NONGATL

The Nongatl are almost entirely confined to the drainages of the Van Duzen River and upper Mad River. Their culture is the least known of any group in northwestern California. Merriam evidently did not work in their area although he recorded a few of their words given him by George Burt's wife. George Burt was a Sinkyone, but his wife was born and raised near Bridgeville. Goddard recorded some villages for this group, whose names are given below. Nomland worked with someone from the Nongatl in 1928 (Nomland, 1938, p. 9), but her results have not been published.

The territory of the Nongatl lies, for the most part, east of the main redwood belt. It is therefore no doubt well supplied with oaks, and plant foods are thus readily available. Salmon are abundant in the Van Duzen River (pl. 10, c) and Yager Creek but not in the Mad River in eastern Nongatl territory. In much of their territory then, the subsistence patterns of the Nongatl must have differed from those of most of northwestern California, where fishing was of primary importance.

According to Merriam (1923) the word Nung-kah^hl is "a general or blanket name used by themselves for all the southern Athapaskan tribes, from Iaqua and Yager Creek on the north to the northern border of Round Valley on the south, thus including the Athapaskan Wilakke." In anthropological literature, however, especially in the work of Kroeber and Goddard, this name has come to be used for the group living between Iaqua Buttes and Mad River on the north and Dobbyn Creek on the south. Merriam's name for this group is Kit-tel´. He does not seem to have obtained any information from them although one of his notes mentions the fact that the wife of George Burt, his Lolangkok Sinkyone informant, was a Kit-tel´ woman.

At times Merriam seems to have confused the Nongatl with the Lassik. In his general statement on the Nongatl, which follows, he lists them as Lassik although the area in which he places them marks them as Kit-tel´ or Nongatl.

Las´sik ... Name (from Chief Lassik, now dead) in common use for a Non-ga´h^hl tribe occupying a rather large area, extending from Iaqua Butte in the latitude of the mouth of Eel River, southerly to Dobbyn Creek and to the head of Van Duzen River, and from the eastern boundary of the Lolahnkok of Bull Creek and South Fork Eel River easterly to Mad River and the crest of the long ridge known as South Fork Mountain, and southerly to within about two miles of Ruth on Mad River; to the headwaters of Van Duzen River (but not reaching Kettenshaw Valley), and to Dobbyn Creek on the main Eel; thus including the entire course and drainage area of Larrabee Creek.

There is doubt as to the northern boundary of the so-called Las´sik for the reason that I have not been able to obtain the necessary vocabularies for comparison. Goddard's information points to a division south of the Bridgeville region but I have been told by both the Nek´-kan-ni´ of Bear River and the Lolahnkok of Bull Creek and South Fork Eel that the language is exactly the same from Iaqua Butte southerly and that the languages of the Nek´-kan-ni´ and Lo-lahn-kok do not differ essentially from that of the Larrabee Creek region.

The Indians over whom Chief Lassik held sway had no common tribal name but consisted of a number of bands or subtribes, now mostly or quite extinct, said to have spoken the same or closely allied dialects.

However, since the entire drainage basin of Larrabee Creek is included in their territory, it may be desirable to adopt the term Kos´-ten ke´-ah, by which term the Larrabee Creek band was known to neighbors on the south—the Set-ten-bi´-den ke-ah.

SUBGROUPS

There is evidence of several subgroups among the Nongatl, but it is not known whether these were tribelets or dialect divisions. Essene (1942, pp. 90-92) got information from the Lassik woman Lucy Young indicating that there was a distinct group around Blocksburg, which the Lassik called Kuskatundun, and another group around Bridgeville they called Nai'aitci. This latter group is said to have been a roving band which preyed on all the neighboring peoples.

Goddard's village data indicate six other groups but do not give boundaries. These were as follows.

bÛskotkiya. In the neighborhood of Indian Cr. in the upper part of the drainage of Yager Cr. (map 9).

tcillÛndÛÑ. On the upper reaches of North Yager Cr. (map 9).

bÛstcobikiya. In the vicinity of the junction of North and Middle Yager creeks. The language of this group was said to be the same as that of the tcittelkiya (map 9).

senÛÑka. On upper Larabee Cr. in the vicinity of Blocksburg (pl. 10, e, f). This no doubt is the same as Essene's Kuskatundun, which was the Lassik name for the group (map 10).

tcittelkiya. On the Van Duzen R. above Bridgeville. Appears to be the same name as Merriam's Kit-tel´.

na'aitcikiya. On the Van Duzen above the tcittelkiya group. This name appears on the Goddard map from which map 1 was taken but is not otherwise recorded. This is evidently the same as Essene's Nai'aitci.

kosdÛÑkiya. On the South Fork of the Van Duzen, including Larabee V.

VILLAGES

The Nongatl villages recorded below are all taken from Goddard's unpublished notes (maps 7, 9, 10). This is evidently far from a complete count but it is clear that there were about as many villages in the area covered by these maps as in other parts of the Athabascan area.

bÛskotkiya group (1-7, map 9)

1. In the swag of a large ridge running toward the SSE to the junction of the main components of Indian Cr., perhaps a mile from it. There is one deep pit. There is a flowing creek 200 yds. E.

2. A single pit found by Pete E of a small stream flowing south into Indian Cr. from the lowest place in the ridge at Big Bend of the Mad R. Nearly 1/2 mi. from Indian Cr. W of a hill above which the wagon road passes. This is where Goddard camped in 1906. He hunted all around here without finding other pits.

Map 9. Nongatl villages on Yager Creek.

Map 10. Nongatl villages in the Blocksburg region.

3. k'onÛsebi'. On a point running down SSW toward Indian Cr. There were two pits near the creek and two more 200 ft. up the hill. A few large and small oaks were growing there. Water was to be had a few yards E. Pete saw a house there when he was a boy.

4. W of a small stream flowing into Indian Cr. from the N, and E of a large flat. There was a flat place with dirt thrown out in front of it but with no pit. About 1/8 mi. E on the round end of a ridge was a fairly evident pit and a sekal.

5. About 200 yds. E of the small stream mentioned in no. 4 were a few small pits.

6. One pit was on the W bank of a S-flowing branch of Indian Cr. Small ridges N and S of it form a small basin, giving it protection from the winds. Madrone and black oaks are growing there. It is possible that a depression on the southern ridge is also a house pit.

7. On a small ridge on the E side of the branch of Indian Cr., which flows from the S past Fork Baker ranch buildings. About 1-1/2 mi. north of these buildings Pete found 3 pits. He said there were small streams N and S of the ridge. Goddard did not visit the place but it was pointed out by Pete as W of a big Douglas spruce tree and a large rock. Goddard described it as above.

tcillÛndÛÑ group (8-12, map 9)

8. On the slope N of North Yager Cr. close to the county road and about 100 yds. from the bridge. There are 2 pits close to the wagon road and 1 or 2 a little farther N. The site is 65 ft. higher than the bridge.

9. kactcotcibi', "redwoods..?.. in." On the N side of North Yager Cr. at the W end of a flat of about an acre. There are a few redwoods on the opposite side of the creek. Six pits were found about 100 yds. back from the creek. Pete had heard of the flat but not that Indians lived there. A hunter told Goddard of the Indians being killed there by whites.

10. About 1/4 mi. up a branch which flows into North Yager Cr. from the north. On the W side of the creek on a rounded ridge were 3 pits, 2 of which were very distinct.

11. On a small flat on the N side of Yager Cr. and close to it Pete saw 2 large deep pits. They were about 1/4 mi. downstream from the branch where village 10 was found.

12. tse'dÛttc^lbÛtta'dÛÑ. A half-mile N of North Yager Cr. at the edge of Douglas spruce and tanbark oak timber. Stones used by the Indians were lying near the water and 2 pits were found there. To the W, on the crest of the ridge, there were 5 pits at the S end of the timber. A cabin stands there.

Goddard lists five more sites found in this vicinity on North Yager Creek but they are not named and their locations are indefinite so they will not be given here.

bÛstcobikiya group (13-18, map 9)

13. senindÛscimi. On the W bank of North Yager Cr. 1/4 mi. below a waterfall of the same name. Two pits were located 100 ft. above the creek in brush and timber. On the same side of the creek but 1/4 mi. downstream were 4 more pits, in one of which a sekal lay.

14. nakatodÛÑ. On the E side of North Yager Cr., on a flat now covered with huckleberry brush. Pete found 2 pits here. On the W side of the creek, a little downstream, were 2 more pits. The flat had been badly washed away by freshets.

15. Two pits were found among the redwoods and thick brush at the junction of North and Middle Yager creeks.

16. ist'egabi', "madrones in." Just at the eastern edge of the timber on a point running down toward Middle Yager Cr. were 4 pits.

17. kontcowetcikinnedÛÑ. About 1/4 mi. N of Middle Yager Cr. On a small flat on a hillside, facing SW in open timber above a small stream. There were 7 pits here. Pete had heard that there used to be a village so situated.

18. An overhanging rock on the N side of Middle Yager Cr. shows signs of occupation and there is a pit near by.

senÛÑka group (19-35, map 10)

19. On a little point 200 yds. N of Curless' house. There is one pit. Charlie Taylor's grandmother was born here, according to Curless, who showed the site to Goddard. This was the most northern village of the senÛÑka on Larabee Cr.

20. t'okintcabi'. On the hillside on either side of the stream which crosses the road about a mile S of Curless' place. It is nearly a mile from Larabee Cr. and is close to the timber. The village was in a line of Douglas spruce south of an oat-field. There were 7 large pits on the W side of the stream and 5 on the E side. With one exception these were N of the fence; others may have been filled by plowing.

21. t'okintcabi'. On the E side of Larabee Cr. a good-sized stream flows across the county road by a group of farm buildings. On the E side of the road close to the N side of this stream are from 4 to 6 pits. Douglas spruce and tanbark timber with brush obscured them. On the W side of the road is a large sheep barn. W of this barn are 4 pits, some quite uncertain because the ground has been cleared of large Douglas spruce timber. There is a large plowed flat 1/4 mi. W, near Larabee Cr. Andrew's wife told Pete of such a place where there used to be many Indians.

22. k'Ûcna'aidÛÑ (?). In a swag on the W side of a gulch lined with Douglas spruce and tanbark oak timber with exposure toward the S. There are 5 distinct pits.

23. On a point 200 yds. N of the junction of the two main components of Larabee Cr., W of a small stream. There were 4 pits, only one of which was large. The end of a pestle was lying in this one.

24. On the E side of Larabee Cr., between it and the county road, on the S side of a small stream. There was one pit. The building of the road may have destroyed others.

25. On a large flat N of the junction of the two components of Larabee Cr. and a little to the E. There were 10 pits. There is a cabin and a corral here and many pits may have been filled in.

26. On the hillside N of the eastern component of Larabee Cr. Pete thought there were 3 pits. There had been slides there and Goddard was not sure of them.

27. On the N side of a large branch of Larabee Cr. from the E, 200 yds. N of where it is joined by a stream from the N. The stream from the E is bÛstadÛÑkot. There were 3 pits among the Douglas spruce and black oaks.

28. On the E side of the Eel R. about 3/4 mi. N of the mouth of Coleman Cr. at the edge of timber on a small bench. There were 2 small house pits.

