but larger and worn resting over the shoulders and breast, was a badge of the possession of shamanistic powers on the part of the wearer. The tsinepthan was of so primitive material that its adoption as a means of personal adornment must have been rather early. Though the material of the tsinezdilya was an imported article, this necklace could, according to the following Carrier narrative, boast of an at least as great antiquity, unless we assign a recent origin to the actual plumage of the loon.* Once upon a time, there was an old man who was blind. He had a wife who used to help him in this way to keep alive: whenever she sighted game, she would hand him his arrow to moisten the stone point thereof with his saliva-for this old man was possessed of magic powers. Then pointing the arrow in the direction of the game, she would let him release it himself, which he usually did with good effect. One day, both came upon a very fat cariboo-"Moisten the arrow-head with your saliva," said the woman to her husband, which after he had done, he shot dead the animal. But his wife, who coveted the fat of the cariboo and was tired of living with a blind old man, pushed him aside, thereby throwing him to the ground, saying: "That old fellow,† what a bad shot he is!" —‘But I think I have killed it,' insisted the old man. Yet as he was blind, he could not get the game, and while searching for it, he strayed a long distance from his wife who now abandoned him. "As soon as the old man was out of sight, she set to cut up the animal, helping herself at the same time to large fried slices of its meat. What she did not eat on the spot she cut into thin pieces and hung out. to dry. "Meanwhile the old man was bewailing his fate. In the course of his aimless wanderings he had reached the shore of a lake, when a loon hearing his cries swam towards him as his kins are wont to do even now whenever they hear anybody talking in the forest.-"What ails you"? he said to the man.-' Poor wretch that I am, my wife has left me, and I am blind,' answered the latter. I will cure you,' said the loon; 'come over to me and hide your eyes in the down of the back of my neck. The old man did as he was bid, and both the loon and himself plunged in the water. When they reappeared on the surface, they found themselves at the opposite end of the lake. Now can you see'? quivered the loon. 'Look at yonder mountain,' he added. The old man complied with the request and answered: 'I see a little, as if through a mist. Repeat the *This tale is also current among the Tsikoh'tin. +Tanethi-'qol. The desinence of this word is expressive of spite and scorn. operation.' Again did the loon dive with him, emerging this time at the original point of departure. 'Now can you see'? asked the loon.-'I now see very well,' replied the old man wading ashore. Then to show his gratitude to his benefactor he presented him with his own dentalium shell necklace, and taking some more dentalium shells from his quiver, he threw them at him. * "Ever since, the loon wears a white necklace, and the shells which hit him also produced the white spots we now see on his wings. +" Now that we are satisfied as to the great antiquity of the dentalium necklace, we will leave the old man of the story to settle with his unfaithful spouse, and return to the description of the other articles of adornment obtaining among the Western Dénés. The na-than is the horn or metal wristlet which has already been described and figured (see fig. 126). As for the la-tcan || it is of modern origin, and is an imitation of the ruffles of the whites. As such, it is worn in winter time as a protection against cold. But many Carrier or Tsé'kéhne girls nowadays wear a variety of it merely as an ornamental addition to their costume. To that class belongs the la-tcan herewith figured. It is of glass beads of several colours mounted on sinew threads. The rosette in front is made of narrow ribbons and a common mother-of-pearl button. Fig. 162. CEREMONIAL COSTUME. It has already been hinted that the ceremonial costume of the Carriers, was very elaborate. When one keeps in mind their proximity to the coast Indians who are so fond of parade and display, this statement cannot surprise. What would rather astonish those who have read a former paper by the writer wherein the wonderful faculty of imitation characteristic of the Carriers is chiefly brought into relief is the fact that though the sociological peculiarities which gave rise to this costume were evidently borrowed, yet the latter was, in the main, original. It was proper to the toneza and the t'sèkhuza or noble men and women. *"Threw them" and "presented them" are rendered by the same word in Déné. + The loon of this story is the Urinator pacificus of the naturalists. "That (being of a naturally long material) which is around." || Lit. "hands-stick," same word as that for "wrist." Ceremonial banquetting, distribution of clothes or victuals, dances, incineration of the dead, etc., were the most common pretexts for its exhibition. * It will be noticed that the