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PREFACE
PREFACE
The excuse for this book is that it is the first attempt to depict the life or ethnology of the maze of Indian tribes on Puget Sound, and it is believed, will be found not wholly uninteresting. It has been the aim to attain as nearly the facts in every instance as possible which in any way lead to a proper understanding of the natives of the country as they were found by the first whites to arrive. Mika mam-ook mika tum-tum de-late wa-wa. Ko-pet mika ip-soot halo mika tum-tum ko-pa o-coke. De-la
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CHAPTER I A BIT OF HISTORY
CHAPTER I A BIT OF HISTORY
Early explorations of the Northwest coast now embraced in the limits of the state of Washington came after the discovery and occupation of the coast further south. Unlike the Mexican and California conquests it was devoid of wild and extravagant fact or fancy. There is found in the old annals no mention of barbaric splendor, no great empires or extensive cities, no magnificent spoils to be carried away. The Spaniards first laid claim to the island of Vancouver in 1774. During the war of the Revo
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CHAPTER II FIFTY-FOUR FORTY OR FIGHT
CHAPTER II FIFTY-FOUR FORTY OR FIGHT
Oregon was the name given to the country west of the Rocky mountains and thought to extend to 54 degrees 40 minutes north. England also claimed the entire territory. In 1827 a treaty of joint occupation was formed, terminated in 1846 by the United States and it seemed for a time likely to embroil the two countries in war. A compromise was however effected fixing the international boundary at the 49th parallel, and through the good offices of the German Emperor, the beautiful San Juan islands wer
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CHAPTER III PIONEERS OF THE FORTIES
CHAPTER III PIONEERS OF THE FORTIES
In August 1845 Col. M. T. Simmons, George Wauch and seven others arrived at Budd’s inlet, under the pilotage of Peter Bercier, the first American citizens who ever settled north of the Columbia river. Being pleased with the appearance of the country Col. Simmons returned to the Columbia where he had left his family and in October of the same year moved over accompanied by J. McAllister, D. Kindred, Gabriel Jones, Geo. Bush and families, and J. Ferguson and S. B. Crocket, single men. They at firs
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CHAPTER IV THE SIWASH CHARACTERISTICS
CHAPTER IV THE SIWASH CHARACTERISTICS
The history of the Siwash is tradition, as it is with all aborigines. The early tales of the Norsemen, the Gaul, the Celt, are mere matters of history, perhaps distorted, but withal, history. The lower the order of the race, the lower its mental capacities, the more truth there is in the lore—the tales of its past. The incidents of their lives which collectively become their history, are handed down from father to son, from generation to generation, plain and unembellished. The Siwash, a race to
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CHAPTER V THE FLATHEAD GROUP
CHAPTER V THE FLATHEAD GROUP
The Puget Sound Indians have generally been classified according to the language spoken by them in the Selish family or Flathead group. They were first classified in this way by Albert Gallatin, who was one of the first Americans to interest himself in the ethnology of the North American Indian. The extent of the Selish family was not known by Gallatin, neither did he know the exact locality of the tribe whose name he extended to this great family of tribes. The tribe is stated to have resided u
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CHAPTER VI. THE CHINOOK LA LANG
CHAPTER VI. THE CHINOOK LA LANG
There is danger of falling into error concerning the Chinook jargon, by confusing it with the intricate language of a tribe of that name. On the other hand, people are apt to make the mistake of imputing its invention to a few of the Hudsons Bay company’s factors at Astoria. The Chinook jargon was and is yet employed by the white people in their dealings with the natives, as well as by the natives among themselves. It is spoken all over Washington, Oregon, a portion of Idaho and the whole length
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CHAPTER VII TRADITIONS OF VANCOUVER’S APPEARANCE
CHAPTER VII TRADITIONS OF VANCOUVER’S APPEARANCE
