ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 63

society returns from the woods after being initiated or after having had
intercourse with the genius of hisdance. Generally it is arranged in such
-a way that the man who intends to give the 1’s’étsa/éka sends his son or
some other relative into the woods. By his staying there with the spirits
he will rise toa higher class of the society, and thus partake of the distinc-
tion arising from the celebration. But this is not necessarily the case.
While the young man stays in the woods the yé’wiutla sends two messen-
gers around (¢/é'lala) to give notice that he intends to give a 1's étsd/éka.
A few days before the beginning of the festivities he sends the same mes-
sengers to invite the people (d’etsésta), and finally at the night of the
beginning of the festivals, when everything is ready, the messengers call
the guests to come (dlawtt ka'tsist).
So far the customs are common to all tribes speaking the Kwakintl
dialect, but the details of the societies as well as their rank and the cere-
monies of various dances differ somewhat among various tribes. Four groups
“may be distinguished, each having peculiar customs. The first comprise
the Kwakiutl, Nemk‘ic, Ma’malélék‘ala (Matilpi), Tlau/itsis, Tena’qtaq,
and Lé/kwiltok ; the second the T'sa’watrénog, Guau’aénoq, and Haqua/-
mis; the third, the Tlatlalisk-oa’la, Nak-o’mgyilisila, Na’k:oartok’, and
Guasi’la; the fourth, the K-oské’mogq, Ky6’p’énoq, Tla’sk’énoq, and
Gua’ts’énoq. Ishall first describe the customs of the first group.

Some time before the beginning of the festivities the yé’wiuila must
give a large quantity of cedar-bark to the ‘ master of the cedar-bark’
(tla'tlak aksila), who has to make all the ornaments for the various
members of the T's’étsa’/ék-a. Four days after he has received the bark
he invites the whole tribe and distributes the ornaments. ‘his festival is
called k-ap’é’k‘. He also gives to all those present three kinds of tallow
for smearing the face, mountain-goat, deer, and k'dtsek (P) tallow. This
office is acquired by being inherited from the father, not by marriage.
There are three more offices of a similar kind which are inherited in the
same way, that of the singing-master, who teaches songs and rhythms,
the baton-master (¢’a@’miatsé), who has to procure the batons for beating
time; and the drum-master (mdmznatsila), who has to look after the
drum.

As soon as the Ts’étsa/ék'a begins, the gentes and the social rank of
ordinary times are suspended, and a new arrangement takes place. The
people drop their ordinary names and assume their T's’étsa/éka names. The
tribe is divided into two groups, the mé’emkoat (seals) and the k'wé'kutsé,
the former being higher in rank. All those who are initiated may become
members of the mé’emkoat, but they are at liberty to join the h'wé'k-utsé
for one 7’s’étsa'ék'a. They have to pay a number of blankets to the
mé'emkoat for obtaining the right to stay away from the group to which
they properly belong. Only the highest grade of the members of the
Ts’étsa/ék-a, the ha’mats’a, must join the mé’emkoat. They must dress in
black, and, itis said, are called ‘seals’ for this reason. The house of the
ye'wimla is their house, and is tabooed as long as the ceremonies last. It
is called tlamé’latsé, and no uninitiated (Ba’qus) is allowed to enter. They

have to stay in this house throughout the duration of the 1's’étsa’ék-a.
Sometimes a large ring of cedar-bark dyed red, the emblem of the society,
is fastened to the door of the house to indicate that it is tabooed. The
hd'mats’a is the chief of the mé’emkoat, and, therefore, during the festival,
of the whole tribe. If a member of the mé/emkoat wishes to leave the
house he must obtain his permission first. When the ha’mats’a wishes

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