80 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

nearest answer to the question replied that his crest was the
Raven. The Kitkatla was a Raven man, too, and to the
narrator’s surprise, treated him as a brother for the rest of his
stay in Victoria. He shook with laughter as he recalled the
experience, and added that though he was quite willing to
accept favours of this kind he would never dream of returning
them. It can be stated unhesitatingly that the Bella Coola
have no totemic beliefs concerning their crests. There is not
the slightest trace of respect towards the animal, nor yet of
exogamy.

Although crests are not objects of religious veneration, yet
they have some importance in the realm of social life. The
portrayal of one serves to indicate ownership of an ancestral
myth describing that particular bird or animal. A wealthy
chief is proud to display his crest on a totem-pole, or as a
painting on the front wall of his house. Anyone seeing such a
design is impressed with the glories of the family history of
the owner, to the latter’s gratification. A living specimen of
the bird or animal is treated with no respect, but its delinea-
tion is a memento of family history. For that reason a man
is often tattooed” with his crest, that derived from his father’s
first ancestor on the right breast, that from his mother, on the
left; and the owner of a canoe often carves his crest on its bow.
After the death of a chief a memorial-post is erected near his
grave, decorated with a painting or carving of one or more
crests to remind observers not only of the deceased, but of his
family history, his most treasured possession. It is said, half

It is said that tattooing was formerly customary not only amongall the coastal
tribes but also the Carriers. Both Bella Coola men and women decorated them-
selves in this way, but the custom was not universal, and is said never to have been
common. It is believed that Haida chiefs tattooed themselves in connection with
potlatches; in Bella Coola this was not the case although the operation was performed
within the back-room of the patient’s house. Two methods were employed. The
first was by puncturing the skin with a needle smeared with colouring material; the
second and less common, by passing a string coated with the substance beneath
the skin. The dye was obtained from river stones which were baked for a long time
and then ground into a powder. This keeps indefinitely and can be made ready
for use by mixing with water. As far as could be learnt, any skilled craftsman
might perform the operation.