The Social Organization and the Secret Societies of the Kwakiutl Indians

534 Pages·1970·34.155 MB·English

by  Franz Boas

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THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND THE SECRET
SOCIETIES OF THE KWAKIUTL INDIANS,
FRANZ BOAS.
BASED ON PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS AND ON NOTES MADE BY
MR. GEORGE HUNT.

The Social Organization
and the Secret Societies
of the Kwakiutl Indians
By
Franz Boas
Reprinted with the permission of the Smithsonian Institution
JOHNSON REPRINT CORPORATION JOHNSON REPRINT COMPANY LTD.
Ill Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10003 Berkeley Square House, London, W1X6BA
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Landmarks in Anthropology, a series of reprints in cultural anthropology
General Editor: Weston La Bar re
First reprinting 1970, Johnson Reprint Corporation
Printed in the United States of America
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Page.
Preface... 315
I. The Indian tribes of the North Pacific Coast.. 317
The Indian tribes of the North Pacific Coast form‘one ethnographical
group, p. 317; Geographical character of the country, p. 317; Food,
industries, habitations, p. 318: Languages, p. 320; Physical charac¬
teristics, p. 321 ;C^pciaI organization, p. 32^; The meanings of masks
and carvings, p. 324.
II. The social organization of the Kwakiutl..
Tribes and clans of the Kwakiutl, p. 328; Development of the present
system of tribes and clans, p. 332; JMixture of paternal, and maternal
characteristics in the social organization of the tribes; Develop¬
ment, p. 334; Crests and privileges of clans, p. 336; Traditions
explaining the acquisition of the crest, p. 336; The nobility, p. 338.
III. The potlatch.
Rates of interest, p. 341; Building up of fortunes, p. 341; Social rank
increased by distribution of property, p. 342; Rivalry of individuals
and clans, p. 343; The use of copper plates, g, 344; Destruction of
property, p. 353^Rotlateh masks and songs, p. 355. y
Marriage.T.. 358
Marriage a purchase conducted on the same principles as the purchase
of a copper, p. 358; Description of a marriage of the Mamaleleqala,
p. 359; Marriage of the Koskimo, p. 362; Marriage of the L’a/sq’enrtx,
p. 364; Return of purchase money by the father-in-law, p. 365.
V. The clan legends... 366
Description of the house, p. 366; Spirits appearing to the ancestors of
r the clans, p. 371; The sl'siun, p. 371; The TsVnoqoa, p. 372; QVmoqoa,
p.374; Explanations of carvings, p. 375 ; Legend of the NfuiEma-
SEqa'lls, p. 381; O’maxt’a'laLe legend, p. 382; The deities meeting
the ancestors, p. 389; Figures of speakers, p. 390; Dishes, p. 390;
Not all carvings represent the totem, p. 392; Drums, p. 393.
VI. The spirits presiding over the religious ceremonial and their gifts. 393
Spirits which are still in contact with the Indians, p. 393; They
are also hereditary, p. 393; The legend of BaxbakufilanuXsI'wac
and No'aqaua, p. 396; BaxbakualanuXsl'wae and the ancestor of
the Oc'alltx, p. 401; BaxbakualanuXsl'wae and the ancestor of the
T’Ena'xtax, p. 403; BaxbakuiilauuXsI'wac and the ancestor of the
Nimkish, p.405; The hb'Xhok", p. 406; The ghost dance, p. 408; The
suurisc dance, p. 410; Ma'tEm, p. 411; Mcina, p. 413; Initiations as
parts of clan legends, p. 414.
VII. The organization of the tribe during the season of the winter ceremonial.
Suspension of clans in winter, p. 418; The societies, p. 419; The acqui¬
sition of membership iu a society by marriage, p. 421; The acquisition
of membership by war, p.424; The Bi'lxula war, p. 427.
151575 313
314
CONTENTS.
Page.
\ VIII. The dances and songs of the winter ceremonial. 431
The object of the winter ceremonial, p. 431; Songs and dances, p. 432;
Mistakes of dancers, p. 433; Paraphernalia of the dancers, p. 435;
Arrangement of seats in the house, p. 436; The hamats’a and his
songs, p.437; Ki'nqalaLala songs, p. 460; Q'o'minoqa, p. 463; Ha'ms-
hamtsKs, p. 463; No'ntsistalaL, p. 466; Grizzly bear, p. 466; NuLmai,,
p.468; Na'naqaualiL, p.471; HiP’maa, p. 473; Salmon, p. 474; Salmon
weir, p. 475; Wasp dance, p. 476; Thunder bird.-dairne. p1 476; Katrl,.
dance, p.476; Wolf dances, p. 477; TsVnoqoa dance, p.479; Ia'k-im
dance, p. 480; Si'siuL dance, p.482; Chieftainess dance, p. 482; Ghost
dance, p.482; Ma'tEm, p. 483; Na'xnak-aqEmL and MeiLa, p. 484;
Ma'maq’a, p. 485; TVX’uit, p. 487; A'’mlala, p. 494; Hawi'nalaL, p.
495; Xoa'exoe, p. 497; Hai'alik-inu., p. 497; Wa'tanEm, p. 498; Order
of dances, p. 498.
IX. The winter ceremonial of the Kwakiutl.
I. 1 he Laxsa, p. 500; Notice of the festival, p. 501; The first assembly,
p. 504; The transfer of membership to the son-in-law, p. 518; The
k-ik-i'lnala, p.522; The purification, p. 532. II. The Wi'xsa or Kue'x-
alak'1, p. 540.
X. The winter ceremonial at Fort Rupert, 1895-96. 544
XI. Ceremonials of other tribes of Kwakiutl lineage.
606
1. TheKoskimo, p. 606. 2. The i.a'Easiqoala, p. 611. 3. The T’Ena'xtax
aad-Ts’a^watEenox, p. 616.
XII. The Lao'laxa.])..
621
I reliminaries to the I.ao'laxa, p. 621; The ceremonial, p. 624; Songs
and masks, p. 630.
XIII. The religious ceremonials of other tribes of the North Pacific Coast....
632
1. The Nootka, p. 632. 2. The Lku'ngEn, p. 644. 3. The Bi'lxula, p.
646. 4. The Tsimshian, Nisqa', Haida, and Tlingit, p. 651.
XIV. The growth of the secret societies.
660
Appendix.—Songs and texts.
665
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