The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1917-01-11

mouth, Wnere the SWllC current Gull
centrated in Il single channel forms
strong eddy that permits the landing
Of canoes at any stage Of the river.
OF the five tOtemic families that
form the Chilkat-kwan, four are resi-
dent here. OF these the Kon-nuh-ta-di,
the sole representative of the Raven
party, is the one with which this paper
deals. Their legendary history, so inn
aginary and interesting is closely as
ISOLATED with the wanderingS and an
tics of "Yehlh," the Raven creator,
while the earliest family traditions are
centered about the south and west
coasts Of the Prince of Wales and con-
tiguous islands, where at an early Pc
riod they must have lived.
The Whale House.
When I first visited KlukWan in
1885, the large old communal houses
of the Kon-nuh-ta-di were still stundA
ing, the principal one of which, that
of the hereditary chief, "Yough-hit"
(Whalc housc), was in the last stages
of decay and uninhabitable, although
the interior fittings were intact and it
was still used upon festival occasions
1t was unquestiOnably the most widely
known and deliberately Ornnmented
house, not only at Chillat, but in Alas
ka. It occupied the site of much older
houses, and it Is claimed, much larger
ones. 1t is said to have been built by
Kate-tsu about, or prior to, 1885, and
stood in the middle Of the village. 1t
represented the best type Of Tlingit
architecture, broad low type OF
Tlingit architecture, a broad low
structure of heavy hewn spruce tim
hers, with noticeably high corner posts,
that gave it Il degree Of character
wholly wanting in the larger houses
faced the river, with frontage Of 40
! feet 10 inches and Il depth or SO feet
approximately the proportions OF
Tlingit houses, large and small. Each
Of these old houses formed a solid
structure, the frame and planking sup
porting each other without the use Of
spikes. The doorway, which was the
only opening in the' walls, was ap-
preached by two steps, more than
three feet above the ground.
The interior formed an excavation
four feet nine inches below the ground
level, with two rcccding steplike plat
forms. The lower square floor space, 26
feet by 2G feet 8 inches, constituted the
general living and working room COM
mon to all, except that portion in the
rear and opposite the entrance, which
was reserved for the use Of the house
chief, his immediate family, and most
distinguished guests. This was the
place of honor in all Tlingit houses
upon oil occasions, ceremonial or 9th
orwise. The flooring, of heavy, split,
smOothcd plants of varying widths, ex-
ended around a central graveled fire.
place six feet by six feet and half,
where all of the cooking was done over
a wood fire that also heated the house
in winter. In front Of and q little to-
the right of the fire space was Il small
ccllarlike apartment entered by small
; trapdOor in the floor barely large
enough to admit Il person. This was
used as steam bath, by heating
powders in the fire, dropping them on
the floor below with split wood longs,
and pouring water upon them to gen.
crate vapor, whereupon the bather en-
tered and the opening was covered
over.
|; The first platform, extending around
the main floor at an elevation of two
and three-fourths feet, served both
as a step, and as q lounging place in
nd I'M
pl:ssorm, rising two feet above that
below, was at the ground level, and
was flOOred with heavy planks. This
platform constituted the sleeping place
OF the inmates.
New House Never Completed.
In 1899, this house and "Yehlh-hit,"
or Raven, house, adjoining were torn
down and preparations for the erec-
ton Of new buildings were got under
way, and in the winter Of 1901, after
the wallis were up and the roof on, O
great yotlatch was given by the KOn-
nuh-ta-di, to the three WOLF families
Of the opposite pAratry in the tribe.
and the Ka-gwaa-tan Of Sitka, III
which over $1O,s0O in property, food
and money were distributed. The head
chief of the firmly, master VI the
Whale house, "Yehlh-gu ou," or Ra.
ven's slave, welcomed his guests upon
landing, wearing the Raven hat.
The new house, although modern ir
! form and of two stories, took the ole
name, and it stands today windowless
and dos rless, the interior grown VI
in weeds, a, monument of the last great
potlatch of the Chilkat, as the CHIEF
died soon afterwaid and HE successo,
has neither the means to finish It not
| the desire to live IN il and the elabcs
rate carvjngs have never trCp Placed.