Jacobs, Big John, William Kitsap and others were among the leading or head men of the tribes on the upper Sound when the whites came. They were given christian names by the early settlers and before their deaths commanded the respect of the whites, who not only learned their simple tongue, but were often regaled with the traditions and history of their tribes. From these men were gleaned the account of the arrival on the upper Sound of the first ship. Before any of these existing Indians were bo
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CHAPTER VIII THE OLD-MAN-HOUSE TRIBE
CHAPTER VIII THE OLD-MAN-HOUSE TRIBE
The history of the Old-Man-House (or as the Indians called it Tsu-Suc-Cub) if fully known would unfold a story as interesting as romance. At this late day its time and surroundings are so shrouded in the mists of the past that but only a glimpse can be had. Its habitats like itself have long years since withered and returned to dust. Probably the best and most authentic account of its history and purpose is the story told by Indian Williams, or as the Indians called him, Sub-Qualth, about 80 or
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CHAPTER IX THE TWANA OR SKOKOMISH TRIBE
CHAPTER IX THE TWANA OR SKOKOMISH TRIBE
In the days and generations past, when the Indians were the only people who occupied the shores of Puget Sound, the Twana tribe, now the Skokomish, lived in the broad strip of territory bordering on the west side of Hood’s canal and extending back to the top of the Olympic mountains and reaching from the Skokomish river on the south to Quilcene, near Port Townsend, on the north. They had for neighbors on the south and east the Squaxon tribe, while near them on the north and northwest were the Cl
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CHAPTER X DO-KA-BATL, A GREAT SPIRIT
CHAPTER X DO-KA-BATL, A GREAT SPIRIT
The religion of the Siwash is spiritualism pure and simple. Every tree and shrub, beast, bird or fish had its spirit, and every mountain was the abode of invisible gods who rode on the winds and clouds. The existence of a supreme being or spirit was prevalent in the untutored minds of the aboriginal inhabitants of Puget Sound. They believed in it, yet never worshiped it, and never made much practical use of this belief. They believed in the devil or a spirit answering to that dreaded, though inv
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CHAPTER XI THEIR GAME OF SING-GAMBLE
CHAPTER XI THEIR GAME OF SING-GAMBLE
There are still many practices of the early Indians continued through the present generation of half civilized and half-blood descendants. The Indian has an inveterate love of gambling. Indeed, the Indian life is all a game of chance, so superstitious a being is he. They probably have gambled ever since the days of the first Indian. Among the games is that of “sing-gamble,” which though divested of much of its old-time ceremony, is still the great game of chance among them. In its simple form it
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CHAPTER XII TWANA THUNDERBIRD
CHAPTER XII TWANA THUNDERBIRD
The Rev. Myron Eells, who for a score of years has been a missionary among the Indians of Puget Sound, has made investigations into the myths and traditions of the people among whom he has labored, and has stored up many an interesting story of the Thunderbird superstition. He says: The general idea among the Indians is that thunder is caused by an immense bird, whose size darkens the heavens, whose body is the thunder cloud, the flapping of whose wings causes the thunder, and the bolts of fire,
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CHAPTER XIII SUPERSTITION THEIR RELIGION
CHAPTER XIII SUPERSTITION THEIR RELIGION
Superstition was born with the first man, and is about the only thing in the world that remains unchanged today. The more ignorant the people the deeper we find them plunged into the dark maze of the mythical. People of highly civilized nations are not free from this clinging shadow of the forgotten or unknown past, and, although they laugh at the idea as being rank foolishness, they will feel a little shiver if they are the first to cross the track of a funeral, or they will stop and pick up a
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CHAPTER XIV THEIR DAILY EXISTENCE
CHAPTER XIV THEIR DAILY EXISTENCE
The illustrations of the Puget Sound Indian accompanying are very characteristic of the race. In the main the general characteristics are such that they cannot be mistaken. The infusion of white and foreign blood during the last 30 years or so has had a marked effect upon the later generation and to a great extent changed the current of Indian life. Leaving out of the question the general features of color and vigorousness of form they are readily distinguishable from the pure bloods about them.
