A Haida Raid on the Tlingit, 1905

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From Haida Texts and Myths by John Reed Swanton, 1905.

A Raid on the Tlingit

[Told by Richard of the Middle-giti'ns]

Qā'ndawas was going to make a potlatch in Masset. She owned ten slaves. And she had eight storehouses in the Kaigani country. She was going to have [her property] brought over from there.

And she owned a copper plate worth ten slaves. She intended to sell it for that price in the Tsimshian country. They offered her nine slaves and an 8-fathom canoe. Thereupon she said that she would not part with it because there were not ten slaves. They then returned. And they came to Raven creek.

And, after they had sailed from there to House-point with a south wind, a strong land breeze came upon them (i.e., a west wind). They were then carried away. And it carried them to the Kaigani country, where some Tlingit were gathering seaweed. Then the Tlingit invited them in. And they got off. After they had given them food they killed them.

The slaves saw then that they killed those who were on shore, and the live who had remained to take care of the canoe put up the sails. And. after they had sailed along for a while, they ran upon a reef and capsized there. The canoe, filled with the property, then sank. It was a 10-fathom canoe.

Thinking of this while we were growing up, we grew up to war with the Tlingit. In the very middle of winter we began to drink medicine, and right from Qa-itg.a'og.ao, where we were fishing for black cod, we went to war in two canoes. We camped for the night at Kwaitg.A'nL. On the following night we camped at La-ut-g.A'nL.as. On the next day we crossed.

And, while it was yet daylight, we came in sight of the rocks along shore. We then waited for night. And, when evening came, we went in to land. At daylight we pulled up the canoes. Then we drank there four buckets of salt water. We were thirsty and ran to the fresh water, and we drank fresh water out of spruce bark sewed together and ran to the sea.

And, keeping a sharp lookout unobserved by them we saw four people going along in a canoe. And, after they were gone, we drew up our canoes again. There I smoked, after which I was dying of thirst. They did not think it well to put fresh water on me then, and they put sea water on me.

After that we went to look for people. We knew that people lived there. Then we saw smoke far up the inlet. And when evening came we started thither. Just before daybreak the canoes came in front of it. There were four houses there. Below was a long stretch of steep shore.

And, when we got off, A'nkustA whipped the peoples’ souls. He then told us to go up to look at the houses. And two persons went to look. Just as they got there a big dog barked at them. And when they came back A'nkustA performed again. He then pretended to tie fast the dog's mouth. And he said: “Now, friends, go to look at the houses again. Now, although he sees you, he will not bark.’’

I then went with two others to look. Only a mat hung in the doorway. I lay down in the doorway. They were snoring in the house. And, having fastened my knife upon my hand, I entered. I found by feeling that there were only women there.

And after we had come to where our people were sitting, I said: “Chiefs that I have for elder brothers, strengthen yourselves.'’ They then divided to enter the house. And they said: “Huk’’ (“Go on"). I let XA'nxaogu'tg.as go ahead, and his younger brother followed me.

And. when we were about to run in, I looked toward the beach [and saw] that, instead of coming after us, they were preparing to shoot. We started away then in disgust. We got into the canoe. There they asked us why we came down. And we almost came to a quarrel.

We then started off. And, when we landed among the driftwood, Gana'-i's canoe came up behind us. They were going to land after us among the driftwood. He said then: “Come, friends; light a fire here for the sockeyes, which are good to eat.” But I scolded them for it, and they got in against their will.

And they remained there still. And after they had talked for a while about parting company with the other canoe, I said: “My father-in-law is a chief. If those who have been in your company kill people and he receives nothing, you will feel sorry for it. Let us go down the inlet after them.”

We then followed them down. After we had gone along for a while Gana'-i's canoe passed out of the inlet around a point. I then said: “Let us paddle after them. Paddle after. Paddle after. They might meet somebody.’'

And, when they had nearly rounded another point, they pulled back. Some time after that guns sounded, and they went ashore. Some Tlingit came then in a big canoe. They stood in lines in the middle. There were a great number of guns in this. We then started out to head them off.

As they paddled away from us they shot at us twice, when something struck me in the head and I lost consciousness. I came, to myself lying in the canoe. By and by, after I grew stronger and had fastened my knife upon my hand, they said to me: “G.A'nx.oat was killed.’' I then looked at him. He was hanging over into the water. And I told them not to let him fall in.

