The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-24

eel0 o. tAeln tunt IN fe6pfCt 70 NV tppy ME0
ne mOss highly dsvelogsd " ~ knowT ~ Z,
black slate whom ~ snatsriaI Il. aoft. soon
nftcr quarrying, -sre simply AdunarADls Y,
their execution, In fact, tiay NO works q
art in m elevated sense Of tho wcsd, Not
the least interest attaching TO thcm y Que Y
tho circumstances hat they I'll have 9 sic-
h / t', ~sss, shs sonds4ss, .RR ,ssse Il sss Mslaa :.
Among these carvings tho raven y CON
spiouous Is q subject. This ID bscansc the
creator Of al things was : great raven
called Yeti. Yet existed bsfosS his own
birth, never grows old. and will nes6y die,
Mankind sprang from . coSkIs.s aisl - 1 ~
beach. he considered y earnestly for DAYS,
while thinking Of his wish for q companion.
BY md BY he heard : faint DRY tn tho gnsli,
and presently there Same out OF y = littA
female child, which quickly grew 70 be 2
woman and married the raven. From this
mqrriage came the Haidas by descent. dney
fast - hs could Yeti gave them Light, ffesh
u~niuokily, ali 81 those things we're in pos
session Of Yeti's uncle, who was the great
evil spiiit, and tho raven was obltgad 70 20
cure them by strategem. But fortunately
for Yeti, ~ had killed the magic crane,
had also slain The big diving bird, with
whose skin be was safe against water; for
his uncle tried repeatedly TO kill him, and
no only escaped by means Of these adyan-
tages. Among other things Yeti stole ths
sun and the stars from tha boxes In Mntcn
they were imprisoned BY his nncle.
were frightened and ran In oil directions.
Some iod 70 tho Iaonntains, some t9 ING
woods and some into the water, and IL o.
these wsrs transformed into animals. 40
coTding TO tho hiding. b.aces thsy 9
Fire was obtained BY the raven from an
sss1s = ~ H. sg sslp II 4 s shs maggie ass; Ii bil si1 siin'
and, selling 4 burning brand in his beak,
started back. But the journey was 80 LONG
that nearly all tho wood burned up. ana
aven the point Of the ravsn's bill was
scorched black, as It remains 70 this Gay.
go he let the brand drop, and the sRsrks
that time both stone and wood have con-
tanned fire. which can be obtained from the
one by striking it and from the other by
rubbing.
The ambition of a Haida's life is to set mp
in front Of his house a wooden totem col
umn." None but rich men can afford the
carving with which such columns are
adorned. Usually the column is surmounted
by the totem Of heraIdic bearing o. the
owner-such as a bear or . beaver. Below
on the pole may be the totem Of h wife's
clan, while the other designs are likely TO
illustrate some legend connected with the
totem of the owner. These totem columns
have often been i%gnorantly mistaken ior
idols.
The mouse is the Judge by which the
Haidas detect persons who work bad magic
and cause sicknes and death. When any
one il taken sick or dies, o wood mouse 1s
caught and put in a cage. judges are sum.
moned, and in their presence the names OF
the individuals suspected ate recited. Pres
emily the mouse mods his head. indicating
that the right person has been designated,
and the latter is obliged to pay money or
blankets to get clear. Any crime among
these people is to bo compounded for
by payment. A murderer acquits him
indemnity. to his victims relatives.
The same principle is applied IN the case OF
the betrayal Of a young woman; II discov-
cred. her lover il bound to make money
reparation to her parents. No blame is
visited upon the girl, but the offender is
simply regarded as who has committed
.depredations and must make them good. A
curious custom among certain other Alaska
natives relates to childbirth. The husband
on such occasion takes to his bed and is
treated az il IN invalid, while the wife is
driven out of the house and left to her fate,
being stunned by everybody as unclean.