The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-04-12
Where the Indians Must be Studied.

The stranger who first visits Vic
toria, the capital of British Columbia,
is struck by tie great number of In
dams who live in the city. They wear
clothing of European style. The men
work on the wharves, and steamers,
sell fish and skins, or are occupied IN
different trades, particularly carpen-
ters. The women wash and work for
the whites, or stroll idly about the
streets. The suburbs of Victoria arc
almost exclusively inhabited by the
Indians. There they live in miserable,
filthy shanties and sheds, or even in
thin canvas tents. The city has about
thirteen thousand inhabitants, and of
these about two thousand are Indians
who stay over summer. Besides these,
about three thousand Chinese, many
Sandwich-Islanders, a few negroes,
and white population coming from
all parts of Europe and America, live
in the city. The internationally OF
the population and its easy-going ways
give it peculiar character.
But this is not the place to study the
customs of the Indian. We must
visit him in his village, where he lives
undisturbed by the contact with
Europeans, according to his ancient
customs.
When the rainy season of fall ap-
proaches, most of the indians who
worked in Victoria over summer re-
turn to their villages, either in their
own canoes or on board of a small
| steamer plying between the city and
fine settlements all along the coast as
tar as the boundary of Alaska. When
| in the fall of 1886 visited the Indian
villages of that district to study the
languages and customs of the natives.
| ioined young Indian, who after i
few wears absence was returning with
his wife and children to his country.
Soon the houses of Victoria disap
peared from our view, and at the
small miners town of Nanaimo we
! had reached the terminus of European
! civilization. Dense woods, uninter
rupted by fields or houses, cover the
mountains and descend to the shore
No lighthouse warns the ship of the
dangerous rocks and shoals which
obstruct the narrow straits, and i
seems almost incredible that it is only
a few hours since we have left thu
busy town. The European population
of the coast consists of few traders
| SalmOn-USu0TS, anu hiiSoiohoilO lO", " nv
lead lonesome life among the Indians
Four days we had sailed through th'
narrow waters and approached tn
home OF my Indian friend. He wa
una able to restrain his impatience an,
longer. By singing and dancing h
. expressed his joy at the return to hi
countrymen. At last the village ap
appeared, which had been hidden fron
sight by long island. 1t consisted Q
row of well-built wooden houses
painted with gay figures. standing o
a small opening. Canoes dug ont 9
: single tree lay on the beach. A
: soon as the villagers heard the steam
: whistle, they manned some boats an
\ set out to meet the vessel, The lus
gage was thrown into the boats, an
we sat down on top of it; the Indian
padded towards the land, while til
= steamer slowly disappeared frol
Il view. My friend had Informed one {
the chiefs of the village that wished
= stay with him. He came up to me
all his dignity and invited me to folio
!; him into his house. Here ! was at m
leisure to look about among the peop
among whom l was so suddenl
J thrown.-Dr. Franz Boas, tn Poputt
Science MOnthlU