The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-05-02
FRIGHTFUL CANN|BALISM.
Awful Rites of the Fort Rupert
Indians of Vancouver.
SUPPOSED TO BE QUITE WILD
How They Initiate New Members
Into the GhouIish Order of Corpse
Devourers. Some of Their
Peculiar Societies. Other
Traits of Character.

DR.. Franz Boas has just taken to
Washington some wooden masks. cary
ings and other things of interest collect
ed from the so called Fort Rupert In
dians, who dwell mt the north end of the
island of Vancouver. These are the most
primitive savagos on the northwest
coast, and they still practice cannibal-
ism. Formerly they kept slaves, whom
they would kill and eat at their cere-
monials, but the whites have put stop
90 that. So now they devour dead bodies
instead. The latter are mummies, III
fact, being incloSed in boxes after death
aud placed high mp in the branches of
tall trees. That is the method of burial
customary with the tribe. the corpses
thus disposed of do not decay, but dry
up. When one of them is needed for the
purpose here referred to, ii is taken
from the tree and put in spot where
the sea water viii flow over it. There it
remains for seine days, after which it is
smoked, so 1t is said.
DR.. Boas has secured mask of the
cannIbal spirit, such as is worn at the
ceremonies of the Society of Cannibals
in the tribe. 1t looks like the head Of a
huge alligator cut out OF wood. with
sort'of wig of cedar bark to represent
hair A person who is to DO initiated
into the society spends several months
In the woods fasting and is much ema-
ciated when he reappears. After II mock
chase he is captured by tho other Indians
and fetched to tho village
dc Is supposed to be quite wild. and
it Is his privilege TO bite piece out of
the arm or leg of anybody A festival
Is held, the ostcnsiblc purpose OF which
is to tame him. 1t is very elaborate
affair, lasting six weeks, and the climax
Is reached when tie novice disappears
and returns with n dead body in his
arms Tins is Immediately cut up and
devoured by himself and his fellow can
nlbals. 1t is absolutely necessary that
the corpse should be that of one of his
own relatives
Not so many years ago this point in
the performance would have boen mark
ed by the killing of slave with Il war
club, the body being immediately cut M
and eaten The ceremony concludes with
the washing of the newvanuibal, which
operation requires five hours, according
TO the ritual
When 1t is finished he is supposed t.
be cured of his propensity for biting
without provocation. Bat Mt any of the
numerous tribal cerculoninls, if ANYBODY
utters wrong word in "A song or misses
the rhythm of the music. every member
OF the Society of Canni6als present il
- TO toll ~.
else. Usually pieces of flesh about a.
big as half dollar are bitten out. There
ls also society of female cannibals
composed of women, but they do not
bite.
The ceremonial season among the Fort
Rupert Indians occurs in the winter
Then for 4 time the entire social organ
12ation of the triheinndergocs Il meta
morphosis. The ordinary divisions OF
the people by clans are ignored, ant
they arrange themselves according to tn,
various societies 10 which thev belong
There is the Ghost society, the Bear so
ciety, the Society,of the Witch Women
the Society Of Fools and many others.
These societies are religious in char
acter, being associated also with tn.
trinal nlyths@and traditions. The ances
tors of the present generation received
from mythical beings certain supernat
ural secrets, upon which the societies
and the cercmonials are based.
One Of the societies is the War SO
clety. a fperson undergoing imitation
INTO it isasuspended from the rnfters Of
the ceremonial house by rope passed
through strips OF the flesh OF his back
Which are cut for that purpose. Beneath
him stand the members of the Society
OF Fools with sharp lances appraised. Il
he falls, he is impaled by the lances,
ana etiquette demands that he shall be
eaten at once by the cannibals.
IL is more than suspected that these
Indians do now and then kill an indi.
vldual and eat him secretly. San Fran.
Disco Examiner