File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (17538508634).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo15amer (find matches)
Year: [1918 c1900-[1918]] (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Four stories illustrated in carved wood on a heraldic column Kitksan, when the whole tribe lived at Tumla- halm on the upper Skeena River, there was a great hunter, Kit-um-gieldo (man of the outside or wilds). He was chief of the Kon-nah-da clan, whose hunting grounds included Sthe-yordan-lah (steep sides), the precipitous aggregation of jagged mountain peaks that rise directly from the compara- 364 tively level country beyond the mouth of the Buckley River. After the salmon season was over, when the animals had fattened on the abundance of the summer and had taken on their winter coats, he invited the most active hunters of the village to accompany him to the great mountain where the wild goats were abundant, for besides the flesh which was esteemed, the skins were used as bedding, the soft wool was twisted into yarn for weaving blankets, into cord for carrjdng bags and other household arti- cles, while the leaf fat that had been taken on as a protection against the extreme cold of winter was run into cakes for later use. The goats were himted with bow, arrow and spear, the hunt- ers lying in wait for them along their rock-worn trails, and many were taken each year and sent down the mountain side to the people who were en- camped awaiting the hunters' return. Then the meat was carried across the river to the village and a great feast was held. During one of these expedi- tions a young man put a bag of red paint in his wallet, to color his arrows for good luck, and after he had killed many goats he came across a kid which he caught and after painting its horns red and deco- rating its face in ceremonial design, he let it go. The fol- lowing spring two strangers dressed in white blankets ar- rived in the village and as was the custom with guests, they were invited to the chief's house and offered food such as dried salmon, boiled dried goats' meat and dried berries, but they would not eat anything. They gave all the people an invitation to visit their village, not saying where it was, but offering themselves as guides. After leaving the house some chil- dren noticed the strangers on their hands and

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