29. On the E side Of the Eel about 300 yds. N of the mouth of Coleman Cr., 75 yds. back from the river and 40 ft. above it. There were 2 large deep pits. The exposure is SW.

30. canaki', "creek tail." On the E side of the Eel R. S of the mouth of Coleman Cr. There were 3 pits close to the creek but high above it on the bank, 2 on a flat 25 yds. S, and 2 more near a dry gulch 200 yds. S of the creek. Near the creek the brakes were so thick that many pits may have been overlooked. This place was mentioned by Charlie in 1908.

31. On the E side of the Eel R. about 500 yds. S of the mouth of Coleman Cr. on a flat close to the S side of a gulch lined with maple and peppernut trees. There were 8 pits here and 7 or 8 more from 50 to 75 yds. S.

32. N of the knoll which is just below the forks of Coleman Cr. There was 1 pit.

33. On the E side of the Eel R. about 300 yds. N of the mouth of Mill Cr. on a brushy point. There were 5 pits.

34. On the E side of the Eel R. N of the mouth of Mill Cr. just S of a big rock. There were 2 pits.

35. nadaitcÛÑ. This name was supplied by Charlie in 1908 as belonging to the village at the mouth of a large creek on the E side of the Eel R. above Coleman Cr.

SINKYONE

The Sinkyone occupied the territory on the west side of the South Fork of the Eel from Scotia south to Hollow Tree Creek. From the Mattole boundary at Spanish Flat south to the Coast Yuki line at Usal Creek they held the coast.

We have more ethnographic information about the Sinkyone than about most of the Athabascan groups. Merriam's material and Goddard's data combined provide a virtually complete village list for the northern, or Lolangkok, Sinkyone and a few villages for the southern, or Shelter Cove, Sinkyone. Kroeber's Handbook (1925a, pp. 145-150) gives a fair amount of general ethnography and this is well augmented by Nomland's paper (Nomland, 1935).

Sinkyone territory is in the redwood coastal zone and this location no doubt reduced somewhat the supply of vegetal food. The Sinkyone were, however, well supplied with fish products by the Eel River, which not only had an excellent salmon run but also provided quantities of lamprey eel.

On the basis of Merriam's linguistic evidence the Sinkyone have been divided into a northern group, called Lolangkok after the native name for Bull Creek, and a southern group, called Shelter Cove after a sheltered spot on the coast midway between the Mattole and Yuki boundaries. This division is rendered somewhat questionable by the unreliability of Sally Bell, Merriam's Shelter Cove Sinkyone informant. It is doubtful, however, whether Sally Bell's linguistic information could be falsified. In any case, the separation is partly verified by Goddard's data and I have therefore accepted it.

The Merriam notes contain a comparatively large amount of material on the Lolangkok Sinkyone. The following general statement on that group is taken verbatim from that source.

The Lo-lahn´-kok. Information is from George Burt, a member of the tribe, who was raised on Bull Creek at the rancheria called Kahs-cho´-chin-net´-tah about seven miles upstream from Dyerville, at a place now known as Schoolhouse Flat, and who now lives near Fortuna (1922).

The territory of the Lo-lahn´-kok began on the north at Shively and covered a narrow strip on the east side of the main Eel River to Dyerville, and a much broader area on the west side, and continued southerly on the west side of South Fork Eel River nearly to Garberville. On the west it not only covered the South Fork drainage, but continued over Elk Ridge to the head waters of Upper Mattole River.

The southern boundary ran a little north of Ettersburg, Briceland, and Garberville.

Informant states that on the east side of South Fork Eel River their territory included only the immediate river valley.

Merriam's informant from the Southern Sinkyone was Sally Bell. She had evidently lived at Briceland for more than thirty years when she was interviewed in 1923. Nomland (1935, p. 149) says of her that she was "born Needle Rock; reared from childhood by white settlers, married Coast Yuki, Tom Bell; blind, senile, sees spirits in rafters, etc." (See fig. 1, d.) This group Merriam describes only in a brief general statement, summarized as follows.

To´-cho´-be ke´ah is their own name and the Lolahnkok name for the tribe (and village) in the Briceland region (between the South Fork of the Eel and the coast). It is used also in a larger sense for all bands speaking the same dialect from the west side of the South Fork of the Eel River (in the Garberville region) to the coast. The Set´tenbi´den [Lassik] call this group Yis-sing´-kun-ne. The name of the group is pronounced To-cho´-be ke´ah by the Lolahn´kok and Taw-chaw´-be-ke´ah by themselves.

TRIBELETS

None of the tribelets of the Sinkyone is described or located specifically enough to permit the drawing of boundaries. Hence they are merely listed here, with available location data. Nomland (1935, p. 151) says: "Two informants always gave names of land areas in place of village names." These names are no doubt those of tribelets.

chi-chin-kah ke-ah (Merriam). This is the name for the tribelet between the upper waters of Bull Cr. and Elk Ridge. Nomland gives the name chacingu´k for the group in the ridge N of Briceland, which is evidently Elk Ridge.

yese'kuk (Nomland). This is given as the Mattole R. area, possibly a tribelet designation.

The two tribelets listed above are the only ones noted in the area of the Bull Creek or Lolangkok Sinkyone. The following, all from Merriam except where noted, are in the area of the Shelter Cove Sinkyone.

to-cho-be ke-ah (taw-chaw-be keah). Name for the tribelet and village in the Briceland region between the South Fork of the Eel and the coast. Used in the larger sense for all the tribelets from Briceland south to Usal Cr. totro'be (Nomland, 1935). This was the name of the Briceland area.

nahs-lin-che-ke-ah. This was the name of the tribelet on South Fork S of Garberville. senke'kut (Nomland). This is given as the area "to the South Fork from Garberville."

tahng-ah-ting keah. This was the Bull Creek Sinkyone name for the Shelter Cove and Point Delgada tribelet. They were called tahng-i-keah by themselves and by the Briceland Sinkyone. Kroeber (1925, p. 145) gives tangating as the place name for Shelter Cove.

Usal (Yosawl). This is the southernmost tribelet of the Briceland Sinkyone, said to extend from Usal Cr. to Shelter Cove. According to Kroeber (1925, p. 145) "This word seems to be from Pomo Yoshol, denoting either the Coast Yuki or the Mankya, both of whom are north of the Pomo; but yo is 'south' and shol 'eastward' in that language."

The following names are given by Nomland for Sinkyone areas. They do not correspond to Merriam's tribelets and are probably just place names.

VILLAGES

Most of the Sinkyone villages given here are taken from Goddard's notes. A few are also given by Merriam. In the list the source is indicated by (G) for Goddard, (M) for Merriam. Merriam's notes contain, besides the village names, a list of place names on the Eel and on South Fork, running from Scotia to south of Garberville (see pp. 191-193, map 13). In areas where Merriam's material can be compared with Goddard's these place names nearly all turn out to be village names. It seems likely therefore that, in other areas also, nearly all are village names. In calculating population (see p. 216), I have occasionally used these to augment the village count.

Lolangkok Sinkyone villages on the main Eel (map 11).—Of the following villages, the two north of the mouth of South Fork are from Merriam's notes, for which George Burt was the informant. Merriam also gives several place names for the area below the mouth of South Fork, and it seems probable that most, if not all, of these were actually villages rather than mere landmarks; this was certainly so farther south on South Fork.

Above the mouth of South Fork the villages are from Goddard's notes; the informant was Charlie and the information was gathered in 1903 and 1908. It is possible that these villages are not Sinkyone. However, there is no specific evidence for attributing this region to the Nongatl and it is known that Charlie was a Lolangkok Sinkyone, so I have placed them in this latter group. Goddard has given the section, township, and range locations as he did for the preceding villages. These have been helpful in locating the sites, but I have omitted his notations because they are no longer accurate; the maps have been changed since the time of Goddard's original work.

1. lah-sa-se´-te (M). At Shively on the main Eel R.

2. kah´-li-cho´-be, "growing flat" (M). At a place now called Englewood, a small settlement 9 mi. E of Scotia bridge. The name is said to refer to things growing up there.

3. seÛstcelindÛÑ (G). On the S bank of the main Eel not far downstream from Dyerville.

4. tonesdadÛÑ (G). On the NE bank of the Eel directly across from seÛstcelindÛÑ.

5. tetcinne (G). On the E side of the Eel upstream from tonesdadÛÑ. A big rock, pointing downstream, is said to project into the river there.

6. tÛggÛstco dasaÑke (G). On the E side of the Eel S of tetcinne. A large rancheria in an open place.

7. naltcÛÑka (G). On the W side of Eel R. S of tÛggÛstco dasaÑke. There is a big slide there. It is below Camp Grant on the S side, according to Charlie, 1903.

nahl-tsin´-kah (M). Camp Grant.

8. toltciÑyasta' (G). On the E side of the Eel about 1 mi. above naltcÛÑka. A large rock stands back of the village site.

9. tadÛttci' (G). On the E side of the Eel not far above toltciÑyasta', at the mouth of a large creek in which salmon run (tadakok, Thompson Cr.?). Above Camp Grant.

10. tcillÛÑdÛÑ (G). On the E side of the Eel 1/4 mi. above tadÛttci'. An open place without a creek. (Given as kilÛndÛÑkia by Charlie in 1903.)

11. ne'gakak, "moss"? (G). On the W side of the Eel opposite tcillÛÑdÛÑ.

12. ne'tcinkok (G). At the mouth of a creek on the W side of the Eel some way above ne'gakak.

13. gactcobi', "redwoods in" (G). In a large open flat among the redwoods on the E side of the Eel above ne'tcinkok. Given by Charlie in 1903 as kÛctcobekia on the S side.

14. On the E side of the Eel just S of a creek which flows down a steep rough bed on a rather high bench are 4 pits. The ground is black with refuse and cooking stones lie about. The river enters a canyon N of this creek. A round timbered butte is close to the mouth of the creek on the N. A great timbered butte seems to occupy the E bank of the river for several miles.

15. seda'dÛn, "rock mouth place" (G). On the E side (W also?), where the river flows out between rocks. A small creek is there. About 2 mi. above gactcobi'.

Lolangkok Sinkyone villages on South Fork (map 11).—

16. ltcÛnta'dÛÑ (G). Said to have been on the W side of South Fork and the S side of the Eel R., where the store and saloon of Dyerville now stand.

chin-tah´-tah (M). The flat occupied by Dyerville; this is no doubt the same as the name given by Goddard.

17. kahs-cho´-chin-net´-tah (M). A large village on Bull Cr. about 7 mi. upstream from Dyerville. The place is now known as Schoolhouse Flat.

18. lolÛÑki' (G). On the S bank of Bull Cr. at its mouth, in large redwood timber. There were 10 pits along the bank of South Fork and the pit of a yitco', 8 paces across, about 200 yds. W of the mouth of Bull Cr. A large redwood, hollowed by fire, had fallen, the floor being 4 ft. below the ground. Charlie remembered seeing Indians living in it. Charlie thought there used to be three or four houses on the S side of the creek, but we found no evidence of them. Three men were once killed here by whites, and a woman was shot through the hips; she lay here a day or two and died. One of the white men, named Steve, cut a piece from the arm of one of the Indians, built a fire, cooked it, and ate it. The best man of the Indians escaped.

lo-lahn´-kok (M). Bull Cr. Merriam does not mention a village at its mouth.

