246 THE BELLA COOLA INDIANS

mortal watched until the unfortunate Nunuticixynam had almost vanished
from sight. Then a sound betrayed her to Ano°likwoisaix.

“Tf you are a mortal,” she said, ‘‘come in.”’

The woman did so, and 4nolikwoisaix continued:

“Tam AnoVikwoisaix. You have found me, hence I give you a kusiui
dance prerogative. You will have Nunutcuyynam as patron.”

The woman returned to her home, where she performed a kusiui rite
in which she portrayed the sinking of Nunutc.xxnam into the earth.

ORIGIN MYTH OF A PECULIAR REPOSITORY

In the beginning of time there came down to Xmaxots, a point a little
distance below Mount Nusgalst, a woman whose name was Spuxpux-
hailaix. Aiguniém had given her a kusiut prerogative with a peculiar
repository in four parts, as if two were in either hand. Their names were
Sxelxddjutin-a, Sxa-ttutsmaén-a, Siutan-i, and Samsiutén-t. When she
danced she wore a wooden head-dress representing Woodpecker, and the
masks used (her patrons?) were the sun when it is red, and an eagle.
This dance has since been carried out from generation to generation by
the owners of the name Spuxpuxhailaix.

Kusiut PREROGATIVES OTHER THAN DANCES

The most valuable possession of a kusiut is the dance which
he has the right to perform, but each member of the society has,
in addition, a somewhat peculiar object, sometimes material
and sometimes intangible, known as a skusiut or yeaxmax. The
meaning of these two terms will become evident in the descrip-
tion of their uses, meanwhile they can be termed “preroga-
tives.”’ With every call, this possession of the dancer’s comes
automatically to him, though it can also be attracted to him
by other means and without a call. There is no connection
between the patron and the prerogative; for example, one
kusiut who has one of the sons of A?guntém as the former has,
as the latter, the Hummingbird. Another may have Fog,
Sleep, a Snake, or one of many other objects, animate or in--
animate. The “patron-puppets”’ described in kusiotem rites
belong to this class.

In almost every case the origin is lost in antiquity, and
the owner knows only that it belongs with his dance.