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CHAPTER XV LEGEND OF THE FIRST FROG
CHAPTER XV LEGEND OF THE FIRST FROG
It may be interesting, and at this time something of a relief from the duller monotony of the pages preceding, to give one of the characteristic legends which were current among the Indians when first the whites came among them. This may properly be termed the Siwash legend of the first frog, and gives the sad fate that befell a too ardent Indian lover. “Many many snows ago the Great Tyee of all lived upon the earth; the snows that have come and gone since then cannot well be counted by men. The
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CHAPTER XVI ANOTHER MAN IN THE MOON
CHAPTER XVI ANOTHER MAN IN THE MOON
The man in the moon, among some of the tribes, has a very pretty story reserved for him, which like the young brave who was turned into a croaking frog was placed in the moon for his too ardent love for a dusky maiden. The legend more properly belongs to the Vancouver island tribes. The following version was told by an Indian who is thought to be over 100 years old and it is faithfully believed in by himself and his tribe: “‘Many, many snows ago, long before a white man came to this country, the
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CHAPTER XVII S’BEOW AND HIS GRANDMOTHER
CHAPTER XVII S’BEOW AND HIS GRANDMOTHER
The wonders of the course of nature have ever challenged human attention. In savagery, in barbarism, and in civilization alike, the mind of man has sought the explanation of things. The Indians around Puget Sound have not been less curious than the other races. Like the rest, they have a strong yearning to understand the causes of all natural phenomena, such as the movement of the heavenly bodies, the change of the seasons, the succession of the night and day, the powers of air and water, the gr
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CHAPTER XVIII THE DEMON SKANA
CHAPTER XVIII THE DEMON SKANA
The Makahs of Cape Flattery tell many stories of animals quite allegorical in their nature, which differ in details only from the legends of the other West coast tribes. One of their leading characters is the demon Skana. According to the Indian belief he can change himself into any form. There are many stories told of him. A long time ago the Indians were seal hunting in calm weather on a smooth sea. A killer whale kept close to the canoe, and the Indians amused themselves by throwing stones fr
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CHAPTER XIX THE FALL OF SNOQUALM
CHAPTER XIX THE FALL OF SNOQUALM
Not far from the Snoqualmie hop ranch, on the Snoqualmie prairie, is a large mountain called Old Si, with what seems to be the image of a human form on the face of it. The story of its origin as told by the old Snoqualmie Indians, is one of the best legends that the Puget Sound Indians possess. Snoqualm, the moon, then the king of the heavens, commanded the spider ty-ee (chief) to make a rope of cedar bark and stretch it from the sky to the earth. Upon seeing this, S’Beow’s son, Si’Beow, told Ki
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CHAPTER XX LEGEND OF THE STICK-PAN
CHAPTER XX LEGEND OF THE STICK-PAN
One of the most common legends among the Indians around Puget Sound is the story of the stick-pan or the magic pan. “Stick-pan” is the Chinook name of a shallow wooden tray upon which the Puget Sound Indians served their food in their days of savagery. The story of the magic stick-pan was current among all the tribes of the region, each of them representing the scene of action to be along the river or stream most frequented by them. According to their idea, S’Beow, although possessed of many sup
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CHAPTER XXI THE MAGIC BLANKET
CHAPTER XXI THE MAGIC BLANKET
One of the best stories known to the Indians around Puget Sound is the legend of the Ta-mahn-a-wis, or magic blanket. Once upon a time there lived a boy with his parents on the shores of Puget Sound, who was just budding into young manhood. He had reached that point in life where boys prepare to fight life’s battles for themselves, and where the Indians in former times sought to discover their totem, or guardian spirit. This boy went alone with his bow and arrow into the woods to hunt the little
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CHAPTER XXII LEGEND OF FLATHEAD ORIGIN