19. lolÛÑkok yibaÑ (G). On the E bank of South Fork opposite and N of the mouth of Bull Cr. Two pits were seen directly across from Bull Cr. and 2 about 100 yds. downstream. They are in heavy redwood timber, but receive a good deal of sun because they are close to the river, which flows NW at this point.

20. sosnoibÛndÛÑ (G). On the E bank of South Fork about a mile S of the mouth of Bull Cr. Five pits were counted in small redwood timber, where there is a spring which supplied the village. There used to be a yitco' here, in which Charlie remembered dancing when he was a small boy.

21. nÛnsÛntcotci', "butte large mouth" (G). On both sides of the mouth of Brush Cr. (Canoe Cr.) in large redwood timber. On the N side are 6 pits, 5 of them in a row back about 30 yds. There are seven pits on the S side of the creek, some of them much plainer than others. The father of Albert's wife, Sally, came from this village.

nahn´-sin-cho´-ke (M). See Place Names.

22. sedjocbi' (G). On the E bank of South Fork, which flows toward the W at this point. A stream from the E (Feese Cr.) flows in a little above the village. There are many tanbark oaks growing near by, which Charlie suggested were the reason for the village's being located here. Seven pits could be distinguished; the clearing away of timber may have obscured some others. The name setcosdiÑ was also given by Charlie. Tcos means vagina, "what woman has."

sa-chos-te (M). See Place Names.

23. gÛtta'bÛndÛÑ, named from a deep hole in the stream (G). On the W side of South Fork, where it flows toward the NE just below Myer's. The site has been completely washed away. Charlie's father belonged here and Charlie lived here when a boy. Jack, Charlie's half-brother, was born at this village. There used to be a yitco' and a large hollow tree in which a family used to spend the winter.

kah-tah´-be (M). See Place Names.

24. tantaÑaiki' bÛndÛÑ (G). On the E side of South Fork. A creek, along which are many tanbark oaks, flows into South Fork on the opposite side and a little above. The name of the creek is tantaÑaikok (Coon Cr.). The site is just below a garden. The place was so grown up with brakes it was impossible to count the pits.

25. todÛnni', "water sings" (G). On the NW corner of Myer's Flat on the right bank of South Fork, where it completes its course toward the W and turns toward the NE. The site has been washed away. There used to be large peppernut trees growing there. A few are still left. The name of Myer's Flat is kÛnteltcobi. It is also mentioned as kontelkyobi.

ken´-tes-cho´-be (M). See Place Names.

26. sestcicbandÛÑ (G). On the right bank of South Fork on a narrow bench between the hill and that stream. There is an eddy in the river just above, which furnished good fishing, and many oaks are on the hills. The site received plenty of sun because the river flows W at this point. Four pits were seen. Also given as sÛstcicbi, "rough like a rasp."

ses-che´-is-ke (M). See Place Names.

27. sebÛggÛnna', "rock around" (G). On the right side and close to South Fork just downstream from a rocky point around which the river changes its direction from S to NW. Fourteen or fifteen pits could be distinguished, most of them quite distinct.

sa-bug´-gah-nah´ (M). See Place Names.

28. sekontcobandÛÑ (G). On the left side of South Fork nearly opposite sebÛggÛnna'. The sandy bench is covered with brakes. Five pits were made out. Charlie lived here for four years after he came back from the reservation. Also mentioned as taÑaibi.

29. soldekok bÛkki'duÑ (G). On a small flat covered with large redwood timber on the N side of South Fork and on the W side of Elk Creek (soldekok), which flows into it from the N. Seven pits were counted along the banks of the river and the creek.

sol´-te-che (M). See Place Names.

30. senteltcelindÛÑ, "rock flat flows out place" (G). Close to the W bank of South Fork near a deep fishing place. There are three pits between the county road and the river. Also called sentelduÑ.

sen-te?^ch-be (M). See Place Names.

31. ca'naki', "creek trail" (G). On the W bank of South Fork 100 yds. N of the mouth of Salmon Cr., in large redwoods. The river has washed the soil away so no evidence of occupation remains. Willow brush is now growing there. Also called natonankok bÛttci'dÛÑ.

sah-nah´-kok (M). Name for Salmon Cr. See Place Names.

32. tcistcibi' (G). On the E bank of South Fork opposite the mouth of Salmon Cr. It is on the end of a ridge. Charlie had a ne'yik' here after returning from the reservation (village site not visited). This village was mentioned by Sam as his birthplace. His mother may have been from here. Also referred to by Charlie as canaki' and tcÛstcekook.

33. nant'o' (G). On the N side of Salmon Cr. in a bend. Large redwoods fill the valley of the creek as well as the particular site of this village. Five deep, distinct pits were seen. There are said to be one or two on the south side of the creek.

34. kontelbi, "flat in" (G). On a large flat, through which Salmon Cr. flows. The village was on the N side of the creek near where Tomlinson's barn now stands. There is a spring there near a pepperwood tree. This flat is now in peach orchard.

35. kaslintco'dÛÑ, "riffle large place" (G). On the N side of Salmon Cr. about 400 yds. upstream from kontelbi'.

36. setcinnabatse tcelindÛn (G). On the N side of Salmon Cr. in a basin-like flat. Four pits were seen near the creek and 4 in a row back about 50 yds. against the base of the hill. There were 2 more pits in front of the last 4, making 10 in all. There is heavy Douglas spruce and tanbark oak timber on the southern side of the creek. About 200 yds. upstream is a waterfall, which provided fine fishing, since large salmon could not jump the falls.

37. bandÛÑ (G). On the end of a ridge, W of a small run lined with peppernut trees. About 200 yds. NE of seltcindÛÑ. There were 5 pits, 2 of which were very large.

38. setcinnabatse (G). On a flattened end of the ridge E of seltcindÛÑ, 300 yds. S and a little W of it. Two pits were certain.

39. seltcindÛÑ (G). On the E side of a gulch, in which there was flowing water in July, about 300 yds. N of Salmon Cr. There were 4 or 5 pits. The ground is strewn with black stones.

40. tcebanedÛÑ (G). On the flattened portion of a ridge, with southern exposure. Black oaks and buckeyes are growing there. Seven pits were to be seen with black stones lying in them. Great broken rocks lie in a gulch to the west. About 350 yds. NNW of seltcindÛÑ.

41. setco'seye (G). A large rock, with the overhanging side facing SE. A rim of earth showed where the house wall used to be on the W. The E was left open. About 1/4 mi. W of the falls of Salmon Cr.

42. tolelindÛÑ, "water flows together place" (G). On the flat W of Salmon Cr. and W of a large creek flowing into it from the S (South Fork Salmon Cr.). Four pits are close to the bank of Salmon Cr. and a fifth was partly caved in. One was seen on the lower part of the flat to the S.

43. nesdai'dÛÑ (G). Said to be on a side hill.

44. tolelindÛÑ, "water comes together place" (G). Said to be where three creeks join, forming the South Fork of Salmon Cr., about 5 mi. from its mouth. Distinguished from the village at the mouth of the same creek by being called "small."

45. sesosye' (G). At the end of a ridge running down to Salmon Cr. from the E. So close to the bank of the stream that one pit has been undermined. Four remain. About 1/2 mi. NW of tolelindÛÑ.

46. ne'kaÑki' (G). In the saucer-shaped end of a ridge, close to the E bank of Salmon Cr. and facing a little S of W. Opposite, a large creek, called ne'kaÑkok, flows in from the W. There are 9 pits, which may still be seen. Five of them, situated close to the base of the hill, are very large and deep. Black oaks grow there.

47. ne'ilgaldÛÑ, "land shinny-playing place" (G). On a flat close to the E side of Salmon Cr., which swings around it. A gulch heads in the cedar grove N of the Hunter ranch buildings. Twelve or 13 pits were counted, 5 of which were quite distinct.

48. seistci' (G). About 1/2 mi. E of Salmon Cr. on the flattened southern slope of a ridge about 100 yds. from its crest. There are 8 pits in a row and 1 other, not in line with them. There is a gulch 100 ft. S of the row of pits. Cedars, black oaks, and buckeyes grow there. A small pond of water is E of the site.

49. mÛÑkkasaikok (G). On the W side of a branch of Salmon Cr. which flows from the N about 1/2 mi. W of the Burnell ranch house. Two pits are close to the stream and 4 or 5 are 10 or 15 ft. higher. The higher ones have good sun in the winter. The trail crosses the creek at this place.

50. setc'ÛntodÛÑ (G). On the W side of the South Fork of the Eel about 1/4 mi. above the mouth of Butte Cr. (nÛnsÛnkok), which provided desirable fishing. A large rock stands there close to the river. There are said to have been four houses. This site was not visited. It was mentioned by Charlie as sesuÑto; he said it was the most southerly village of his people. Sam called it senÛnsimkÛk and said it belonged in Charlie's territory.

The first name given by Goddard is evidently related to Merriam's sa´-chen-to´-te, "water against rock," which was said to be a place in the river near Goddard's setc'ÛntodÛÑ. See Place Names.

Shelter Cove Sinkyone villages (map 12).—The following list of villages comes almost entirely from Goddard's notes (G); relevant comments by Merriam are noted (M). Goddard's informants were Sam, Albert, and Charlie, of whom the first two were Shelter Cove Sinkyone, the last Lolangkok Sinkyone.

1. ke'kestci' (G). Close to South Fork on the E side about 1/8 mi. S of the mouth of Fish Cr. (kekekok). A large house with a garden is just below. A deep place in the river provided fishing, in addition to the creek. Three pits and a grinding stone were found. Plowing had probably filled in other pits. The first store of Phillipsville stood here. According to Sam (1903), this was the most northern village of his people.

ka?-kes´-kok (M). Fish Cr.

2. kÛtdÛntelbi', "flat in" (G). At the NW part of the Phillipsville flat. It is said to have been a large village. There is fishing in an eddy just upstream. The site has been washed away and therefore was not visited.

ket´-tin-tel´-be (M). At a place called Phillipsville, 18 mi. S of Dyerville. The site is in an orchard on a ranch and has a fine redwood grove and a good camping place.

3. sebiye, "at base of rock" (G). On the E side of South Fork at the upper end of the Phillipsville flat. The site has been plowed and was in fruit and garden when visited. One pit could still be seen. The river flows nearly W, hence the village has southern sun. Large redwoods occupy the left bank of the stream. A deep place here provided fishing.

sa?-be-ye?´ (M). The flat on the E side of South Fork, S of Phillipsville. See Place Names.

4. tcingÛlgeldÛÑ (name of a tree) (G). On the right bank of South Fork just below a turn to the E. Between the road and the river two pits were seen. There is a schoolhouse on the E side of the road. Many eels were caught near this village.

chig-gel´-e-yes´-ke (M). A place 1.9 mi. S of Phillipsville. See Place Names.

5. daltcimmÛndÛÑ (G). On the right (S) bank of South Fork, where it flows W around a long ridge sloping down from the E. Seven pits were counted between the county road and the river, which may have carried others away. A large creek, seyekok (Rocky Glen Cr.), empties N of this place. This village was mentioned as t'altcimmÛndÛÑ by Albert in 1907.

Map 12. Villages of the Shelter Cove Sinkyone.

se?-tes´-kok (M). Rocky Glen Cr. See Place Names.

