The Cordova daily times., 1917-03-20
WAS HYPN0T|SM KNOWN ID
 NATIVES

Did Stikwan, high chief and medi
 cine man of the Copper river Indians,
 has knowledge of hypnotism, and if
 so, where did he get it and how long
 have the medicine men of the tribe
 possessed the knowledge? Or it is
 possible that Stikwan personally dis covered his own mesmeric powers and
 kept it secret, applying it as a means
 of holding his autocratic position
 among the members of the tribe.
 The following tale is told by mem-
 bers of the tribe regarding the pow
 CTS of the great chief, which indicates
 that hypnotism, or suspended anima-
 tion, or some similar power played an
 important part in the ceremony of the
 medicine man. It is said that once, -niap Hnis wife had died. There was wailing and moaning, and the mem. bers of the tribe were called in to view the body. There it lay. within the house of death apparently in rigor mortis. It was proposed that the wo- men prepare the body for burial, but the big chief said them nav. He an- nounced that the woman's spirit had mamooked to far country and that at the end of three days she would return and he would call her hack to life
 At the stated time, and in the pres ence of many members of the tribe With passes and incantations, shout 1ngs and beatings upon the native drums, he commanded life to return to the body of the woman, and be- hold. within short time she display ed signs of returning consciousness. and later arose from her couch and walked, living for many years A wit. ness to the miraculous powers of the hyas tyee.
 To the natives it appeared that Chief Stikwan was possessed of the power to restore life and this fact added greatly to his prestige. Silk wan, from the stories told of him must have been native of unusual accomplishments, and his hold upon the natives was absolute. In trade with the white men he was as shrewd | as the best of them, and under his | rule the tribe was we'll supplied with 1ood. including many luxuries as tea. sugar, flour clothing and blankets. That he had no power over life and death, is of course, absurd from white mans point of view, but not to the native. Some power he did pos- sess that enabled him to put the wo- man in a trance and then bring her back to consciousness. That he did not possess power over death is at once apparent when it is stated that In due course of time Stikwan went the way of all flesh and carried his secret with him.
 His son and successor evidently did not possess the power, but he was a -gseea- -bllaffef. -4ft tAe-H course of time his wife died. In this case there was no trance or temporar- fly suspended animation. The woman was dead. With his fathers example before him. and desiring to stand on an equality with his predecessor be- fore the tribe as a chief and medicine man, he also announced that in three days he would restore life to the wo- man. When the time came he gath cred the tribe about and commenced the mystic ceremonies of his craft. but his passes and incantations were , without avail, for the spirit had de- parted, and not all his boasted brow. ess could bring it back. Chief he was, and remained so, but as a medicine l man he had lost caste and was never again looked up to by his followers. (
 Old Stikwan's spirit, the natives say. ( took up its abode in Mount Wrangell,