The TIingit then shouted at us. They made a noise on the edges of their canoe: “A'lala a'lala.” Upon this Gā'ala stood up in ours, and he shot the man in the stern, so that he fell into the water. Then we said the same. We, too, said: “A'lala a'lala.” When they shot me two bullets went through the skin of my head.

And, when SkA'ngwai’s father stood up and aimed at the one next to the stern, who was paddling and moving his head as he did so, and shot him, he also fell upon his face in the bailing place. We then again said the same thing. We rapped on the edges of our canoe, saying at the same time: “A'lala.” And, when he shot again, another cried out in it. They stood in lines in the middle of the canoe. Others paddled at the sides. They then bade us cease shooting. They motioned us away with their hands. We did then accordingly. The canoe was so large that the people in it could not be counted.

Then Gana'-i’s canoe went quickly to it. And, when they got close by, a TIingit in the middle stood up with a gun. He pointed at this one and that one among them. Someone in Gana'-i’s canoe speared him with a bone spear that had a short handle. He dropped the gun. The TIingit then quickly sat down. He pulled out the spear. His intestines came out at the same time. He broke it. And, when he started to shove the spear back into the wound, someone in Gana'-i’s canoe jumped in to him, and the people in the canoe stood up.

Then our canoe went thither. And I went to the bow and jumped into it. All had long knives. I fell in the stern. And the one I fell near stabbed me. When he struck my shoulder I felt my insides come together [with pain]. Nevertheless I struck him in the side, and his insides fell upon me. After that another one came toward me from the bow. I stabbed him also in the side. When I struck him again he died.

After that another came at me. When he tried to stab me I dodged him. And when I struck him he grew pale. I told Gā'ala, who came behind me, to kill him. A youth having no knife then made with his hands the motion of surrender, to me from the bow. And I picked him up, and I threw him into our canoe. When another came at me I struck him. It grazed him. He went at once into our canoe. He let himself be enslaved. I made a cut down his back. He was a brave man. People did not pass in front of his town. They were afraid of him. When it was reported that he had let himself be enslaved the TIingit became boneless [with astonishment]. They did not believe it. His name was Yāñ.

After we had fought for a while someone called to me from the middle: “So-and-so’s grandfather, they are too much for me.” I then ran to him. And they had one of our friends in the bottom of the canoe. A TIingit whose knife had dropped from him was moving it toward himself with his feet when I struck him.

And while I was striking one after another someone shouted to me from the stern. A Tlingit was lying upon one of our young' men. And, pushing away his knife, I cut off his head. After that I saw someone who got in out of our canoe and a Tlingit strike each other at the same time. The Tlingit fell upon his breast. Sometime after that he (the Haida) called to me: ‘‘So-and-so’s grandfather, they have broken my arm.’’ I looked at him. There was a wound in his right arm. They shot him from beneath hides lying near. I did not hear the sound of the gun. Neither did he hear it. Those who were with us instead [of helping us] stood near looking on. They were afraid.

After we had fought for a while, and had killed nearly all, I ran to the bow. The many women, who sat in two places, I pushed apart. I passed between them to the bow. Then the one who had concealed himself in the bow rose. When he was about to strike me, I struck him in the side. He at once tried to close with me. I kept striking him. By and by he died.

And in the stern out of Gana'-i’s canoe they struck a certain one. He jumped then into the water and struck the edges of the canoe with his knife. They jumped upon the Tlingit and stabbed him.

And after I had gone about in the bow for a while I looked toward the stern. They were already pulling in slaves. And when I went thither I saw a woman left. She had been shot in one leg. And I did not take her. One that I had struck acted as if he were crazy. Then I jumped into [our canoe], and, when I was about to stab him, he held up his hands to me. I then tied his legs together with a rope, and I tied his hands behind his back.

The property was captured at once. Into Gana'-i’s canoe they took ten severed heads. There were only nine slaves. And after SkA'ngwai's father had brought five heads into ours they found fault. He stopped then. And they took all the property.

In front of the place whence we had been wrangling a whale swam about with its young one. And we shot at the young one. We killed the young one. We took its oil to Port Simpson to trade. There we bought all kinds of stuff. We carried the things away. And, when the canoes were filled with property, some was left behind.

The warriors now got in. And, as they went along, they began to sing war songs. It was hard for me. Two of my younger brothers were killed, and I sang differently from them.

When they were almost out of the inlet someone shouted ‘‘ Ix.ia'+ī, they are pursuing us.” Full canoes were behind us. The canoes wore close together. They were brave in Sg.ā'gia's canoe (the narrator’s). And the people in Gana'-i’s canoe began to paddle away from us. I then stood up and I said: “Chiefs whom I have for fathers-in-law and my sons-in-law’s nephews, do not tell a bad story about us. For that we are out here. That is why they will kill us. Before they destroy us we will destroy a whole canoe load of them.”