6. tca'lÛÑki' (G). On the E bank of South Fork. A small stream flows down from the E. Three pits were found on the N side of it and two on the S side. The place had been plowed. Charlie said there used to be many houses there. This village was given by Albert as tca'lÛntci.

7. dalkaikok (G). On a flat 50 yds. E of the county bridge across Buhne Cr. (now called Dean Cr.), along both sides of the stream. Seven pits were found on the S side of the creek and two on the N side. The road and plowed fields may have reduced the number. This village was mentioned by Sam in 1903 as a settlement of his people.

tahs-ki´-ke (M). Merriam attributes this village to the to-kub´-be people, who ranged E from here.

8. dalkaiki' (G). On the W side of South Fork, opposite the mouth of Dean Cr. Albert said there used to be a village there.

This is evidently the village Merriam refers to in the paragraph above on village 7.

9. ltÛgganobi' (G). On a flat on the E side of South Fork about 1/4 mi. above the mouth of Redwood Cr. Goddard noted that the place had a favorable location, but did not find the pits. Albert said there used to be a village there.

stuk´-kan-no´-be (M). Name for the flat at this place. See Place Names.

10. kosciki (G). A short way below Garberville, according to Sam (1903). Charlie said it was named kossetci' or kosetci' and that it was just below Garberville on the E side of the river. There used to be a store there.

11. sebiyedadÛÑ, "rocks under..?... place" (G). A village at Garberville.

12. kÛnteltcobi', "flat large in" (G). On a flat above Garberville.

ken-tes´-che tahng-ah´-te (M). A beautiful deep valley on South Fork just SW of Garberville.

13. Usal (not necessarily the native name). Not mentioned by Goddard, Merriam, or Nomland, but Gifford (1939, p. 304) says that both Coast Yuki and Sinkyone were spoken here (pl. 11, d).

Following are a number of Shelter Cove Sinkyone villages which I have not been able to locate precisely.

kahs´-cho-so´-be (M). A village of the Briceland Sinkyone on South Fork about 4 mi. S of Garberville and not in sight from the present highway. It may not actually be one of the Briceland Sinkyone villages.

kaicaÑkÛk (G). On a ridge below Garberville. Information from Sam, 1903.

ltcikÛk (G). On a ridge below seyadÛÑ on South Fork. Information from Sam, 1903.

tokÛbbi (G). On a ridge above Garberville. Information from Sam, 1903. seya(e)dÛÑ (G). On a ridge on the E side of South Fork, probably below Garberville.

PLACE NAMES

The first list of place names below was taken by Merriam from George Burt in 1923. (See map 13.) It starts at Scotia, runs upstream to the confluence of the Eel and South Fork, and then runs up South Fork as far as Garberville. Many of the places indicated cannot be located from maps and it would even be difficult to identify them on the spot. Merriam seems to have driven by auto from Scotia to Garberville, marking locations in tenths of miles.

tah´-cho. Main Eel R.

hah´-tin cho´-be. A stretch of land on the S side of the main Eel extending from Scotia Bridge E at least to Brown's Mill, and S from the river to the top of the ridge.

kahn-so´-ti-ye?´, "under maple trees." A big loop of the river 2 mi. E from Scotia Bridge.

hah´-ting-kok. Jordan Cr., 2.2 mi. E of Scotia Bridge.

hah´-tin cho´-be. The prairie on top of the ridge S of Jordan Cr. An old Indian trail goes up there. [Harrow Prairie. Merriam gives the same name for the prairie and the stretch of land above. The stretch of land is probably a village named for the prairie.]

ahn´-sin ken-tes´-be, "Pepperwood Flat." A flat on the S side of the Eel, 3 mi. E of Scotia Bridge. [Pepperwood.]

lah´-sa tal´-kok, "Buckeye Creek." Bear Cr., nearly 6 mi. E of Scotia Bridge. "Used to be lots of salmon there."

lah-sa-se´-te. The present town of Shively.

bis´-kahl chum´-me. A bluff on Eel R. where the river makes a loop to the S. About 6.3 mi. from Scotia Bridge.

sa-tahs´ cha-lin´-te. An extensive gravel flat on the N side of the Eel in the curve of a big loop in the river, 6.5 mi. from Scotia Bridge.

sa-tahs´-be. A bluff on the N side of the Eel at the railroad tunnel 6-3/4 or 7 mi. E from Scotia Bridge. Said to be a rough place.

ahn-sin´-tah´-be, "Pepperwood Flat." A flat on the S side of the river 7.5 mi. E from Scotia Bridge. Place now called Pepperwood.

ahn-sin-tah´-kok, "Pepperwood Creek." A small creek closely followed by the highway, about 7.5 to 8 mi. E from Scotia Bridge. [Evidently Chadd Cr.]

kahs-tes´-be. Holmes' lumber camp, on S side of Eel about 7.5 mi. E of Scotia Bridge.

slahn´-ko. Larabee Creek, entering the Eel from the E.

kah´-li-cho´-be, "growing flat." At a place called Englewood, a small settlement 9 mi. E of Scotia Bridge and continuing to Englewood Roadhouse at 9.8 mi. The name is said to refer to things "growing up" there.

tan´-kos tah´-te (tan´-kos means Equisitum). A long ford 10.5 mi. E of Scotia Bridge. It is a long gravel bar on the N side of the river. It is named for the abundance of Horsetail (Equisitum) found there.

sa´ cho´-te (sa means "rock"). A big rock projecting into the river from the S side, 11.5 mi. from Scotia Bridge. [It appears to be what is now called High Rock.]

sa-tah´-ting. A redwood forest and flat near the rock sa cho-te and named for that rock.

chin-tah´-tah. An extensive flat on the S side of the Eel from the mouth of South Fork W, including Dyerville, 13 mi. from Scotia Bridge.

tsa?-vel´-be. An area on the S side of the Eel immediately W of and adjoining chin-tah´-tah.

lel´-lin teg´-o-be. The junction of South Fork with the main Eel R.

sin´-ke-kok. The South Fork of the Eel R.

tah´-tung-i´-kut. South Fork railroad station.

nahl-tsin´-kah (nahl-tsuk´-kah). Old Camp Grant.

·hles-yah´-kah (les-yah´-kah). Fruitland in Elk Prairie.

sa-tah´-be. Eel Rock, about 12 mi. up the Eel from its junction with South Fork.

tah´-cho. The main Eel R.

nah-tah´-ting i-ka. Dyerville Redwood Flat in the point between the main Eel and South Fork. The name means "pointed out," a descriptive term suggested by the geographical feature.

lo-lahn´-kok. Bull Cr.

kahs-cho´ chi-net´-tah. Schoolhouse Flat, 7 mi. up Bull Cr.

sa´-es-cha-lin´-te, "rock run out." On the E side of South Fork 1/2 or 3/4 mi. S of Dyerville.

sit´-se-tahl´-ko. A small creek on the W side of South Fork about 1/2 mi. S of Bull Cr. [Evidently Decker Cr.]

sa´-es´-kuk, "on top rock." A hill on the E side of South Fork 0.9 mi. S of Dyerville.

lah´-sa-cho´-te. A straight shoot of South Fork beginning at sa´-es´-kuk Hill 0.9 mi. S of Dyerville. Lots of eels there in the spring.

to-be´-ah. Schelling Camp Flat (lumber camp, garden, and orchard) on the E side of South Fork beginning 2.2 mi. and extending about 1/2 mi. to the S. [Evidently this is the present town of Weott.]

Map 13. Place names of the Lolangkok Sinkyone.

nahn´-sin-cho´-ke. The big hill to be seen on the E side of South Fork 3 mi. S of Dyerville.

sa-chos-te (sa-cho-sta?), "vulva rock." A long gravel bar along both sides of the river and including a redwood flat 4 mi. S of Dyerville. Named for a mark on a rock resembling a woman's vulva, cho´-sa.

che-os-cho´-te. A stretch of river 4.75 mi. S of Dyerville, including a small but good redwood flat. The name refers to foam on the water.

sa´-boo-i-chan´-te. A big perforated rock in the river at a sharp bend 5.1 mi. S of Dyerville.

kah-tah´-be. A stretch along both sides of the river 7.5 mi. S of Dyerville. It includes the State Redwood Park office building and adjacent redwoods.

ken´-tes-cho´-be. Myers Flat, a little over 8 mi. S of Dyerville, including Myers Roadhouse. The Indians say this place was never covered with timber.

ses-che´-is-ke. A place 8.7 mi. S of Dyerville, above ken-tes-cho-be.

sa-bug´-gah-nah´. A place 9 mi. S of Dyerville where the river goes around rocks. [Evidently Eagle Pt.] George Burt once lived here and his son Guy Burt was born here.

tub´-bel-chin´-tah cha-gel-kok. A small creek 10 mi. S of Dyerville, entering South Fork from the E just S of a bend in the river. [Evidently Bridge Cr.]

sol´-te-che. A place at the mouth of Elk Cr., on the E side of South Fork. Includes the eastern part of Bolling Grove.

sol-te-kok. Elk Creek, entering South Fork from the E in Bolling Grove, 10.3 mi. S of Dyerville.

sen-te?^ch-be. A rock in the river at a small bend 11.2 mi. S of Dyerville.

ni´-te´-te? el-lah´-te?, "dog drowned" ... A place where a new bridge is now (1923) being built across South Fork, 12 mi. S of Dyerville. [Evidently this refers to the bridge at Blair Grove.]

suk´-ke-chos kah´-me, "eagle pawn." A big flat on the W side of the river 12.5 mi. S of Dyerville.

chah´-ni-che´. Another large flat on the W side of the river, 13.5 mi. from Dyerville.

sah-nah´-kok. Salmon Cr., entering South Fork from the W nearly opposite Miranda.

kahs´-cho-boo´-ah´-me. This was a small settlement in a flat at Miranda, 14.5 mi. S of Dyerville.

sa-nan-sung´ (·sa-nan-tsin´-kah). Bear Butte, a conspicuous peak on the W side of South Fork, about 18 mi. S of Dyerville.

sa´-chen-to´-te, "water against rock." A place in the river 16 mi. S of Dyerville.

ka?-kes´-kok (ke?-kes´-kok). Fish Cr., 16.9 mi. S of Dyerville.

kin´-tes-tah´-te. A big flat, probably a mile long and very broad, on the W side of the river, 17.5 mi. S of Dyerville. Just N of Phillipsville but on the opposite side of the river.

ket´-tin-tel´-be. A flat (now orchard and ranch) and village on the E side of South Fork, 18 mi. S of Dyerville, at a place now called Phillipsville. It comprises a fine redwood grove and a good camping place.

sa?-be-ye?´. A flat on the E side of the river 0.7 mi. S of Phillipsville.