nature of its adorning material was rather monotonous and little varied. This consisted principally in the dentalium shells interspersed with beaver claws and cariboo hoofs, pelts of small animals, the feathers and down of a few specics of birds and porcupine quills. The latter were invariably dyed, and here it may be explained that the Carriers, at least, knew but two varieties of dyes: yellow and green. The yellow colour was obtained by boiling the quills with a species of hair-like lichen apparently akin to the Alectoria jubata, but botanically different (Evernia vulpina). The green dye was no other than the decayed wood found almost everywhere in the forest. The colouring matter was likewise extracted by boiling. An analogous method is now followed, to dye in red or blue the plumes with which the young men are fond of ornamenting their hats and the horse hair which serves to embellish the instep piece of their mocassins: the original dye of the cloth or stuff procured at the trading posts is simply extracted and transferred by boiling. The distinctive pieces of the noble man or woman's ceremonial attire were the wig, the coronet or 'tast'ju, the breast-plate or yostəthə, and the Raz. With the exception of the third, of which I know but one specimen, none of them can now be seen outside of my collection. Each one was formerly so prized that it was the appanage of the full fledged tǝneza only. All the other parts of the costume, such as the leggings and the mocassins, were of course proportionately rich and ornamented. I possess two specimens of the ceremonial wig or tsi-'ka-stzai† and both differ in make and style of ornamentation. Fig. 163 represents what is perhaps the most elaborate in design. As no cut can do full justice to its details, I may be pardoned the following description. It is composed of three distinct parts: the horn-like appendage, the cap or head covering proper and the pendent train. The horns are made of the stout bristles of the sea-lion's whiskers, two lengths of which are used and united in front by means of buckskin and sinew threads. A rough network of the latter material fills up the space between the horn and the cap, and is arranged so as to determine the concavity of the latter. * 7pai in Carrier, tapai in Tsilkoh'tin. + Lit. "head-on (minute objects-i.e. the shells) are-lying." The cap is formed of two rows of dentalium shells attached to a strip of cariboo skin otherwise secured to the above mentioned netting. A narrow band of leather separates the two rows and serves to retain in juxtaposition the shells whose threads are also passed through it at the proper intervals. The train is of human hair and measures three feet in length. Each strand is formed of about a dozen hairs twisted into a two-ply cord. About one foot from the bottom, bunches of perhaps fifty hairs in their natural condition are added to the end of each strand by means of finely shredded sinew. Moreover, on the outside of the upper part of the train, and forming continuation with the two rows of dentalia of the cap are bunches of four shells of the same description from the united small ends of which hang flaps of artificially curled human hair which add not a little to the general effect of the whole. Altogether, this wig must have produced a striking effect. The second (fig. 164) is of less complicated design, but of perhaps more costly material. The front horn-like appendage is replaced by fine strips of ermine skin, and the head-covering part is likewise of dentalium shells, of which there are three rows. These are gathered in bunches of three, which are tied at the small end over heavy three-ply cords of human hair terminating on the outside in flaps of curled hair, as in the previous case. The train is composed of fine three-ply strands of human hair adorned, every three inches or so, with two dentalium shells in successive order. To retain these at the proper intervals, little pieces of wood are inserted between the shell and the strand, or the latter is wrapped over with sinew thread. This train is not so abundant in strands, nor quite so long as that of the preceding wig. These wigs were used in festal dances during which they were decked with swan's down which, owing to the movements of the dancer, produced white undulating clouds intended to add to the picturesqueness of the scene. They were held in such high estimation, that no consideration whatever could have induced their owner to part with them. The reason of this will be readily understood when it is known that they formed an integral part of the hereditary title of the nobleman. This is so true that they shared with him the traditional name which they were intended to honour. Thus wig, fig. 163, is called Kahul after its last possessor, who had himself inherited this name from a long line of ancestors. Therefore parting with them was equivalent to forfeiting one's rank and title. They were handed down from generation to generation, and this explains the air of antiquity and quasi dilapidated condition of those in my possession. |