After we had paddled away for a while in fright I looked back. Instead of my seeing them they were gone. It was nothing but driftwood, on the top of which sea gulls sat.

Then the people of Gana'-i’s canoe started a fire in a creek where there were many humpbacks. There they roasted humpbacks for us. When we were done eating we went away. We also gave food to the Tlingits.

We then went to Cape Charcon. [We crossed, and], while we were going along together, some one ahead of us shouted: “What warriors are those? ” Then SkA'ngwai’s father said: “These are Sg.ā'gia’s warriors. ” And they came out from their concealment. They had guns with red outsides (i. e., new ones) and two cartridge boxes apiece. No one could touch me [I was so dirty]. I had on a white shirt, and I wore a blanket doubled. Where they ate humpbacks I tied cedar bark round the arm of the man that they shot. And the one shot in the head also returned to life. He told us he would not die for some time yet.

And, when we came round the point, they came down in a crowd opposite us. They had had a Kaisun man living at Masset question us. They gave him the following directions. “If you recognize them ask them ‘Is it you?’ and if you do not know them ask ‘What warriors are those?’” That was the way in which he questioned us. They then called ashore from our canoe a Masset man who was born in the same place with a certain one [of them]. We four stayed then in the canoe. But no one got out of Gana'-i’s canoe.

A man of the Sg.adji'goal lā'nas then stood near them, holding a gun. Two cartridge boxes hung from his side. They said he was a brave man. He said: “Tell me, Pebble-town people,'’ what did the Tlingit do to the people of your family in former times? When the Tlingit formerly beat them every time why do you do this? I could do something to you for your foolishness. You might be shot to pieces.” And, when he aimed his gun, he pointed it at us. His name was StAwa't.

I felt as though I had been struck in the face. He had pointed a short gun at me. I seized then a long one, and I jumped off. I ran to him. I struck him at once with the gun. I struck him in the neck. And when he was about to strike me I got my gun ready for him. “Now, if you strike me. I will shoot you.” Two of my friends who were ashore then struck him with their guns. And Natqā'g.oñ said to him: “This is not the first time [men of his family have done such thing’s],‘and they are also brave. Why don’t you strike back?”

Then someone said to us: “Cease doing it to him. You have struck him more than enough for his talk.” We then stopped, and they took us over to the camping place. A part of our people went round the point. Then GustAmA'lk invited us. And there they pulled in the two canoes. There were a great number there of my father’s nephews, born in the same town with me. They set us then in a line.

And, after he had begun to give us food, the Masset people went down to the canoes in a crowd. And, when they had nearly reached our slaves, I handed my gun to SkA'ngwai's father. I then ran down. I made fast my knife in my hand. I then pushed them away and anchored the canoes outside.

They then began to give us food. And we had on our cartridge boxes. We also kept our guns at our right sides, and we had our knives hanging down in front. At the same time we ate. Then we finished, and they gave us tobacco.

And in the evening those born with me and my father’s nephews gave me tobacco. Besides, they made me an offer for one of my slaves. They offered sixty blankets for him, an unused musket, a whole suit of clothes, two bags of shot, a big canoe, many things of all kinds. I refused them.

We remained awake that night. A part of us slept ashore. I was all covered with blood from fighting. Very early on the next day they started in this direction. And, when we were ready to go, SkA'ngwai's father went after some water. He was gone for a long time. While he was still away, Gana'-i’s canoe started. The wind was in the north. I then left the people directions what to do about him. And we left him.

The Masset people afterward took him in. They landed him at Rose spit. He walked home from there. And on that day, when it was almost evening, we sailed by in front of Skidegate. The Skidegate people came out in a crowd to us. We did not stop. They stood behind us [watching]. We spent that night at Water-hole. The one in our canoe whom they had wounded was still alive.

And we started off from there at night. Then we made a camp fire on the inlet above Tclā'al. From there we started very early to Qa-itg.a'og.ao. At that time we sang a war song.

We then went into Qa-itg.a'og.ao, singing songs of victory. Hu hu hu hu. When we were going up to the houses we landed the slaves. Some of them carried children. After having fought we sang songs of victory for many nights.

Here is all of this story.

John Swanton. Haida Texts and Myths. Government Printing Office. 1905.

John Reed Swanton

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