A mile south of Phillipsville there is a good view of Garberville Ridge, se?-chung´-kuk, a fine ridge, part timbered and part open grassy hillside, which slopes west from Little Buck Mountain, na-ah-ki´-kah, the highest point, some distance back on the east.

to-be-ye?, "prairie under." A small flat on the W side of the river 1 mi. S of Phillipsville.

yen-nes´-be. A place 1.6 mi. S of Phillipsville.

chig-gel´-e-yes´-ke. A place 1.9 mi. S of Phillipsville.

se?´-chin-kok´. A small stream probably 1.2 mi. S of Phillipsville. A possibility of error here. If the location is correct, the stream is probably Ohman Cr.

se?^hl-ki´-kok. A creek 2.1 mi. S of Phillipsville. The preceding location is probably an error and this is Ohman Cr.

se?-ki´-ke. The land S of se?^hl-ki´-kok Creek, reaching to 2.5 mi. S of Phillipsville.

se?-tes´-kok, "hard rock creek." Rocky Glen Cr., 2.5 mi. S of Phillipsville.

ki-tes´-be, "hard brush." A place 2.9 mi. S of Phillipsville. There is a small ranch and orchard there now (1923).

chan-tan-che´. A place a little more than 3 mi. S of Phillipsville. There are two big rocks and a creek there.

se?-to´-be. A big rock facing a high bluff 4.3 mi. S of Phillipsville.

sa-ken-nes´, "talking rock." A big rock on a creek on the W side of the river, 5.6 mi. S of Phillipsville.

tuk´-ke-tahk. A beautiful open and partly wooded hill on the W side of the river 6 mi. S of Phillipsville.

tuk´-a?-tah´-be. A place on the E side of the river 6 mi. S of Phillipsville. Named from tuk´-ke-tahk hill.

tahs-ki´-kok, "white flag creek." Dean Canyon Cr., 6.4 mi. S of Phillipsville.

tahs-ki´-ke. Village at the mouth of tahs-ki´-kok creek. It belongs to the To-kub´-be tribe.

to´-che-be. A flat on the W side of the river 7.8 mi. S of Phillipsville.

bus´-ken-nes´, "cliff talking." A cliff or bluff opposite to´-che-be.

stuk´-kan-no´-be. A big semicircular grassy flat on the E side of the river beginning about 8 mi. S of Phillipsville. The present town of Redway.

ahn´-chin-tah´-kok. Redwood Cr.

se´-ken-te?^ch-te?. A place 9.5 mi. S of Phillipsville.

sah-nah´-che-chel´-le. A place and creek 9.7 mi. S of Phillipsville.

bus-ki´-cho. A white bluff on the road 10 mi. S of Phillipsville.

kos-kun-tes´-kah. A sloping, grassy, open flat 10.3 mi. S of Phillipsville. There was a To-kub´-be village here.

ko´-se-che´. The area on both sides of the river 10.6 mi. S of Phillipsville. Just N of the Garberville bridge across Bear Canyon.

sa-ge?´-che?, "egg rock." A bold upright rock at the N end of the Garberville bridge across Bear Canyon; 10.6 mi. S of Phillipsville.

ken-tes´-che tahng-ah´-te. A beautiful deep valley on South Fork just SW of Garberville. The bridge across the river on the way to Briceland is in this valley.

si-cho´-kuk. A large village of the To-kub´-be near the site of the bridge across South Fork on the way from Garberville to Briceland.

nahs-lin´-che. An area and village in a loop of South Fork a few miles S or SW of Garberville.

ken´-nahl-lag´-gah-kok (kan´-no-lig´-ah-kok). East Branch of the South Fork of the Eel R.

na-yahn´-kah. A hill on the W side of South Fork near the bridge over East Branch.

kahs´-cho-so´-be. A place and village on South Fork about 4 mi. S of Garberville and 3 or 4 mi. from the highway. Not in sight from the highway.

kahs´-cho so´-ning-i´-be. A large redwood flat (Richardson Grove) on the W side of South Fork on the Humboldt side of the Humboldt-Mendocino County line.

West of South Fork Eel

Lolangkok Sinkyone.—The following notes on the Lolangkok Sinkyone are taken verbatim from Merriam's notes. The informant was George Burt.

The Lolahnkok did not fight much with other tribes but were sometimes attacked by the Che?-teg´-ge-kah of the region north of Round Valley [Pitch Wailaki]; and they think the Long Valley people also used to make raids on them to steal women.

Chief Lassik, whose name is often used in a tribal sense, belonged to the Kittel´ tribe—a tribe reaching from Iaqua south to Dobbyn Creek [Nongatl].

Chalk Mountain was only a few miles east of the boundary between the Kittel´ and the Lolahnkok, and the Lolahnkok were permitted to hunt there.

Shelter Cove Sinkyone.—Trees are felled by means of elkhorn chisels called beh-cho, and stone mauls called sa´tah—a very tedious and laborious operation. When the tree has fallen, the logs are cut in lengths by the same process. Planks are split off from these logs by driving the elkhorn wedges into the ends of the logs. After several planks have been split off, one below the other, another set is started at right angles to the first.

The dugout canoes are made of redwood logs dug out by means of the elkhorn chisels. After the greater part of the inside has been removed, fires are used to char the wood, which is then scraped away by the chisels. This is continued until the walls of the dugout are sufficiently thin. The fires are spread out thin in order not to burn too deeply at any one place.

Buckskin is tanned with deer brains, rubbed on with a stick rolled in ashes, after which the hide is placed on warm ashes until dried. It is then soaked and rubbed until soft.

Wild tobacco (Nicotiana bigelovi) was always used by the Bull Creek Sinkyone. It was originally found growing on burned-over places and the people planted the seeds in ashes, usually on a burned place.

Buckeye nuts, called lah-se?´, were cooked in a basket with hot stones after the manner of acorns. They were then mashed and kneaded into dough, which was buried for a while in fine sand.

Wild Ginger (Asarum sp.) is called tan-nas-bos´. It is good medicine for pain in the stomach. The leaves are pounded and soaked in cold water. The sick person drinks plenty of this water and vomits. After a little while he gets well and is hungry and eats.

A species of Angelica is called sol. If a girl holds off, rub sol on your hands, and if you get a chance rub her neck and she will give in. Sol is strong medicine.

An aromatic Umbellifer (species not identified) is called sol´-che-but-tah´; the root, sol´-che. It is used for purification and as a disinfectant. The root is burned and the smoke wafted around to make the house more plentiful. It does not grow on Bull Creek or South Fork Eel River but grows on Rainbow Mountain and some of the other high ridges. The root is highly prized.

The Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) is called kah-ko´. He is a bad bird. If he flies close to a person, the person will faint.

The Dove (Zenaidura) is called bi´-yu. His grandmother was burned to death. Bi´-yu was asked to gamble and replied, "I'll gamble every winter; in spring and summer I'll cry." Now we always hear the Dove cry in summer.

The Red-shafted Flicker (Colaptes cafer) is called mun´-chis-bul. He makes a rattling noise in the spring. He was told that by doing this he would make the horns of the deer grow. He was told also that when the deer became fat he would grow fat, but the people fooled him for he did not grow fat.

The Yellow-bird (Astragalinus tristis) is called sin-sun-se?-gahng-ti-ne tahs´-che, "to take away pain." If the old folks were suffering, they would get him to sing to take the pain away.

The Kildeer (Oxyechus vociferus) is called ni´-til-yi´-che from the necklace, ni-tal-yah, on its throat. In the long ago time the water was very high and rough; big waves were coming in and the people were afraid to cross in their canoes, so they got the Kildeer to take them. He was a high person among the Water People and could handle a boat better than any of the others. The people talked about him and said he was the best and the only one to get them across. So he took them across and saved them.

The Coyote (Canis latrans), called shu?´-be?, and the Shrewmole (NeÜrotrichus sp.), called ske´-cho, made the world and the people. The Coyote had a number of children. The Shrewmole said that when people died they should come back to live again. Coyote said, "No, there would be too many people; when they die they had better stay dead." The Shrewmole agreed. After a while Coyote's children took sick and died. He wanted them to come back to life, but the Shrewmole said, "No; you said there would be too many people and you wanted dead people to stay dead, so your children cannot come back." Then Coyote cried.

The Raccoon (Procyon lotor) is called nah´-ke-gis´-chah. A long time ago he was a doctor. He was able to talk to persons suffering severe pains and could draw the pain out. He would dance and sing and pull out the pains and fall back. One time he took a flint out of a sick person.

In the olden time the people tried to make the Elk (Cervus roosevelti), called yes´-cho, out of the Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus sp.). They put horns on his head and sent him into the brush, but the horns stuck in the bushes and he could not move. Then the people called him sti´-che and told him he must always stay in the brush.

The Bat is called nah´-ta?-bahn´-se. He wears a robe of bear hide over his shoulders. A long time ago when the First People were at war they wanted the Bat to make peace and they hired him to make peace. The people told him to fix up good. He did so and said, "I am the one who can talk big." He sang ho-wa´-nah han´-nah. The enemy agreed, and peace was made.

Our people have songs for the Elk, Deer, Coon, Otter, Mink, Bat, and some other animals.

Slugs (Arion columbianus) are called nah´-tos. To prepare [them] for eating, a slender stick is thrust through the head to hold the animal easily. It is then cut open lengthwise on the belly and the dark insides removed, after which it is dried. When wanted, it is roasted in hot ashes and eaten.

BOTANICAL NOTES

Shelter Cove Sinkyone.—These notes are from Sally Bell of the Briceland-Shelter Cove region.

Acorns of the tanoak (Lithocarpus densiflora) form the principal vegetable food. Hazel nuts also are eaten.

Among the berries used for food are those of the Elder, Manzanita, Blackberry, Thimbleberry, Strawberry, Huckleberry, Salal, wild Currant and Gooseberry.

The sprouts of a species of Angelica are eaten raw in spring and early summer.

The bulb of the large red Tiger Lily is cooked and said to be very good. The same is true of the handsome Brodiaea sp.

The seeds of the Manroot (Echinocystis) are roasted and eaten. The seeds of Godetia amoena are used for making pinole.

Wild Tobacco does not grow along the coast and is not used.

The Wood Sorrel (Oxalis) is used for poultices.

Leaves of the narrow-leaf Iris (Iris macrosiphon) are used for cord and nets and are much better than the leaves of the broad-leaf species.

MATTOLE

The Mattole occupied the drainage of the Mattole River below the mouth of Upper North Fork and the coast from Davis Creek south to Spanish Flat.

The village lists of Merriam and Goddard provide a complete picture of the Mattole settlements but almost nothing is known of them aside from this. In the Handbook Kroeber reported (1925a, p. 142) that "not a single item of concrete ethnology is on record regarding the Mattole, other than the statement that they burned their dead." Almost nothing has been learned since that time, but Nomland (1938) has published a monograph on the neighboring Bear River group and the culture of the two groups was no doubt much the same.

The territory of the Mattole lies wholly within the cold coastal belt and consequently plant food was less abundant and no doubt less important. The products of the rivers, when taken together with sea mammals and other creatures caught in the ocean, provided an ample food supply.

When Kroeber published the Handbook (1925a), he lumped the Mattole proper with the Bear River group. Nomland (1938) and Goddard (1929) showed that these two groups were distinct. This division is supported by Merriam's data and I have therefore retained it.

Merriam appears to have spent a comparatively brief time among the Mattole. The only informant mentioned for this group is a man called Indian Joe Duncan, who is said to have lived at the mouth of the Mattole River below Petrolia. Merriam seems to have visited the area in 1923. His statement on these people, taken verbatim from his notes, follows.

The Bettol´ or Pet´-tol´, as they call themselves, (commonly called Mattol´), inhabit the coast region from Davis Creek, about six miles south of Bear River, southerly to Spanish Flat, which is about 12 miles below the mouth of Mattole River. Their center of distribution appears to have been the Valley of Mattole River, at whose mouth the four or five survivors still reside.

