The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-07-12
Customs of the Sitkas.

The customs of the Sitka Indians are
an interesting study yet open to some
enthusiastic ethnologist OF their
religious ideas nothing definite is
known, except that they entertain be-
lief in a multitude of spirits, both good
and evil, and that they seem more in
clined to propitiate the evil ones than
to court the favor of the good. The
only chance the departed spirit of an
Indian has for future felicity comes
through the cremation of his body, and
to this friends of the defunct brave
zealously attend. In the rear of his
house is built pile of wood upon
which the body is laid, having been
removed from the house through hole
in the roof specially cut for that pur-
pose. The body is carefully covered
with blanket, now that blankets can
be had, and near it are deposited the
trinkets, finery and arms of the de-
ceased. The pile is then ignited, and
as it blazes a doleful chant is sung by q
hired band of masked men, who keep
time to their wailing music by beating
upon a board with sticks When q
murderer has been killed by the victims
friends the two bodies, provided the
vengeance has been swift enough and
the two families are satisfied, are Gre
mated under one blanket, and as the
smoke from the burning bodies ascends
in one column, so the hearts of the con-
tending families are united, and the
compact of peace is sealed.
Among the curious customs of these
people is the use of the ''Totem Stick
an Indian coat-of- arms, as distinctive
and as zealously guarded from dishonor
as that hanging in any European
baronial hall. The totem stick has
been found in use among various tribes
of American Indians, especially those
living among the dense native forests,
and it is cited by ethnologists as one OF
the indications of common ancestry
for many of the aboriginal tribes. In
his Song of Hiawatha," Longfellow
says:
And they painted on the grave posts
OF the graves yet unfOrgotten,
Each his own ancestral totem,
Each the symbol of his household,
Figures of the bear and reindeer,
OF the turtle, crane and beaver.
The Sitka Indians, as do many others
of the northern tribes, carve their
household symbols, and in this work
give evidence of considerable artistic
ability, the sculpturing in many in
stances being very intricate and eX-
tremely life like. The tribes are
divided into families, and each has its
totem stick erected in front of the
house of the head of the family. The
size of the stick and amount of carving
indicate the wealth and the Importance
of the possessor, They vary from two
to five feet in thickness, and often are
sixty feet high. Where families inter-
marry the symbols are blended or in
dependently carved on the same stick,
causing many curious combinations
and intermingling devices. The
most common figures are the eagle,
raven, alligator and fish; there are
also heads OF men, birds and beasts of
all descriptions, as well as many cabal-
istic symbols, which are apparently
arbitrary in their significance. These
works of art are produced at great eX-
pense, often costing from 1000 to
$4,000. A chief who has asserted his
Importance by procuring one of these
wooden coat-of-arms, usually celebrates
the occasion by giving "potlatch," a
word of the Chinook jargon. " signify
ing the promiscuous distribution of
gifts. On such occasions blankets,
arms and valuables of all kinds are
bestowed upon the assembled multitude
with a lavish hand, the donor not in
frequently impoverishing himself by
his liberality. -Pon'and (Ore.) West
Shore.