Stikeen River journal., 1898-04-02
AMONG THE INDIAN TRIBES
or Southeastern Alaska on Their
 Island Homes.
S ME VERY CURIOUS CUSTOMS
Building Better Houses Fcncins Graves Funerals and
 "PotlatchcS.'
Fort Wrau@el Northern l.ieht, Npril, l~!s.
BN RlN ALVIN (. At SrlN.

BN REV ALVIN (. At STlN.
 In d letter from Key. S. Hall Young, Wooster. Ohio. he said in regard te ,he heginniug tai mission work at Hoo nah :" am heartily glad you are going to the lluunah mission. am much in' tarcstra iu il from the fact that first visited that trihc. exploring the ground in ls79 and l>so. and reporting 10 the Board. who soon established the mis- sion. Young natives. trained in the mission at Wrangel. labored there, and Mr. and Mrs. Mcfarland, who We're cur teachers. Wrnt To iloonah.
 Mr. Young spoke in his letter. of Mr. Mct'arland heing tine first permanent missionary" srnt to Iloonah. hut failed to mention he fact that one missionary. l,rs. Waiter B. stiles. Whn remained lerc one var. anG q teacher, hapman p2reedcd Mr und Mrs. Mcfarland lath. ls~i. Governor Brad, writes "I Nanl tn see the iIoonahs and talk to them. visited them nineteen Aears a4o
 First. ! fr;V words in regard tu the location and surr 1NniiNg country. for IIoonah i- only the headquarters of the lIonnah trib", and not the pace where tAry iiHn the greater part of the time 1ioouah i~ -inalcd on lhc north cast part ot tAitha"otl l>ian |, or an urm from ley straits, known as Port Frederick Nj.ich extends into the Is laa,, as,nut t#elv1 mi!e, thjeha goit i,aaj i~ .ira.g, eighty by one heudred m 1e- j1 extent and is ali very rough and ulaun,ain"ue.
 ..s#.,: .t.!...sr ie onl, tAo aliie- from t.#s 4t5dler to iort Frederick on the s9l.n ,ide of the noun ail,s, ,o that it .e=.-. eif,red irom the north Wjnla ,tJa k completely hidden from .sn rst 'lj',& fort Frederick.
 sr.e'r j> d Nri} -ued one lat it k 'ss s sesl ,.l .a@-ge steamers hay" oss.# u.5 ip.r9jar Iae village ,'oua-t- C. as# 'st, houses. ineI9din@ the s#. a nsa government ,tAoo' fa;ily-
 .... r31irA aNu hr mail-c. .t,ir of the ed fashioned Indian s-= a. .-. orea torn doN il and the ts.. ~ naa 1om- to "bpiid d ai.,. l. .fc u.d uge Was q,lile a ,se.a-a. .yeall>e of its ve"y peculiar rt,te'r. l'rrlo vas scarcely q nail ie 4sr #ar.e structure. Ihe tiluber- t. ,s.iu'- ..rr, ali hcHn out wilh an ;t>. or ,.5l and lhen they Wcre morlised 1 .i-t.d -,pd tir&i as furniture l. #., l"4"f's,t. 4e r'.ot Wa~ nearly fAt ;#.. ....... ], :. .a> l.. board, across about
 ~s.l-e .so inc aiG fashioned ''silalee
 a. GH.5eu.
 .ats lr- of contact with the A .s ..,t has, led tu"n to give II t,t.5, cd .,as.,e-. if not thcil old cu-. | = s'..s ,llrei'eli;ion-. We have none tj t..s t.'..t.-. >o cutnWon at W Nrangc ;e! Q; .r Ata-,lan villages. but 9rea1 P p an ia lared on having th, fronts ni tae houses decorated witt paintings ef di5el"ht figure. and dc s.4t.-. supposed tu haYr peculiar sig. Il -,.s..4ea. ,i eH. e,ti' ;fity secure {; 'p.tl:esent interpreter tp explain. ln it-t.' 'fiv'i1. i1's' h9 Use k quite pro ,t.r'l si.srarat.et, c,Nirar to have pail d a5u.pJe a,nount to the artist. who Wis f couI-s an Indian. Another house 9a- arV,.'i. tWu bears about " fife size. landing on their haunrhe-, facing each ,ther and ryidentIy prepared for bat le. still another has simply som, car tracks
 h from of the village and only ahont stones throw from it. lies Il small is .nd which k callcd Pitt Island or .c chart. but is more familiarity lnowr '" Grave Yard Island. Thi, is tht ,metery of the whole tribe of the Hoo h-. and is one of the most picturcsgu, Alaska. As the natives until quit, gently burned their dead instead o irying them. nothing very ancien ny be expected
 The custom of burial has. apparently come very popular with them. hu ere are d number of things notice le which they have not copied iron )se whom they strive most to initiate he Boston Man." They object. yer, .idrdly, to bnrying their dead sool Ter death. especially if the dccra-r' ,nc who has been d chief or promi 1t person in the tribe. The friend
 pne man who died since came here hted to keep the remains, in th, pse fer ONE YEAR. but l finally sue
 dcd in getting hirl housed on th'
 nd at the end of d week. They ver,
 om bury them until ahout d yea
 r death. and when they do. the,
 a tent over the grave. The mos
 mon method is to build d very
 Il house and place the coffin in i
 such time as they think proper [,