 36 · One day Qā′-idjît painted himself and tied weasel skins in his hair, in order to set out to eat berries. He started off. Lū′g̣ot had made a Note 37 · Now those who had done that to him went to a lonely camping place. And afterward they were afraid he was alive. They came to kill him. It waNote 38 · One day, some time afterward, he went out in front of the house and sat idle. After he had sat there for a while they stepped toward him. HeNote 39 · Of those who came to attack him from the camp Naskiä′ł was killed. And the one who was with him went away. And another family looked after tNote 40 · Then the people who had shot him and were holding a fort in Lake inlet22 brought over a peace offering.23 They brought over one slave. And tNote 41 · They then set out. There, at Gîtā′mat, they took many slaves for him. Two-in-one,26 however, had three. And, when they returned, they built Note 42 · After that time they procured more expensive seats [at the feasts and potlatches].29 They now ceased to have trouble at Sea-grass town.
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