Griggs courier., 1897-10-08
SOUTHERN ALASKA INDIANS,

SOUTHERN ALASKA INDIANS.
yone Of Their Strange Festival Cere.
AO1ies.
The gold seekers flocking to the Klon-
dixie are obliged to go through coun-
try inhabited by some very queer alb
origines who dwell along the coast of
southern Alaska. These natives do most
of the freighting across the passes into
the interior, carrying loads on their
backs; but their population during
many centuries has been so shut away
from other tribes by gigantic ranges Of
snow-clad mountains that they have
developed a peculiar culture and Gus
tome unknown anywhere else. Hence
the exceptional value of a monograph
about them, prepared by DIR. Franz
Boaz. distinguished ethnologist,which
is to be published soon by the National
museum.
One of the most remarkable of the
festivals celebrated by the Indians is
a carnival of ghosts, which is held each
winter. 1t seems to be derived from a
tradition that tells of journey made
Oy an adventurous individual to a re-
gion beneath the earth, inhabited by
phantoms. The celebration itself is a
mimical representation of the visit to
hades aforesaid, and the performer who
represents the submundane traveller
wears necklace and headdress set
round with skulls.
This <oc<:uol
arations. Speaking tubes of dried giant
kelp are laid under the foot of the lodge
house SO as to terminate in the fire.
place. When the ceremonial is in prog
ress the performer disappears into a
ditch previously dug behind the fire.
place, and then many voices are heard
coming out of the fiames-really the
voices of persons hidden in adjoining
rooms. who speak through the tubes.
Later on an image representing ghost
10 seen to rise out of the ground, carry
ing the performer.
Cannibalism is very conspicuous in
the myths current among these people,
who have themselves been eaters of hu-
man flesh up to a recent period. Indeed,
though the whites are supposed to have
put stop to such practices, it would
seem that secret indulgence in them
has not been wholly done away with.
Quite a number of strange demons
are worshiped as guardian spirits,
among them cannibal demon that
lives on the mountains and always is
engaged in the pursuit of human beings
for his table. The smoke of his Chin
ney is the color of blood, and he has a
female slave who gets food for him by
catching men and collecting corpses.
In his house is fabulous bird with an
immensely long beak which lives on
the brains of persons whose skulls it
fractures with its bill. Anybody who is
so unfortunate as to encounter the can
nibal spirit may be transformed into a
grizzly bear. On the other hand, If he
can please the demon he may obtain
power to handle fire without being
burned.
Another guardian spirit is a fear
some warrior who lives in the far north.
He travels constantly and never leaves
his canoe. BY obtaining his protection
man may become invulnerable, or he
may acquire power to catch the invisi-
BILE disease demon. This demon is at all
times flying about in the air in the form
of worm. The fortunate protege of
the warrior spirit catching this worm
can throw it into the body of an enemy,
who will die at once.
These Indians wear wooden masks in
their ceremonials. Some of them are
Of enormous size and astonishingly gro-
tesque. The mask worn by performer
who represents the cannibal spirit, for
example, isa huge, crocodile-like head.
Another, representing the bird servant
of this spirit, is like the head of bird
with bill four feet long. By means
Of strings pulled by the wearer the
great beak is made to open and shut
rapidly, producing loud clapping.-
St. Louis Republic.