CHAPTER XXII LEGEND OF FLATHEAD ORIGIN
James Henry, a well known Indian of Port Gamble, who follows the sealing business is responsible for the story of the sky falling down. A long time ago all the Indians with flattened heads lived away up north in the region of perpetual ice and snow. The parents of the race were ten brothers and all of them were very big men. They lived on deer and bear meat and the flesh of tarmigan or white grouse. They were all excellent archers and they killed so many white grouse with their bows and arrows t
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CHAPTER XXIII A LEGEND OF THE FIRST FLOOD
CHAPTER XXIII A LEGEND OF THE FIRST FLOOD
The story of the big flood is common to all the tribes around Puget Sound. The mountain referred to is usually the loftiest mountain nearest them. The Lummi Indians refer to Mt. Baker, the upper Stillaguamish to Mt. Pilchuck and the Nisquallies to Mt. Rainier, and each of them call their mountain Ta-ho-ma, from which is derived the name Tacoma. Ta-ho-ma means a lofty mountain, but does not refer to any peak in particular. It was a long time ago, just after the breaking up of the great winter, th
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CHAPTER XXIV ORIGIN OF SUN AND MOON
CHAPTER XXIV ORIGIN OF SUN AND MOON
MASK USED TO APPEASE CRYING CHILDREN—OLD-MAN-HOUSE TRIBE Joe Anderson, a Port Madison Indian, tells the story of the origin of the sun and moon, a story which many of the Indians still continue to believe, notwithstanding their present Christian education. Long, long ago an Indian woman went to a creek to wash some clothes and left her little babe at home alone. When she returned she found that the child had been stolen and she wept bitterly. When she again went to the creek to wash she took the
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CHAPTER XXV SKOBIA THE SKUNK
CHAPTER XXV SKOBIA THE SKUNK
Quite an interesting legend is the one describing how Skobia the Skunk came to be so small as he is: A long time ago there lived a pole-cat who was the parent of all the race of skunks. He was a great skunk. In size he approached the cinnamon bear; his perfume was strong in proportion, while his tread was correspondingly heavy and loud. Many were the nightly visits of “Skobia,” as the skunk is called by the Indian, to their camps and great was the damage to life and comfort caused by him. CHARM
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CHAPTER XXVI THE EXTINCT SHILSHOH TRIBE
CHAPTER XXVI THE EXTINCT SHILSHOH TRIBE
Of the Shilshohs, a tribe once inhabiting the country about Salmon bay and in ante-civilized times all the country from Smith’s cove and Lake Union north to the Snohomish river, there is not at this time a single known representative living, the tribe is extinct. Of these Indians little is known. Dr. H. A. Smith, of Smith’s cove, who settled among them about the time of the first settlement of Seattle, probably has the best general knowledge of these bygone people. He furnished the author the fo
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CHAPTER XXVII QUINAIULTS AND QUILLAYUTES
CHAPTER XXVII QUINAIULTS AND QUILLAYUTES
Beyond the black range of the Olympic mountains, which can be seen standing out in such bold relief against the western horizon from the bluffs about the cities of the Sound on bright days, sits the little village of the Quinaiult Indians, whose last remnant of a once mighty tribe now scarce numbers a hundred persons. There’s a long shingle of beach, a glistening reach of sand, bright under the glare of summer suns, with a broad sweep of salty bay, flecked here and there with a few jagged and bl
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CHAPTER XXVIII TRADITION OF A GREAT INDIAN BATTLE
CHAPTER XXVIII TRADITION OF A GREAT INDIAN BATTLE
The Puget Sound Indians have a tradition of a great battle in which the Quillayutes were almost annihilated: COPPER AND IRON DAGGERS, MOOSE HIDE SHEATH-SOUND INDIANS For many years in the early days of the country, as early as 1869, residents of what is now Jefferson county were puzzled over the vast number of human bones, principally skulls, that lay scattered about the beach not far from the military post that had been established at Port Townsend. That a great Indian battle had been fought an
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CHAPTER XXIX SEALTH AND THE ALLIED TRIBES
