Thomas County cat., 1889-08-29
THE sICouLA INDIANS

! THE eICQULA INDIANS
An Interesting Account of Their Mar.
riage Ceremonies.
Mr.. Ph. Jacobsen, in letter to his
well-known brother. Captain A. Jacob
san. gives the folio wing description Of
the marriage ceremonies of the Bilqu-
Ia Indians of British Columbia. An
Indian who intends to marry calls
upon his intended wife's parents and
arranges with them how much he is
to pay for permission to marry the
girl. Among people of high descent
this is done by messengers, sometimes
as many as twenty being sent to call
on the girls father. They are sent by
the mans parents before the young
man is of age. In many instances
both man and girl are not more than
eight or nine years old. The messen-
gers go in their boats to the girls
house. and carry on their negotiations
without going ashore, where the rela-
tives of the girl are standing. The
messengers of the young mans parents
praise his excellence and noble de-
scent: the great exploits of his father,
grandfather and ancestors; their wars,
victories, and hunting expeditions;
their liberality at festivals, etc. Then
the girls relatives praise the girl and
her ancestors, and thus the negotia-
tlons are carried on. Finally num-
Der of blankets are thrown ashore by
the messengers; and; the girls rela-
tlves protest, and maintain that the
number is not sufficient to pay for the
permission to marry the girl. In or
der to obtain their consent, new
blankets are thrown ashore one by
one, the messengers continually main
tanning that the price paid is too great.
Generally from twenty to fifty blank
cts, each of the value of about fifty
cents, are paid.
After that the boy and the girl are
considered engaged. When they come
to be grown up the young man has to
serve a year to his father-in-law. He
must fell trees, fetch water, fish and
hunt for the latter. During this time
he is called Kos, which means zone
who woos." After year has elapsed
the marriage is celebrated. At this
time great festivities are celebrated
Seven or eight men perform dance.
They wear dancing aprons and leg
gings, trimmed with puffin-beaks,
hoofs OF deers. copper plates and bells.
If the groom should be wealthy man,
who has presented to his wife many
small copper plates, such as are used
as presents to bride. these are car
ried by the dancers. The singing mas
ter, who beats the drum, starts a song
in which the dancers join. The song
used at the marriage festival is sung
in unison, while in all other dances
each dancer has his own tune and song.
The first dancer wears a ring made of |
cedar bark. His hair is strewn with |
eagle down, which flies about when he |
moves and forms cloud about |
his head. The groom presents
the first dancer with piece Of |
calico, which the latter tears to
pieces, which he throwns down in
front of each house Of the village, cry
ing, 'Hoipr' in order to drive away
evil spirits. These pieces of calico
which he throws down in front of the |
houses have lucky meaning, and at
the same time express the idea that the
groom, when he comes to be a wealthy
man, will not forget the inhabitants of
any house when giving festival. The
dancers swing their bodies and arms.
stamp their feet, and show the copper
plates to the lookers-on Then the
brides father brings a great number
of blankets, generally double the num-
ber of those he had received from the
groom, and gives them to his daughter.
The bride orders few blankets to be
spread before the groom. She sits
down, and he puts his hand upon her
head. Then the groom is given for
each of the parts of his body one or
more blankets. Finally he is given a
new blanket. After the brides father
has given blanket to each dancer and
to the drummer. the villagers are in
vited to great feast. At this time
groom and bride eat for the first time