The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-01-25

centrated In a 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 i'm
aginary and interesting, Is closely as
SOciated with the wanderings and an
tics of "Yehlh." the Raven creator.
while the earliest family traditions are
centered about the south and ives.
coasts of the Prince OF Wales and con-
| tiguOus Islands, where at an early Pc
riOd they must have lived.
The Whale House.
! When ! first visited Klukwan IN
1885, the large old communal houses
Of the kOn-nuh-ta-di were still stand
ing, the principal one Of which, that
Of the hereditary chief, "Yough-hit'
! (Whale hOuse), vas in the last stages
OF decay and uninhabitable, although
the interior fittings were intact and II
was still used upon festival occasions
1t was unquestionably the most widely
known and elabOrately ornamented
house, not only at Chilkat, but in Alas
ka. IL occupied the site Of much older
houses, and. IL Is claimed. much larger
ones. II is said TO have been built by
kate-tsu about. or prior to. 1885, and
stood In the middle Of the village. II
represented the best type of Tlingit
architecture, a broad low type OF
Tlingit architecture, a broad low
structure of heavy hewn spruce tim.
bers, with nOticeably high corner posts,
that gave IL a degree OF character
wholly wanting in the larger houses
Of the Vancouver island people. II
faced the river, with frontage OF 40
feet 10 inches and depth Of SO feet
approximately the proportions OF
Tlingit houses, large and small. Each
Of these old houses formed 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 receding steplike plat
forms. The lower square floor space, %
feet by 20 feet 9 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 all occasions, ceremonial or 9TH
erwise. The flooring. OF heavy. split,
smoOthed planks OF varying widths, ex-
tended around a central graveled fire.
place six feet by six feet and half.
where all Of the cooking was done over
wood fire that also heated the house
in winter. In front OF and little 10
the right Of the fire space was a small
: cellarlike apartment entered by a small
trapdoor In the floor barely large
; used as a steam bath, by heating
powders In the fire. dropping them on
the floor below with split wood tongs
and pouring water upon them TO gen
; crate vapor, whereupon the bather en-.
tered and the opshlng was covered
: over.
The first platform, extending around
tae main floor at an elevation OF two
: and threefoqrths feet, served both
as a step, and as lounging place In
the daytime. The upper and broader
platform, rising two feet above that
: below, was at the ground level, and
J was fioored 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
2 down and preparations for the erec.
: ton OF new buildings we're got under
{ way. and in the winter OF 1901, after
: the walls were up and the roof on, I
r great potlatch was given by the Kon.
: nuh-ta-di, to the three Wolf families
I OF the opposite phratry In the tribe
and the K~gwAn-tan of Sltka, In
which over $1,000 In property, food
] and money were distributed. The head
; chief Of the family. master OF tile
e Whale house. "Yehlh-gu ca" or Ra
= ven's slave. welcomed his guests upcu
r landing. wearing the Raven hat.
e The new house, although modern IN
( form and Of two stories. took the old
: name. and II stands today wirdowless
: and doorless. the interior grown UT
e In weeds, o monument OF the last great
e potlatch OF the Chllkat. as the CHIEF
q died soon afterward and his successor
5 has neither the means TO finish II MOI