ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 57

River. They did not conquer Valdes Island until the middle of last

century.
The child does not belong by birth to the gens of his father or

mother, but may be made a member of any gens to which his father,

mother, grandparents, or great-grandparents belonged. Generally each

child is made a member of another gens, the reason being prevention of
- poverty, as will be explained later on. The child becomes member of a

gens by being given a name belonging to that gens. On this occasion

_ property must be distributed among the members of the gens according

to the rank of the name. By taking a name belonging to another gens,
to which one of his ancestors belonged, a man may become at the same
time a member of that gens. Thus chiefs are sometimes members of
many gentes, and even of several tribes. One Kwakiutl chief, for
instance, belongs to six gentes. The gentes differ in rank, and in
festivals are placed accordingly, those highest in rank sitting in the rear
of the house near the fire, the others arranged from that place towards
the door, ranging according to rank. In each gens those highest in rank
sit nearest the fire. he proper place of a gens is called tld’ yoe. The
gens highest in rank receives its presents first. The latter are not given
individually but in bundles, one for each gens. Those who belong to
various gentes receive presents as members of each gens. Hach man
becomes debtor for double the amount of presents he has received, to be
returned at convenience. Therefore those who belong to various gentes
become as many times debtors as they are members of gentes. When a
man dies his grandchild or child generally receives his name. Then the
latter becomes responsible for all the debts of the deceased, and the out-
standing debts of the deceased become due to him. If the child or
grandchild does not take his name he does not need to pay the debts of
the deceased, nor has he a claim upon outstanding debts. Children are
generally given the names of deceased relatives, as then all debts become
due to them, and they are thus provided for in case the father should die.
For the same reason children of one family are made members of various
gentes, so as to receive property as members of each gens. If # man has
to give a great feast the members of his gens are bound to help him, and
are assessed, according to their wealth, double the amount of the loaned
property to be restored later on. The property given to a gens 1s dis-
tributed among its members according to rank and wealth.

The chiefs of various gentes of one tribe are, when still young,
instigated by their elders to outdo each other in feats of bravery as well
as in giving festivals. This spirit of rivalry is kept up throughout
their lives, and they continually try to outdo each other as to who will
distribute the greatest amount of property. Generally this strife is
between the chiefs of two gentes; among the Nemkvic, for instance,
between Tla/g*dtas, chief of the Ts’étsétloa’lakemaé, and Wa/qanit,
chief of the Si’sintlaé. The two opposite gentes always watch each
other to see whether the opponent regards all the rules and_ restric-
tions by which the life of the Indians is regulated. If they detect their
opponents in breaking a rule the latter have to make payments to them.
In general it is not allowed that a woman give a feast; but by paying
twenty blankets to the opposing gens permission may be obtained.

The method of acquiring certain privileges by marriage was described
in the Fifth Report of the Committee (p. 53). It may be added here
that when a man purchases a wife for his brother he also may take the