Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-02-26
THE ALASKA INDIANS.
-few They lave, Their Manners ans
Customs.

about $4,000; Russians, 300 or 400:
Americans and others, 500. The Indians
can be divided into three great classes
The Innuit of Yukon district; the Aleu-
tian and the Tuski of the Sitkan district.
And these again are divided into tribes.
settlements and families. These are
largely in Il condition OF degraded super
stition, and liable to all the horrible
cruelties of heathenism. The old, sick
and useless are put to death with various
cruelties and disgusting rites.
The Indians are again subdivided into
various families, each Of which have
their family badge. The badges are the
whale. the porpoise, the eagle, the coon.
the wolf and the frog. These crests ex
tend through different tribes, and their
members have closer relation to one
another than the tribal connection. For
instance. members ofthe same tribe may
marry, but not members of the same
badge. Thus, wolf may not marry
into the wolf family, but may into that
of the whale.
Upon all public occasions they are
seated according to their rank. This
rank is distinguished by the height of n
pole erected in front ftheir houses. The
greater the chief, the higher his pole.
Some OF these poles are over loo feet
high. Mr.. Duncan, the missionary, re-
lates how, upon one occasion "A head
clIiet OF the Nasse river Indians put up
= pole higher than his rank would allow.
The friends OF the chief whose heads he
would thus step over, made fight with
guns, and the over-ambitious chief was
shot in the arm, which led him to
quickly shorten his stick.
Their houses are from twenty-five to
forty feet square, without window.
the only openings being small door for
entrance, and hole in the roof for the
escape of the smoke. The door is three
or four feet above the ground level. and
opens on the inside upon broad plat
form, which extends around the four
sides.
In front of their leading houses and at
their burial places are sometimes inn
mense timbcrs covered with carvings.
Those that attended the Centennial will
remember such posts. These are the
genealogical records of the family. The
child usually takes the totem of the
mother. For instance, at the bottom OF
the post may be the carving of IA whale,
over that fox, q porpoise, and an
cagle-signifying that the great-grand-
iather OF the present occupant of the
house, on his mothers side, belonged to
the whale family, the grandfather to
the fox family, and the father to the
porpOise, and he himself to the eagle
family. These standards are from two
to five feet in diameter, and often over
sixty feet in height, and sometimes cost
from 81 600 to $4,000. Forming the en-
trance TO the house was hole through
this standard, but latterly they are COM
menclng to have regular doors hung on
hinges. Among the Stickines these
badges, trees or totems are usually off to
one side of the door.
A man wanting a wife sends n mes
sage to that effect to the girls relations.
Ii he receives a favorable answer he
sends them all the presents he can pro-
cure. Upon the appointed day he goes
to her fathers house and sits down on
the doorstep with his back to the house.
The relations who have assembled there
sing marriage song, at the close OF
which furs and calico are laid across the
floor and the girl is escorted over them
from the corner where she has been sit
ting, and takes her seat by the side OF
the man. Then dancing. singing and
eating are kept up by the guests until
they are tired. In these festivities the
couple take no part. After this they
fast for tv o days, and then after slight
rrpast they fast for two days more.
Four weeks after they come together
and are recognized as husband and wife.
Among the Nehaunes and Talcolins,
when man dies. his widow is COM
PEELED TO ascond the burning funeral
pile. throw herself upon the body, and
remain there until the hair is burned
from her head, and she is almost suffo-
Gated. She is then allowed to stagger
from the pils. but must frequently thrust
her hand through the flames and place
itupon his bosom, 10 show her continued
devotion. Finally the ashes are gath
cred up and placed in little sack, which
the widow carries on her person for
woyears. During this period of mourn
ing she is clothed in rags and treated rs
slave.
Among the Chuckees the old and
feeble are sometimes destroyed. This Ia
done by placing n rope around the neck,
and dragging them over the stones. If
this does not kill. then the body is
stoned or speared, and left to be eaten
by the dogs. Occasionally the old ask
70 be killed. Then they are taken, stu
pefied with drugs, and, in the midst of
various incautations. bled to death.
Among the Tuski and many Of the
Orarian tribes the bodies of good men
are burned and the ashes carefully pre-
served. But In some sections, where
wood Is scarce, the bodies of women are
not considered worth the wood that
would be consumed in the burning, and
they are either cast out to be consumed
by the foxes and crows, or cast into the
sea as food for the fishes.
A summary cure for crying babies is
to take them to the seasllore and hold
them in the water until they cease cry
ing. As soon as they can walk. children
are bathed in the sea daily. and they
earn to swim about as soon as they do
10 walk. Festivals are given on erect
ing a new house. naming OF children,
marriages, deaths. etc. These festivals
consist of dancing, singing and feasting.
Some OF them are 50 expensive rs 10 Inn
poverish whole circle of relatives
AnsrtcdD AIltiqgdri1n.