Jerome County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1919-1920, 1919-08-28

Belief in Words and Actions Of the
shsman So Strong Whole Tribes
Would Go Hungry Rather Than In
cur His Displeasure by Eating Foods
Which He Tabooed-Land Otter Too
Sacred to Be Killed.
Masks in the possession of Joseph
Bourke of Valdez, Alaska. carved from
single piece Of wood brightly col
"r-d with long wooden tendrils pro
truding from the top OF the head like
II devil fsh's arm. recall to those IA
milan with the natives of Alaska their
ag'-old shamanism.
SAainunlsm or superstition and sOr-
Gerry always has played an important
pant ia the life Of the Alaskan native
So implicitly did these natives Of
mo- many years ago believe in the
words and actions of the shanan that
Il whole tribe would go hungry rather
than incur his di~pleasure by eating
foods which he had tabOoed.
The shauan attained his position
ana power By unusual methods BY
fasting and prayer amid the sOlitudes
of ihe woods or mountains. where he
fed only upon grus~es and roots. he
prepared himself to become shaman
BY this method. IT was conceded. the
candidates body became sufficiently
purified To become the abiding place
of the spirits and all successful
shauau~ lal tO have numerous spirits
at their immediate command. Usually
the spirit willing 10 abide with the
Shaman sent The novitiate land otter
which the candidate killed. The offers
tongue he preserved as talisman
away from all human view. for should
the tali>man ever be seen. il was be-
licycd the ~haman would 20 insane or
he turned into the animal from which
the tongue was taken The skin Of
the otter was kept by the shaman as
% sign of his professions
otter a Sacred Animal.
Thus ID came about that the land
otter was regarded as too sacred an
animal 10 bee killed 10y other than the
Shaman~ and neither Aleuiian natives
nor those of the mainland would Kill
the otter until long after the coming
Of the russians
Sometimes il happened that the fast
ins and prayer in solitude did not
bring 10 the would-he shaman the
spirits craved. In this emergency he
betook himself still fasting, to the
grave of some decreased shaman and
passed a night with the corpse. taking
one Fl the teeth Of the cadavcr in his
mouth. Upon the Shaman'S return 10
his tribe his skill was then tested by
shaman of known powers
For each spirit which the shaman
could produCN he had a separate
wooden mask with features as hor-
rlhle as the tastes of the carver could
devise.
Healer and Prophet
The Shaman had many duties TO per.
form. He was supposed to heal the
sick. to cast out the devils from the
frall bodies of his subjects. TO foretell
the future and with the aid of his
spirits to enable one to avoid misfor-
tune and disaster. The tricks of his
trade, paraphernalia and charms gen
orally descended from father To son
The ~haman'S hair was never cut. for
fo lose his locks would be to lose his
POWERS When ne died he was not
crDmatcd. After death his body was
allowed 10 remain in the spot where
death came for "a hours. SO that The
wandering spirit might find its tenc.
m.ni of clay should il so desire. When
two suns had wan,sl the body was
removed TO another corner of the
house, This procedure continuing until
'h. body had rested in every corner
Meanwhile the inmates of the house
f}-icd.
Al last. dressed in full reealia. the
h.dv was lashcd 10 a board. One of
th, TWO bone sticks used by every well.
nccwicred shaman was placed
through the hair and the other through
thc orlfce cut in the nose. The head
Nus covered with basket woven of
snail twigs and grass and at night
the body was carried secretly TO some
remote cavern or crevice. Thereafter
shc members of the tribe never entered
th- burial place, for il was supposed
to hc filled with evil spirits.
Mr. Bourke's collection Of native
masks weapons and utensils is said
10 be one of the finest IN Alaska.