CHAPTER XXIX SEALTH AND THE ALLIED TRIBES
Sealth, second chief of the allied tribes in early days and previously of the Squamish and Duwamish, was the greatest Indian character of the country. Like the historic chief of the Mingoes, he was a friend of the white man and enemies he had none. A statesman and not a warrior he swayed the minds of his people with the magic of oratory rather than of war. Without a knowledge of the polyglot language common to all the tribes and the early white men, he was able by his superiority of mind to moul
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CHAPTER XXX THE MAKAH TRIBE
CHAPTER XXX THE MAKAH TRIBE
In the extreme northwestern portion of the United States outside of Alaska, around and about the base of that sightly headland Cape Flattery, where it has been said in a spirit of half jest, but worth taking most seriously, that never a day in the year passes without rain, dwells a small nation of men and women who will go down in history, in song and story perhaps, as a happy, contented people; a people doubly fortunate in the possession of a unique territory abounding with fruits of land and s
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CHAPTER XXXI FOOTPRINTS OF UNKNOWN TRAVELERS
CHAPTER XXXI FOOTPRINTS OF UNKNOWN TRAVELERS
Antedating the first arrivals of white people to the Sound in the 40’s, were found in various parts of the country numbers of things showing that white men or civilized or half-civilized people of some color had visited the country. One instance particularly was the remains or indications of a settlement or camp at the mouth of the Duwamish river. As nearly as good judgment could fix it, this camp must have been located at the beginning of the present century. It is not improbable that at some v
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CHAPTER XXXII SOME NEIGHBORLY TRIBES
CHAPTER XXXII SOME NEIGHBORLY TRIBES
The beauty and grandeur of the great body of water forming the inland sea known to the Pacific coast Indians as the Whulge, attracted many tribes living at some distance from it both in the interior and to the north. Among these visitors were what were always spoken of by the earlier settlers as the Northern Indians. It is now known that these were the tribes from both the British Columbia and Alaska coasts—the Haidas, the most advanced tribe probably in the entire northwest; the T’Klinkets of A
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CHAPTER XXXIII TOTEMISM AND SUPERSTITIONS
CHAPTER XXXIII TOTEMISM AND SUPERSTITIONS
Those who have read of the wonderful totemic carvings of the Haidas will no doubt take an interest in the peculiar laws and customs, and the strange moral and esthetical standards of those remarkable people of the North. If judged by the highest standard of nineteenth century civilization, these people would not hold a very high position. But if they were compared to surrounding tribes when they first came in contact with whites, the thing that would be noticed most is the great progress they ha
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CHAPTER XXXIV MYTHOLOGY AND NATIVE HISTORY
CHAPTER XXXIV MYTHOLOGY AND NATIVE HISTORY
The column with the great heads on top, shown in the illustration, tells quite an interesting story. It is variously told in different localities, however, the versions differ only in the minor details. The top group represents the head of an European with whitened face and long black beard, flanked on either side by children wearing tall hats, and represents the following legend: A very long time ago a chief’s wife left the temporary camp used by the Indians during the summer season, and taking
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CHAPTER XXXV YALTH, AND THE BUTTERFLY
CHAPTER XXXV YALTH, AND THE BUTTERFLY
In the beginning, when Yalth, the great raven, the friend and benefactor of the human race, was looking for a good region for men to occupy, the butterfly hovered over his head as he flew. When he came to the country now occupied by the Haida nations, the butterfly pointed with his proboscis to the good lands and said, “Where the bear are, there salmon, sprouts and good living will be found in abundance;” so that accounts for the residence of the Haidas on the Prince of Wales island, and for bea
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CHAPTER XXXVI POTLATCH AND DEVIL DANCE
CHAPTER XXXVI POTLATCH AND DEVIL DANCE
