The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-12-02
VILLAGE OF KASA.AN.
AN INTERESTING PLACE IN
SOUTHEAsTERN ALASKA.
Curious Carvings Made by Members
of the Haidas Tribe-''Totem Poles
and Their Meaning.

so llDefhIlV CdDdIcu. MS pace - OuL VI
the track of vessels, aud is rarely visited
by the tourist, the only white visitors
being occasional traders. The Indians
of this village belong 70 that branch of
the Alaska Indians known as the Haidas,
who are noted for their bravery, skill in
slate carvings, and manufacture OF blank
cts, Canoes etc. Numerous specimens OF
their handiwork may be seen in the
Sheldon. jackson Museum at Sitka.
In August last the United States
Coast Survey steamer Hassler had oc-
casion to visit this part OF Alaska in
search of an uncharted rock, and,
while conducting this search, stopped
for some time at kasa-an. The village
At this time was deserted, as all the in
habitants we're away on their annual
hunting trip, when they shoot deer,
bear, etc., and catch salmon for use dur
ing the winter. Seen from the ship, the
village consists of twenty-five or thirty
huts facing the water. At first sight
these huts simply appeared to be rectan-
guar affairs built of common weather
boards and having slanting roofs COW
cred with shingles; but a closer inspec-
tion showed that what in the first place
appeared to be ordinary boards were all
! hewn timbers.
The most interesting sight, however.
was not the huts, but the great number
of "totem poles" in front of the village.
| There are more Of these poles here than in
any other village in Alaska Each hut
has at least. three or four totem poles" in
front of it. A totem pole" il should be
explained, is a large carved pole placed
upright in the ground, which bears the
same relation to an Indian family as
! does coat Of arms to the family IN civ
| ilized nations. These poles are elabor-
atcly carved and colored, frequently
fifty or sixty feet in height, with a
diameter at the base of three or four feet.
The carvings on the poles are pictorial
history Of the family or clan, and by
them an Indian will trace his family
back to its origin, which is often
mythical one.
Many of the Indians ascribe their
origin TO mythical crow, raven, or bear,
which is then adopted as the to.emic
sign of the family. The carvings on
these poles a so commemorate the great
deeds of ancestors and present posses
sors. In their graveyards they frequent,
ly erect poles of from twenty to thirty
feet in height, surmounted by the to
temic sign of the family. These poles
have recCsses cut in the back, in which
are deposited the ashes of relatives after
cremation. There are four or five such
poles in the graveyard at Kasa-an. This
graveyard is just on tie left Of the viii
lage, and seemed TO be well populated.
All the houses in the village were un-
locked. and visitors had simply to open
the doors and walk III. As far as inte
rior arrangement was concerned, the huts
were all alike, with the exception Of the
chiefs hut, the four corner posts Of
which were caborately carved. Each
hut consists of one large room in which
the whole family evidently ate and slept.
In the centre of each hut was pit
about two feet deep, and with sides
about ten feet less in length than the
sides Of the hut. The vertical sides of
this pit consisted Of heavy hewn plankS. |
When the hut was inhabited, fire was
always kept burning in the centre Of the
pit, over which all the cooking was
done. The smoke escaped through a
large opening in the centre Of the roof |
In one of the houses visited the body of
a chiefs son was laid out in lonely state. |
box or casket, and was surrounded by
the evidence of his family's wealth. On |
the totem pole in front of this house was
fastened the carved copper plate which,
among these Indians, is a sign of great |
wealth. In the hut in which the Casket |
rested were "a number OF large boxes,
completely open, filled with the most
valuable blankets; the casllet was cover
ed with costly furs; hung on the walls |
of the hut were numerous odd-lOoking /
dance masks and valuable ceremonial |
robes-al these treasures at the mercy
of the cupidity of anybody who might !
happen along.
ON one of the huts was a curious sign,
which read, "Hyder John, Jewellay,"
meaning Haida John, Jeweler. Within
this house, just as the owner had left
them when he started off hunting, were
the instruments of mis- craft and mum
ber of unfinished pieces OF Indian jewel
". The Indians evidently had great
confidence in the honesty of the passing
stranger. Stealing is said to be exceed
ingly rare among them.
The next place visited was the hut of
the most famous of the Haida chiefs.
Skowe, or Storm. after whom the Skowe
Arm was named. This hut has not
been inhabited for long time as
Skowc died about ten years ago. The
four corner posts of the hut were very
massive, aud were eaborately carved
When the hut was built, Skowe killed
four slaves and placed one under each
post. Slavery prevailed in those days. and
does even now to i. limited extent.
Skowe always rejected the advances Of
missionaries, and never allowed one to
gain a foothold in the village. He took
great credit TO himself for this action.
and to this day no missionary has been
allowed to settle in the village There
are several magnificent specimens of to.
TEN poles in front of this hut. One of
them commentaries his victory in debate
over Bishop of the Greek Church, who
endeavored TO persuade him to allow
missionaries to settle among his people