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Performing Archive

Qagyuhl village at Fort Rupert

This village of Tsahes was founded in 1849, when the tribe abandoned Kalokwis, on Turnour island, in order to be near the Hudson's Bay Company post which was then established at Fort Rupert, on Vancouver island. The heraldic column in the foreground commemorates the legendary history of a Tsimshian family. Its presence in the Kwakiutl settlement is due to the following circumstances: A party of Seattle men, cruising in Alaska, innocently removed a totem pole from what they supposed was an abandoned village, and placed it in a public square of their city. In reality the inhabitants of the Alaskan village were only temporarily absent, and when they returned and learned of the spoliation, there was a many-voiced protest, the echoes of which finally reached even Fort Rupert. Here was living a prominent member of the wronged family, the aged Tsimshian widow of a former employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. In order to wipe out the stain in the family name, she had a local carver produce a totem pole according to her description of the lost one, and cause it to be erected at the house of her eldest son's eldest son.

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Contents of this path:
1. Vanishing race - Navaho
2. White Calf - Piegan Unistai-poka (White Buffalo-calf) died at Washington in 1903. He was then almost eighty years of age, and had been the chief of his tribe for about a generation. In 1855, being then known as Feather, he signed the treaty negotiated by Governor Stevens. As a warrior, White Calf was famous among the tribes, but with the passing of inter tribal warfare he devoted himself to working in peaceful ways for the good of his people. He was remarkable in the breadth of his judgement, and in the readiness with which he recognized, and adapted himself to, the changes which his people were obliged to face when the buffalo vanished. Kindly, benevolent, and gentle of nature, White Calf yet possessed a sturdy determination and independence that bullying and threats could not move. Yet if reasons were advanced which appealed to his judgement, he was quick to acknowledge error and to modify his views - George Bird Grinnell..
3. Lost trail - Apache
4. Qagyuhl village at Fort Rupert This village of Tsahes was founded in 1849, when the tribe abandoned Kalokwis, on Turnour island, in order to be near the Hudson's Bay Company post which was then established at Fort Rupert, on Vancouver island. The heraldic column in the foreground commemorates the legendary history of a Tsimshian family. Its presence in the Kwakiutl settlement is due to the following circumstances: A party of Seattle men, cruising in Alaska, innocently removed a totem pole from what they supposed was an abandoned village, and placed it in a public square of their city. In reality the inhabitants of the Alaskan village were only temporarily absent, and when they returned and learned of the spoliation, there was a many-voiced protest, the echoes of which finally reached even Fort Rupert. Here was living a prominent member of the wronged family, the aged Tsimshian widow of a former employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. In order to wipe out the stain in the family name, she had a local carver produce a totem pole according to her description of the lost one, and cause it to be erected at the house of her eldest son's eldest son.
5. Potter - Santa Clara
6. Qagyuhl village at Fort Rupert This village of Tsahes was founded in 1849, when the tribe abandoned Kalokwis, on Turnour island, in order to be near the Hudson's Bay Company post which was then established at Fort Rupert, on Vancouver island. The heraldic column in the foreground commemorates the legendary history of a Tsimshian family. Its presence in the Kwakiutl settlement is due to the following circumstances: A party of Seattle men, cruising in Alaska, innocently removed a totem pole from what they supposed was an abandoned village, and placed it in a public square of their city. In reality the inhabitants of the Alaskan village were only temporarily absent, and when they returned and learned of the spoliation, there was a many-voiced protest, the echoes of which finally reached even Fort Rupert. Here was living a prominent member of the wronged family, the aged Tsimshian widow of a former employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. In order to wipe out the stain in the family name, she had a local carver produce a totem pole according to her description of the lost one, and cause it to be erected at the house of her eldest son's eldest son.
Contents of this path:
1. Vanishing race - Navaho
2. White Calf - Piegan Unistai-poka (White Buffalo-calf) died at Washington in 1903. He was then almost eighty years of age, and had been the chief of his tribe for about a generation. In 1855, being then known as Feather, he signed the treaty negotiated by Governor Stevens. As a warrior, White Calf was famous among the tribes, but with the passing of inter tribal warfare he devoted himself to working in peaceful ways for the good of his people. He was remarkable in the breadth of his judgement, and in the readiness with which he recognized, and adapted himself to, the changes which his people were obliged to face when the buffalo vanished. Kindly, benevolent, and gentle of nature, White Calf yet possessed a sturdy determination and independence that bullying and threats could not move. Yet if reasons were advanced which appealed to his judgement, he was quick to acknowledge error and to modify his views - George Bird Grinnell..