The potlatch was the greatest institution of the Indian and is to this day. It was the crowning glory of the Indian life and worth the meade of a thousand victories over the foe. It was the ambition of the hyas tyee, the politics of every ruler who could secure wealth enough to accomplish the great and glorious end. It impoverished the giver but brought gladness to the hearts of the people, and honor ever after to him who gave. It was a beautiful custom; beautiful in the eyes of the natives of h
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CHAPTER XXXVII THE T’KLINKITS AND ALEUTS
CHAPTER XXXVII THE T’KLINKITS AND ALEUTS
The T’Klinkit is the name applied to all the Indians on the upper coast who reside between the north end of Prince of Wales island and Yakutat bay, near the base of Mt. St. Elias. These T’Klinkits are divided into so-called tribes; virtually families, the chieftainship descending through the female line. The T’Klinkits were generally known to the Siwash of Puget Sound under the general name of Stickeens. Among the principal families of T’Klinkits are the Stickeens, located on the Stikeen river,
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CHAPTER XXXVIII THE INDIAN AND THE SOUTH WIND
CHAPTER XXXVIII THE INDIAN AND THE SOUTH WIND
Intimately associated with the legend and folk lore of the Indians of Puget Sound is the south wind, the balmy Chinook, the harbinger, the first breath of early spring time. It is the precursor of all that is glorious in pleasant days, sunshine and joy. It comes up over the land, perfumed and odorous from the sea islands. Its touch is like that of a maiden’s palm, gentle and soft. Its tread is silent like the flight of a peri, but it is strong in its coming, for snow peaks and icy crags melt bef
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CHAPTER XXXIX PLEASURE AND PROFIT IN THE MARSH
CHAPTER XXXIX PLEASURE AND PROFIT IN THE MARSH
Checked by the impenetrable forests that covered all the interior of the country bordering on Puget Sound, the native Indians found pleasure and profit in investigating the marsh lands, tules and tide lands and beaver dams, and chasing the festive musk rat and the industrious beaver; or taking the numerous water fowl by simple methods now forgotten or long in disuse. Nature for ages had been in process of forming vast tide marshes at the deltas and mouths of the numerous streams, the Duwamish, t
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CHAPTER XL INDIANS IN THE HOP FIELDS
CHAPTER XL INDIANS IN THE HOP FIELDS
[Ballast isle is the camping spot near Seattle of the Indians during their stop over to and from the hop fields.] Hop picking on bright days in the valleys of Western Washington is the delight of the native. It is for him and all his kith and kin, a joy unspeakable. He comes from near and far. He will travel hundreds of miles in his big canim with his full household and all his earthly possessions to enjoy the delightful season as much for his real love for it as for the money that he knows will
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CHAPTER XLI LEGEND OF THE CRUCIFIXION
CHAPTER XLI LEGEND OF THE CRUCIFIXION
The Siwash have a legendary theory and story of the crucifixion. Hezekial Butterworth picked it up while on one of his vacation jaunts to the west, and tells it very prettily, though it has been told by a score of writers and is one of the first to come to the knowledge of the white man: Long, long ago, say the Siwashes, in the splendid sunsets of the Whulge, or Puget Sea, there came a canoe of copper sailing, sailing. The painted forest lords and feathered maidens saw it from the bluffs—in the
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CHAPTER XLII ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE
CHAPTER XLII ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE
A long time ago an English whaling bark, after many months of hardship on the voyage, was caught in a heavy gale off Vancouver island coast. After a gallant effort to save the ship and ride out the storm, the captain and crew took to the life-boat, and though a long way from land and with the tempest howling about them, struck bravely out for safety. Nothing was ever heard or seen of the sinking ship. But one of the brave crew reached land to live to tell the awful tale of shipwreck and death wh
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