They say that before the Whites came they numbered between 300 and 500 persons.

Their southern boundary, Spanish Flat, is the northern boundary of the Shelter Cove tribe, which reached thence southerly to or beyond Bear Harbor. The Mattol´ say that the Shelter Cove language is materially different from their own, and different also from that of the Briceland Tribe, and that the Briceland language is very hard to speak or understand. They declined to give the name of either of these tribes.

The eastern boundary of the Mattol´ I was unable to locate exactly. They gave it as along or near the west base of Elk Mountain Ridge, including the Valley of Upper North Fork Mattole River. At the same time they gave the names of two 'tribes' or bands as inhabiting the Rainbow Ridge and Elk Ridge region. The Elk Ridge tribe they call Sa?-bahng-kahng, the Rainbow Ridge people Se?-tso´-ik (from Se?-tso-ek, Rainbow Peak). There is uncertainty as to the relations and geographic locations of these bands.

The tribe inhabiting the coast at Needle Rock they call E´-le?-tung. It is the same as the Shelter Cove tribe.

TRIBELETS

According to Merriam's data, the people at Cooskie Creek in the southern part of Mattole territory form a distinct band. This agrees with Goddard's village data, and Goddard also assigns to this group some of the villages on the upper Mattole. There is no evidence of further subdivision.

VILLAGES

Most of the information on villages of the Mattole is taken from Goddard's notes. (See map 14.). In addition, there are a few data recorded by Merriam. Below, Goddard's information is indicated by (G), Merriam's by (M).

1. sitcibi' (named from sand bar?) (G). On the S side of Domingo Cr. nearly a mile from the surf. The county road leaves the coast at this point. Plenty of signs of occupation but no definite pits.

2. sesnoiko', "rocks stand up creek" (G). About 1/2 mi. E of the line of the surf, close to the hill through which the stream in McNutt Gulch comes from the SE. A large quantity of cooking stones and shells have been exposed by the blowing away of the soil. Salmon run in the creek.

3. sesnot, "rocks stand up" (G). N of a large rock which is 30 or 50 ft. higher than the surrounding sand. Another large rock stands 300 yds. W, with a chain of rocks and ledge running out into the surf. Many shells and stones mark the village site. This village stood in the middle of a 2-mi. stretch of sandy beach, which reaches from gotxenin to a mile N of this village.

4. sedjildaxdiÑ (G). Close up under the hill. The wind has carried away the soil, leaving a great pile of shells. Just S, a stream comes down the hillside with only a gulch [La Rue Gulch], no valley.

5. gotxenin (G). Known to white people as Mussel Rancheria. On a bench with Peter B. Gulch at the southern end and La Rue Gulch in the middle. A great quantity of shells were to be seen but no pits. Joe said the houses were scattered along for nearly a mile. Many rocks are in the surf.

6. ne'bitt'a, "earth fold" (G). On a bench 1/2 mi. long in a cove a mile N of the mouth of Mattole R. There is a creek at the S end, a small gulch in the middle, and a larger one at the N end. These probably furnished water in winter. Joe said the houses were scattered along the whole length of the bench. [It is likely that this is part of no. 5.] Between 500 and 800 yds. from the shore is a large flat rock (tciyatcise) occupied by sea lions. The Indians used to swim to it and club the sea lions to death. They kept a fire going near a rock on shore to warm themselves afterward.

7. sebiye (G). Perched on the steep mountainside just N of the mouth of the Mattole R. At the southern end two pits could be made out in the weeds. Slides had covered or taken away most of the evidences of occupation. The trail was evident and pieces of lumber were still lying about. The village was not burned, according to Joe. The burying place is 100 yds. N on a separate bench of the same mountainside.

sa?-be´-ah (M). On the ocean beach 1 mi. N of the mouth of the Mattole.

Goddard and Merriam do not give quite the same location for these villages but Merriam's description is vague and the names are evidently the same.

Map 14. Villages and tribelets of the Mattole.

8. bekeno'adiÑ (G). This was 300 yds. S of the mouth of the Mattole R. and 100 yds E of the present surf line. There is an elevation of broken shells and other refuse on the sandy beach. Joe Duncan remembers seeing the village when it was inhabited.

9. lasaidÛk (G). On the sand of the beach 1/3 mi. S of the mouth of Mattole R., the second village S of there. The wind has blown the sand and soil away exposing the shell fragments.

10. dzindiÑ (G). By the mouth of a small stream 3/4 mi. S of the mouth of the Mattole R.

11. sastecdiÑ (G). On a small bench N of a little stream a mile S of the mouth of the Mattole R. Fragments of shells were to be seen.

12. senalindiÑ (G). About a mile and a half S of the mouth of the Mattole R.; on a small flat with a point of land S of it and a rocky bluff to the E. Broken shells are to be seen. There are now a hut and corral on this flat. The point S, a part of Punta Gorda, is called "Windy Point"; sevinnagintcidin is the Indian name.

13. kailistci (G). A flat of 3 or 4 ac. immediately N of the mouth of Four-mile Cr., about 2-1/2 mi. S of the mouth of the Mattole R.

14. saitcibi^e (G). On a bench on the coast S of a bold headland. A small stream here [Lion Gulch] has a large delta of gravel. This was the southernmost of the villages of the Mattole R. tribelet. A house and barn said to belong to John Mackey are on a higher bench.

15. bitcibi' (G). On the N side of Cooskie Cr. (called kuskic by the Indians), 1/4 mi. from its mouth. Unlike most such streams, this one has something of a valley behind the bordering sea wall, through a gap in which it reaches the ocean. Salmon enter it. This was the northernmost village of the Cooskie tribelet.

koos-ke (ko^chkshe) (M). A very large band and village ("hundreds of people") formerly on Cooskie Cr. on or near the coast 2-1/2 mi. SE of Punta Gorda Lighthouse. Joe Duncan said these were the most warlike people of the region.

16. deci (G). On a large flat in a cove on the coast, immediately N of Spanish Flat. A row of shallow but evident pits are to be seen 200 yds. S of the northern end of the flat.

17. yinaki (yinatci) (G). On a flat, called Spanish Flat, 3/4 mi. long and 300 yds. wide between the ocean and the terrace. It has a creek at its southern end (Spanish Cr.), with a large deposit of gravel which has almost entirely buried a group of buildings. Plenty of evidence of Indian occupation but no decided pits. It is said to have been a very large village. The men of this village were killed by a band of white men who came down from the mouth of the Mattole R., which they had likewise occupied. An Indian ran down the coast to give warning but arrived too late. The women also were killed some years later.

18. seyetci (G). On a bench at the W end of a flat on the N side of the Mattole R. about a mile from its mouth.

19. sedanadaaibi^e (G). On the E end of the same flat on which seyetci is situated. The site is now said to have been washed away.

20. daxdeginkatik (G). On a rocky timbered point which is an extension of the hills N of the Mattole R. This point is 25 ft. higher than the main flat, called nestik. Several indistinct pits are still to be seen. The Goff buildings are close by and occupy part of the village site. This flat was plowed for the Indians in 186..(?). There is water in a gulch W (Jim Goff Gulch).

nes-te´-be (M). On the present Goff Ranch on a bench on the N side of the Mattole R., about 3 mi. upstream from the ocean.

The names are different but the locations are identical, so these are no doubt the same village.

21. daaibi^e (G). On the SW part of the large flat W of Petrolia, on the S side of the river. It was here that the Indians settled when they came back from the reservation.

seb´-bin-ne bug´-gah-be (M). An acorn camp on the S side of the Mattole R. a little below the present Hanson place, 3 mi. from the mouth of the river.

The locations for these two villages are the same but the descriptions are obviously different. It may be that this was an acorn camp in pre-white times and was subsequently used as a village site when the preferred land had been taken by the settlers.

22. bisyet'obi^e, "slide place" (G). On a point on the N side of the Mattole R. W of Petrolia, overlooking Wright's place. Buckeye and peppernut trees are growing there. It has fine exposure toward the S. There are pits still to be seen.

23. tcegiltcexbi^e (G). On the E bank of the North Fork of the Mattole R.; the site is now included in the village of Petrolia. It is said to have been a large village.

24. soLkaiye (G). On a large flat on the W side of the North Fork of the Mattole, E of the road to Ferndale. A white man's house, on a higher flat near the creek, has been burned. It was here the Indian village stood.

25. djetxeniÑ (G). On the N side of the North Fork of the Mattole just W of a creek flowing into it from the N. It is at the western end of a long crooked canyon. Under a point were five very large distinct pits. There were evidences of occupation on the point above (the creek is called Wild Goose Cr.?).

26. djinsibbai, "elbow" (G). In the bed of the North Fork of McNutt Gulch. The inhabitants of sitcicbi (no. 1) camped here in summer to hunt. Timber and brush.

27. djibbedaxtÛkkabi^e (G). On a point on the S side of North Fork of Mattole R. Opposite djetxeniÑ. Joe saw people living here when he ran away from the white man who was taking him away for a slave.

28. natsinnadaat (G). At the junction of two streams which make up the North Fork of the Mattole (North Fork Mattole and East Branch, North Fork Mattole). The stream valleys are wide. The northern one (North Fork Mattole) is badly washed out, as is also the main valley of the combined streams. A group of ranch buildings belonging to Si Minor now occupies the village site, and Billy Wood once lived there. There was a pit on the W side of the stream from the N and two pits on the N side of the main stream 1/4 mi. below the junction.

29. sedjegÛnkoldiÑ, "right angle" (?) (G). On a flat on the N side of the Mattole R. E of the bridge. It is now occupied by John Evarts.

30. djegaslinabi^e (G). At the mouth of the creek flowing into the Mattole R. from the N, 3/4 mi. W of the county bridge SE of Petrolia (Conklin Cr.).

31. daloidiÑ, "wild grape place" (?) (G). At the mouth of a creek (Indian Cr.) flowing into the Mattole R. from the SE at the northern end of a flat nearly a mile long. Saw what may have been pits, one on each side of the road by the duck pond near the buildings belonging to Cummings. This was the northernmost village of the Cooskie tribelet.

32. djanoldin (G). On a bench 1/8 mi. long and 200 yds. wide on the E side of Mattole R., which here flows N. It is at the ford.

33. saiqotLÛndiÑ (G). On a long flat bordering the eastern side of the Mattole R. Joe said the village was at the southern end of the flat, which is now owned by Lee Minor.

34. godanindjaibi (G). Just E of the mouth of Squaw Cr., a large stream flowing into the Mattole R. from the S. The regular inhabitants were joined by others, who camped here to gather acorns.

35. nowillenebi (G). On a large flat on the E side of Mattole R. upstream from the mouth of Squaw Cr. Exact location of village uncertain. The name may be that of the section, not of the particular village.

36. gonsakke (G). A large flat through which the Mattole R. flows toward the NW. Roscoe lives on the N side. Exact location of the village is uncertain.

37. Loitsiske (G). On a flat on the E side of the Mattole R. The river is here no distance from the road. "Joe got very angry when I wanted to look for pits."

38. ikediÑ, "foot place" (G). On the N side of a small stream flowing into the Mattole R. from the E, at the SE side of a flat. There are two deep pits and several, less deep, on the E side of the wagon road. A large group of buildings are on a higher flat SE. There is a large flat on the W side of the river also. The whites killed all of the inhabitants while they were fishing for eels.