3. Lost trail - Apache
4. Qagyuhl village at Fort Rupert This village of Tsahes was founded in 1849, when the tribe abandoned Kalokwis, on Turnour island, in order to be near the Hudson's Bay Company post which was then established at Fort Rupert, on Vancouver island. The heraldic column in the foreground commemorates the legendary history of a Tsimshian family. Its presence in the Kwakiutl settlement is due to the following circumstances: A party of Seattle men, cruising in Alaska, innocently removed a totem pole from what they supposed was an abandoned village, and placed it in a public square of their city. In reality the inhabitants of the Alaskan village were only temporarily absent, and when they returned and learned of the spoliation, there was a many-voiced protest, the echoes of which finally reached even Fort Rupert. Here was living a prominent member of the wronged family, the aged Tsimshian widow of a former employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. In order to wipe out the stain in the family name, she had a local carver produce a totem pole according to her description of the lost one, and cause it to be erected at the house of her eldest son's eldest son.
5. Potter - Santa Clara
6. Qagyuhl village at Fort Rupert This village of Tsahes was founded in 1849, when the tribe abandoned Kalokwis, on Turnour island, in order to be near the Hudson's Bay Company post which was then established at Fort Rupert, on Vancouver island. The heraldic column in the foreground commemorates the legendary history of a Tsimshian family. Its presence in the Kwakiutl settlement is due to the following circumstances: A party of Seattle men, cruising in Alaska, innocently removed a totem pole from what they supposed was an abandoned village, and placed it in a public square of their city. In reality the inhabitants of the Alaskan village were only temporarily absent, and when they returned and learned of the spoliation, there was a many-voiced protest, the echoes of which finally reached even Fort Rupert. Here was living a prominent member of the wronged family, the aged Tsimshian widow of a former employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. In order to wipe out the stain in the family name, she had a local carver produce a totem pole according to her description of the lost one, and cause it to be erected at the house of her eldest son's eldest son.
Contents of this path:
1. Qa'hila - Koprino
2. Mowakiu - Tsawatenok
3. In Kwakiutl waters
4. Koskimo house-post
5. Kwakiutl house-frame The two long beams in the middle are twin ridge-timbers, which are supported in the rear, as in the front, by a transverse beam resting on two uprights. At the extreme right and left are the eaves-timbers. The longitudinal and circular flutes of the columns are laboriously produced by means of a small hand-adze of primitive form. This frame is at the village Memkumlis. Another view is given in the illustration facing page 36. Kwakiutl houses are discussed on page 6.
6. Yakotlus - Quatsino, profile
7. Rounding into port - Qagyhl The primitive Kwakiutl sail for canvas was a sheet of cedar-bark matting, and on catamarans a large, square section of thin boards was propped up against the wind. Canvas is now used. The painting on the canoe at the left represents "sisiutl", the mythical double-headed serpent. The carved figure-heads of the middle canoe and the one on the right are respectively an eagle and a bear. The bear canoe is further embellished with highly conventionalized paintings of the head, flipper and tail of a whale.
8. Qagyuhl village at Fort Rupert This village of Tsahes was founded in 1849, when the tribe abandoned Kalokwis, on Turnour island, in order to be near the Hudson's Bay Company post which was then established at Fort Rupert, on Vancouver island. The heraldic column in the foreground commemorates the legendary history of a Tsimshian family. Its presence in the Kwakiutl settlement is due to the following circumstances: A party of Seattle men, cruising in Alaska, innocently removed a totem pole from what they supposed was an abandoned village, and placed it in a public square of their city. In reality the inhabitants of the Alaskan village were only temporarily absent, and when they returned and learned of the spoliation, there was a many-voiced protest, the echoes of which finally reached even Fort Rupert. Here was living a prominent member of the wronged family, the aged Tsimshian widow of a former employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. In order to wipe out the stain in the family name, she had a local carver produce a totem pole according to her description of the lost one, and cause it to be erected at the house of her eldest son's eldest son.
9. A Kwakiutl canoe
Contents of this path: