The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-02-17
GRAVES OF INDIANS.
ABORIGINAL CEMETERIES WHERE
GOOD WARRIORS SLEEP.

GOOD WARRlORS SLEEP.
Goigothas where the White Men
Cease From Troubling and the Redskins
Are at Rest--The Lonely Tomb of n Pale
face Pioneer.
Travellers along the Columbia and Puget
sound, and on north through British Co
lumbia and Alaska, occasionally observe
queer Indian sepulchers and learn there
from little about the burial customs of
the aborigines Of those regions, but scarcely
gain more than an inkling. From the
stone cairns along the bluffs of Snake river,
the elevated platforms in the treeless val
leys, to the canoe graves amid the branches
Of giant Srs, the elaborate deadhouses,
with their guardian totem poles, and the
funeral pyres of the Alaskans, he finds a
great variety of burial methods, yet all
conserving the same purpose-that of an
effort so to dispose of the dead warrior that
he shall find entrance to the spirit land and
be properly equipped for enjoyment Of its
pleasures.
One idea seems to be common TO all tribes,
no matter how widely scattered, and that
is that the future state shall be continu-
Gus enjoyment of what they consider the
highest pleasures of this life. For this rea-
son the dead Indian is buried with his weap-
ons Of war and the chase, and ofttimes his
dogs and horses are killed and buried with
him.
The disposing of the body above ground
is the almost universal custom, partially,
no doubt, because earth burial involves la
Dor an Indian has neither the inclination
nor the tools to perform, but chiefly be-
cause the deceased may the more easily
reach the happy hunting grounds.
Along the deep canyons of Snake river,
In the absence of timber, cairns of loose
rocks are built above the dead body and it's
accompanying accessories. These little
mounds of rock may be seen high up on the
canyons side In the ad jacent reckless and
treeless valleys bodies are elevated upon
scaffolds supported by poles cut from the
slender cottonwoods that fringe the
streams. Here it is no unusual sight to
see the dead body of an Indian securely
dashed upright upon pony and arrayed in
feathers and gaudy blankets, the pony trot-
ting along with his inanimate burden to-
ward the burial place.
In the Columbia river there are several
islands that have been used exclusively for
burial places for many years, probably fol
/ centuries. One of these is Coffin rock, neal
/ Kalama, seen by passengers on all steamers
| plying between Portland and Astoria. Here
/ thousands of Indians have found sculpture
/ Farther up, between the Cascades and The
| Dalles, is the famous Memaloose island, q
| burial ground from time immemorial. The
| name is word of the Chinook jargon, sig
nifying Dead island. Upon this island ar,
| heaps of grinning skulls and unassorteC
| bones, the rough wooden sheds once built
for their protection having long since sue
cumbed to the disintegrating power of tn,
| elements.
Adjacent to one of these deadhouses rise
an elegant granite and marble monumen
erected to the memory of Victor Trevitt,
pioneer of Oregon widely known through
out the Pacific coast He was an old resi-
dent of The Dalles, and upon his death
| some 10 years ago, was at his own specia
request buried among the bones of genera
tions of Indians who were laid to rest lony
before the white men were known on thi
coast. Farther down the stream is Brad
ford's island, also covered with bones an,
skulls.
In Puget sound there is an island simi
larly used and known locally as "Buria
island" The various tribes about Puge
sound and the inland seas stretching north
ward toward Alaska often utilize the cano
of the dead warrior for coffin. His care
fully wrapped body, with bow and spear
deposited in the 'canim" and placed on
platform high in the branches of a tree c
raised on poles.
Farther north these lighthouses are sti
more elaborate. On Shell island, at Fol
Rupert, near the upper end of Vancouve
island, b. c., there is an Indian cemetery {
considerable pretensions, consisting of hug
canoes and deadhouses of various styles
architecture These northern tribes ais
erect huge carved images and totem pole
I by their deadhouses. They have conside
able skill in carving.
A tradition of the Columbia river Indian
will illustrate the belief of the aborigines
, the activity of the spirits of their departe
p friends.
vvJvvv. Orrv-uruIv uue people we
u dying at rapid rate, and there was gree
mourning. Whai-a-ma, the eagle, who la
lost many friends, was told by Speelyai tn;
the dead would not always remain in spir
land, but, like the brown and dead leaves ,
autumn, would come to earth again wit
the opening buds and flowers of sprin.
Whai-a-ma was not willing to wait unit
spring, and persuaded the coyote to go wit
him to spirit land and bring them back
once. After many days they came to grei
water, on the other side of which was a larp
village.
Spirits conducted them across the waite
and they entered the principal house of I'll
} village, which was lighted by the mool
and this luminary was guarded by MOI
ster frog that had jumped to it from til
earth. Speelyai killed the frog and swa
l., lowed the moon, leaving the house in darl
ness. In the confusion that ensued VIVA
anna caught the spirits and confined thel
. in large box. Speelyai put the box on h
shoulders, and the two invaders starte
back for the land of the living Soon IL
spirits in the box began to come to lif
and Speelyai's burden grew too heavy fc
him to carry. Thinking they were so fl
from the spirit land that the ghosts coul
not find their way back again, Specify
lifted the lid and let them out They val
ished Immediately and returned to the Ian
of the dead Whai-a-ma was much disal
pointed, but said when the buds opened
the spring he would try again, but the CO.
ote said it was better to let the dead renal
where they were. Had not Speelyai opene
the box the dead would now come to lii
every spring, according to the belief of thos
who put their faith in the legend. -Sa
Francisco Examiner.