39. ligÛcLÛndiÑ, "snakes many place" (G). Probably on the W side of the river where there is a large flat around which the river flows, keeping near the high bank on the E. The road runs along the eastern side of the river and climbs a considerable grade at the N.

40. lonitci, "middle of prairie" (G). On the S end of a flat on the E side of the Mattole R. Fifteen Indians were killed here by white people.

41. nowilkediÑ (gacdÛlyaidiÑ, "like a necktie") (G). Said to be situated between the Upper North Fork and the Mattole R.

42. djegÛllindiÑ (G). On the W side of the stream coming into Mattole R. from the S close to the Humboldt Meridian (Honeydew Cr.). Indians may also have lived on the E side of this stream. The application of this name is uncertain.

Goddard also gives the following summer camps of the Mattole, which I have not been able to locate.

djindillegaxye. A flat on the S side of Mattole R., near its mouth.

innaslaibi. A long level bench crossed by the county road N from Petrolia, 1-1/12 mi. from that place. Indians used to camp here to gather tarweeds. An Indian battleground.

kuntcegilcannebi. Sec. 32, T. 1 S., R. 2 W. On the E side of the county road. The section lines given by Goddard are not reliable.

sekexge. A sloping place on one of the branches of McNutt Gulch.

Upper Mattole villages.—The following village locations were given to Goddard in 1908 by the Sinkyone named Charlie. Goddard did not visit them so they cannot be accurately located. I am giving Goddard's township and range locations, but these were made by guess from an imperfect map, hence they must be used only with the greatest care.

de'tci'. At the mouth of a big creek (de'kok) flowing into Mattole R. at Upper Mattole. Perhaps de'kok is Squaw Cr., mentioned in the Elk and Coyote stories. NW 1/4, sec. 30, T. 2 S., R. 1 W.

ne'nÛnyadÛÑ. On the E side of the river 3 mi. above de'tci'. There are two creeks there. This may be the village, and de'tci' the whole Upper Mattole flat. Notes say 3 mi. from Mattole, which is Charlie's name for Petrolia.

k'atinta'. Above ne'nÛnyadÛÑ on the Mattole R. at the mouth of kutsai'kok. NE 1/4, sec. 33, T. 2 S., R. 1 W.

tcÛlgÛnnak'e'. Some distance above k'acinta' on Mattole R.

tcintcÛskodÛÑ. On a hill on the E side of Mattole R.

tcÛstimi'. On the W side of the Mattole R. on a big flat, S of tcintcÛskodÛÑ. No creek empties there.

istannaladÛÑ. On a large flat on the Mattole R. No creek empties there.

setÛggÛttci'. On the E side of the Mattole R. at the mouth of setuggukkok. Sec. 14, T. 3 S., R. 1 E.

tceliÑki'. On both sides of a small creek which enters a larger stream near the latter's junction from the E with the Mattole R. The valley of the river is wide at this point. A large group of buildings is now standing on this site. "I rode to this place in July, 1908, when hunting for Jack's place. The name was supplied by Charlie from my description." Sec. 31, T. 3 S., R. 2 E.

Lenillimi', "flow together in." At the junction of two streams on the W side of the Mattole R. There were formerly many grizzlies there, and the Indians were afraid of them. This was the last village S of the Mattole R. Sec. 7. T. 4 S., R. 2 E.

Merriam gives a number of other village names with rather vague locations. No doubt each of them corresponds to one of Goddard's, since both men used the same informant, but I have been unable to identify the villages either by location or name.

tah-tah´-ke-ke. On a small flat on the S side of the Mattole R. about 1/4 mi. back from the ocean.

tahn'-hra´-lah-be. At the mouth of the Mattole R. (on a lagoon near Indian Joe Duncan's place).

yes-sa?-cheb´-be. On or near the site of an old barn S of the junction of the North Fork with the main Mattole R., near Petrolia.

e-nah-sal-li´-be. On a flat on Mattole R., 1/2 or 3/4 mi. S of Petrolia.

choo-wil^ch´-kah-be. On the North Fork of the Mattole R. at Petrolia. The name tek-ko-li-be is also given for a village on the site of present Petrolia.

BEAR RIVER

This small group, occupying the entire drainage of Bear River and the coast near its mouth, has been fairly well documented by ethnographers. Aside from linguistic material, our chief source, a paper by Nomland (1938), gives as complete an account as could be obtained at such a late date. Although some villages are noted by Goddard (1929), Nomland, and Merriam, they do not appear to have been recorded by any of the scholars in a systematic fashion. The village count therefore is probably not complete.

The resources of the Bear River group are substantially the same as those of the Mattole, except that the salmon run is smaller.

Merriam's information on the Bear River tribe is limited but it helps to augment the data now in print (Nomland, 1938; Goddard, 1929). Merriam's informant among these people was an old woman named Mrs. Prince. She came from Bear River, but at the time Merriam spoke to her (July and September, 1921) she was living at the Rohnerville Reservation. She used to visit her granddaughter, Ethel Hecker, at Scotia.

Merriam gives the following brief note about these people.

Nek´-an-ni´ ... Athapaskan coast tribe formerly inhabiting Cape Mendocino and adjacent region from Bear River Hills southward to Mattole River, and reaching inland (easterly) to the headwaters of the Bear River. [Nek´-an-ni´ was] their own name for themselves.

TRIBELETS

All evidence would seem to indicate that the Bear River people constitute a single tribelet as well as a single dialect group. Even the village on Oil Creek (village no. 7) was evidently in the same political division; Goddard (1929, p. 291) says: "There was, however, one village at the mouth of Van Duzen creek which was allied to Bear river both in its dialect and politically."

VILLAGES

Some villages are given by Merriam (M), Nomland (1938) (N), and Goddard (1929) (G), but most of the locations are not very certain.

1. chal-ko´-chah (M). Name of the village N of the mouth of Bear R., used for both the place and the village.

tc'alko´ (N). Largest and most western village in the area. It included the flat at the mouth of Bear R.

Goddard mentions two villages as being on the ocean N of the mouth of Bear R. — l'adAlk'AsdAÑ and goldElco'dAÑ. He gives the word tc'alko as the word for Bear R. In Nomland's personal copy of Goddard's paper (1929) she has written the word "tchankok" as the word for Bear R. She gives the following explanation of the discrepancy (1938, p. 92): "In checking words given by Goddard with my Bear River informant, Nora Coonskin, it developed that most of his information (gotten from Nora's uncle, Peter) was not in accordance with hers. Upon close questioning, the latter told me that her uncle preferred to speak Mattole. I checked Peter's words with Isaac Duncan, my Mattole informant, and found this to be true."

2. sa-cho-tung (se?-cho´-tah) (M). On the ocean on the S side of the mouth of Bear R.

setcodAÑ, "rock big" (G). By the lighthouse, a populous place. The present-day lighthouse stands about 2 mi. S of the mouth of Bear R.

3. chil-she?ck (N). On the site of the present town of Capetown.

atcAnco'xEbi' (G). Said to have been where the store and hotel are at the town of Capetown.

4. chil-en-che? (N). Near the present Morrison Ranch.

chul´-lo?-ko (M). This was the name of the village at Morrison's, 5 or 6 mi. above the mouth of Bear R.

5. sels-che'o-ch (N). About 3 or 4 mi. up the river from the Morrison place. The site is now marked by a large red rock. It may correspond to Goddard's sEtcixEbi, "rock stand in the water", which is not located.

6. seht-lÁ (N). About 7 mi. up Bear R. from Capetown.

7. ko-stah-che´ (kos-tah-che´) (M). Name of the camp on Oil Cr.

Each author gives some additional villages, which cannot be located.

esta-kana (N). On the largest flat in the upper valley, Gear's place.

IstE?nadaibi', "madrone stands place" (G).

klaht-el-kos´-tah (M). Name of the village near the head of Bear R. (at least 15 or 20 mi. upstream). It was a large town with a big dance house.

l'adAlk'AsdAÑ (G). Where a schoolhouse stands on Bear R.

tlanko (N). Above chil-sheck.

ETHNOGRAPHIC NOTES

At low tide in the spring the Bear River people waded out to lighthouse rock to gather the eggs of seabirds—gulls, shags, and others. They would climb up a sort of stairs in the steep rock, wrap the eggs in buckskin, and let them down with long ropes.

The illustration (fig. 1, c) is of an old woman, about ninety years old, from Bear River, sketched in the fall of 1921.

WHILKUT

As stated earlier in the discussion of boundaries (p. 164) I have, following Merriam's data, assigned the Whilkut different territory than has heretofore been customary. In the present scheme they occupy the drainage of Mad River from the mouth of North Fork Mad River to the mouth of Bug Creek, the drainage of North Fork Mad River, and all the drainage of Redwood Creek above the lower ten miles. The subdivisions of the Whilkut are: Chilula Whilkut (Kroeber's Chilula) on lower Redwood Creek, Kloki Whilkut (part of Kroeber's Whilkut) on upper Redwood Creek, Mad River Whilkut (part of Kroeber's Whilkut) on Mad River above the mouth of North Fork, and North Fork Whilkut (part of Kroeber's Wiyot) in the drainage of North Fork Mad River.

Goddard (1914a) and Merriam together give a fairly complete picture of the organization of villages and subgroups of the Whilkut but aside from this we have next to nothing in the way of ethnographic information. They were evidently closely akin to the Hupa in both language and culture. With the Hupa they form a dialect group as against the Tolowa on the north and the other California Athabascan groups on the south.

The territory of the Whilkut lies in the dense redwood forest of the northern coast of California. Thus their economy was based primarily on the produce of rivers, and this fact is reflected in the placement of their villages.

Merriam has left a relatively complete record of his visits to the group which I am calling Whilkut and which he called Hoil´-kut or How´-wil-kut and Ma´-we-no?k. (Merriam uses various spellings.) His first visit to these people was in 1910. The following account is taken from his California Journals for September 15, 1910.

Talked with several Indians at Blue Lake. The boundary between the Pah-te-waht [Wiyot] of Lower Mad River, and the 'Hoil´-kut or Ho-il-let-ha of Redwood Valley lies along North Fork of Mad River near its mouth, between Korbel and Blue Lake. The Pah-te-waht I saw today live on Mad River at Blue Lake (on south edge of town), while the Hoi-let'ha live on the extreme northeast beyond the town and cemetery.

Merriam's second visit there was in 1918 and the following quotation is from the California Journals for August 11, 1918.

Sunday, August 11, 1918 was foggy and misty in the forenoon; partly clear P.M. Took the early morning auto stage from Eureka to Korbel, but got off between Blue Lake and Korbel and went on an Indian hunt, landing back at Blue Lake without entering Korbel proper at all. Returned to Eureka in afternoon.

Went particularly to get additional material from the Redwood Creek Indians ('How´-wil-kut´-ka or 'HWilkut tribe) who were living in this region when I was here in September 1910 (see Calif. Journals, Vol. 1, 90-93, Sept. 15, 1910). Tried to find O'Haniel Bailey and John Stevens of Redwood Creek, and Stevens' daughter Laura, from whom I got much information before. After a fruitless search over the old ground, learned that O'Haniel Bailey died several years ago; that John Steven is visiting in Hoopa Valley, and that his daughter Laura is married to a white man.

But after a while I found two old men of the same tribe, who were born and raised at the Blue Lake rancheria 'Ko-tin´-net, the westernmost village of the Ha?-whil´-kut-ka tribe. They call themselves and their language by the same name, 'Ho-tin´-net [North Fork Whilkut]. One is blind and both are old. The blind man's name is Nelinjak; the other's Denbrook. They were eating breakfast of fried potatoes, dried fish, and coffee in their poor old shack. I got some good material from them and after some persuasion took their photographs.

The blind one said he dreamed last night that a white man with a book was coming to see them.

I got from them the names of some Pah-te-waht [Wiyot] villages on lower Mad River and about Arcata.

Merriam's third visit to this group was in 1920. The following account is from his notes.

About the middle of September, 1920, I visited the site of the old Hoilkut rancheria called T'chil-kahn´-ting (or T'ch-kahn´-ting) on the east side of Redwood Creek near the Berry ranch, about a quarter of a mile below the highway bridge on the road from Arcata to Willow Creek and Hoopa. It was then abandoned, the Indians having established another village on higher ground about a mile below, and like the old one, on the east side of the river.

The old site is on an open sand and gravel bar or flat a little above high water mark and very near the river. The living houses were square—never round. The house excavations were about two feet deep. The excavation for the ceremonial house ("sweathouse") was sixteen or eighteen feet across and deeper than the others, averaging about three feet below the surface. The ground floor within was covered with large flattish pebbles. The building had fallen but I was told that it had a low gabled roof, with entrance toward the river (on the west side). Under the north end and still plainly visible was a ditch or flume to supply air and for a draft when starting the fire. The fireplace was in the middle.

The graveyard is on the downstream end of the same flat.

The flat is in a forest of Douglas spruce, black and white oaks, maples, tree alders, and dogwood, with a dense undergrowth of hazel, spirea (Spirea douglasii), syringa (Philadelphus lewisii), huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), and the wild lilac (Ceanothus integerrimus). The "three-leaf" or "deer-foot" also called "sweet after death" (Achlys triphylla) is common throughout the shady forest.

In the immediate neighborhood the large gray tree squirrel (Sciurus griseus) was common, the big gray ground-squirrel (Citellus beecheyi) was abundant, and a few red squirrels and chipmunks were running about.

Ruffed grouse, mountain quail, and many pigeons were seen; also crested jays, robins, and flickers.

A few days later I visited the modern inhabited rancheria, nearly two miles below the bridge. It is on a rather steep slope about 500 feet above the river.

Among the Indians present were two very old men, the Wilson brothers, and a half-breed named Ned Woodward from Blue Lake, and his wife, the former widow of Nathaniel Bailey—with all of whom I had worked in previous years. With their help I checked my former vocabularies and added many words.

At Blue Lake during the latter part of October of the same year I found a number of Indians, mainly Hoilkut, and obtained additional material, including village names from Ned Woodward. Worked also with others, especially the Hoilkut Chief, Frank Lowry, and his wife. She is a full blood with the characteristic chin tattooing consisting of three broad vertical bars with a narrow one on each side between the middle and outer ones. [See fig. 1, a, b for different styles.] A married daughter had three children, a tiny girl and two boys—one of three and the other five, both big for their age.

Also of interest are Merriam's ideas about the position of the Whilkut groups. The following excerpt, taken from his notes, is dated 1939, but refers to a trip he made to Blue Lake in September, 1910.

Ma´-we-no?k [Mad River Whilkut] ... An Athapascan tribe on Mad River, reaching from the junction of North Fork with main Mad River near Korbel (where they came in contact with the Pah´-te´waht of Lower Mad River [a Wiyot subgroup] and the h'Whilkut of North Fork and Redwood Valley) upstream (southward) for many miles to the ranch of a white man named John Ahlgren, where their territory ended. This is on or near Bug Creek.

It was told me by a h'Whilkut ('Hoilet´-hah) who stated further that the Ma´-we-no?k spoke a language so similar to his own that he could understand most of their talk.

The statement in the last paragraph comes from an informant Merriam had in Blue Lake in 1910. Merriam returned to the region in 1920 and at that time spoke to a member of the Mad River Whilkut group itself. Presumably the village list given for that group is derived from the second visit.

Merriam discusses the other Whilkut groups as follows.

The Hoil´-kut or Redwood Creek Indians (commonly called Chilula, Hwilkut, or Whilkut) were until recent years one of the dominant Athapaskan tribes of Humboldt County in northwestern California.

Their territory consisted of the whole valley of Redwood Creek and the adjacent mountains from a point on the creek 10 or 12 miles above its mouth to Chaparral Mountain at the head of the creek, and included also the North Fork of Mad River and a short stretch on the north side of the main Mad River between Blue Lake and Korbel.

Their proper tribal name as spoken by themselves is Hoi^ch-let´-kah or Ho-e^ch-kut-ka?, usually slurred to Hoil´-kut. They also call themselves Ho-e^ch-kut kew-yahn´-ne-ahm, meaning Redwood Acorn eaters.

There are three divisions or subtribes, more or less distinct according to the point of view: Upper Redwood, Lower Redwood, and Blue Lakes or North Fork Mad River Indians. In their own language they are:

1. The Ho-e^ch-ke-e´-te (from Ho-e^ch-kut, "Redwood", and e´-te, "north"), the Northern or Lower Redwood Indians [Chilula Whilkut], inhabiting the valleys and adjacent slopes of Redwood Creek from its mouth upstream about 12 miles to the Tom Blair Ranch at the junction of Minor Creek—a distance in an air line of about 17.5 miles. Goddard thought this division was the whole tribe and called it Chilula, adopting the term from the Hoopa, Polikla [Yurok], and Nererner [Coast Yurok] Indians, who however apply it in a wider sense to both upper and lower divisions of the Redwood Creek tribe.

2. The Ho-e^ch-ki´-e-nok (from Ho-e^ch-kut, "Redwood", and e´-nok, "south"), the Upper or Southern Redwoods [Kloki Whilkut], inhabiting the valley of Redwood Creek from Minor Creek (Tom Blair Ranch) up southerly to the head of the river, near Chaparral Mountain—a distance in an air line of nearly 20 miles. They also call themselves 'Klo-ke Ching´-ching-e´-nok, meaning "Prairie place south."

3. The 'Ho^ch-tin´-net (or 'Ko-tin´-net), the Blue Lake and North Fork Mad River Indians [North Fork Whilkut], inhabiting the valley of North Fork Mad River from its head to Korbel and Blue Lake, and separated from the other divisions by a continuous lofty ridge 2,000 to 4,000 feet in altitude. At Blue Lake they had a large village called Kaw-cho´-sish-tin-tang.

South of the 'Ho^ch-tin´-net are the Ma´-we-nok [Mad R. Whilkut], a related Athapaskan tribe inhabiting the valley of Mad River from the junction of North Fork near Korbel, southerly (upstream) to the Algrehn Ranch on Bug Creek—a distance in a straight line of about 21 miles. The 'Ho^ch-tin´-net and the Ma´-we-nok say that their languages are so similar that either can understand most of the words of the other.

The Hoilkut do not reach the coast, being separated from it by a long mountain ridge, on the west side of which dwell two tribes belonging to widely different linguistic stocks—the Nererner (the southwestern division of the Polikla or Yurok) and the Pahtewaht (the northern division of the Humboldt Bay Soolahteluk [Wiyot]).

The Hoilkut say that the coast tribe they call Teswan (the Nererner) owned the land fronting the ocean from Orick at the mouth of Redwood Creek south to Trinidad and extending up Redwood Creek for ten or twelve miles; and that farther south the Pahtewaht of the coast and lower Mad River owned the country up to Blue Lake—possibly to the mouth of North Fork Mad River—all of which agrees with what I have been told by members of these tribes.

The Hoilkut state that their lowermost (northernmost) villages, Ha-wung´-ah-kut and No-le?´-tin, were ten or twelve miles up from the mouth of the river. Below these they claim no territory. Above, they had twenty-three permanent villages.

The language is uniform throughout Redwood Creek Valley except for one or two slight differences of pronunciation. Thus the first syllable of the tribal name as spoken by the Upper Redwoods is Hoi´^ch; by the Lower Redwoods, Ho-e^ch.

VILLAGES

Most of the village names in the lists following were recorded by Merriam or Loud; some Chilula and Kloki Whilkut data from Goddard's works are added.

Mad River Whilkut villages.—All the names in this list were recorded by either Merriam or Loud (1918), respectively designated by (M) and (L). (See map 16.)

1. ti-keo-tchun´-tin (M). Village on the site of present Riverside.

mis-kene'huten, "bluff-?-place" (L).

The names are quite different but the locations are identical. One of them may be in error.

2. djinakhoe-ten (L). Name said to refer to a prairie.

3. tolkai'e-ten (L). Name said to refer to shining gravel.

4. dj'endjee-ten, dj'endje-whot (L). Name said to refer to a strong sweep of the wind at that place.

5. me´-kaw^ch-ting, me-ke´-aw^ch-ting (M). Village at Jim Anderson's place about 3 mi. S of Korbel.

6. artes-slandjeolin-tin, "grasshopper-?-place" (L). Village at the mouth of Dry Cr.

7. ka-tahs-lah-ting, 'ke-ah-tahs-lah-ting (M). Village on the S side of CaÑon Cr. (in air line about 3.5 mi. S of Korbel).

who'nta, "houses" (L). Village at the mouth of CaÑon Cr.

8. whotsdjotache-tin (L). Name said to refer to a low prairie. The village is 3 or 4 mi. below Maple Cr., just below Foster Cr. There were three houses there.

9. tsa´-te-tis´-ting (M). Camp on Mad R. at Fala ranch, 10 or 12 mi. S of Korbel. It was a camp for catching eels.

tse-didis-ten (L). Village about 2 mi. below Maple Cr. There were ten or more houses there.

10. til-chwah-hew'-a-kut, til-tchwa-hu?-ut (M). Village on Maple Cr. about 14 mi. (9 in air line) S of Korbel. Large village.

tilchehuËrkut, dilchËrhuerkut (L). Village at the mouth of Maple Cr.

11. hotintelime (L). Village at the mouth of Black Cr. The name is said to refer to a prairie near by, known as hinukerchenditen.

12. yinalinowhot (L). Village at the mouth of Boulder Cr. Merriam also lists a village at this place but he does not give its name or other information about it.

13. me´-me?h (M). Village at Three Cabins on Mad R. about 3 mi. above Maple Cr. On Tom Blair's Mad R. place.

14. Village near Mountain View, about 3.5 mi. S of Three Cabins.

15. tseng-nah´-neng-ahl´-ting, tseng-nah´-neng-ah-ten, "rocks across the river" (M). Large village at John Ahlgren's place on or near Bug Cr. [This may be the village site shown in pl. 10, b.]

16. ituke-nole´-tin, "up-waterfall-place" (L). Village on Foster Cr. The same name also given to a prairie half a mile up the creek from its mouth; ituk means "up," also "east."

Chilula Whilkut villages.—The information on the villages and camps of the Chilula Whilkut comes from Merriam's notes and from Goddard's published material (1914). It appears that Merriam made a systematic effort to check Goddard's material, thereby enhancing the value of their combined work. (See map 15.)

Map 15. Villages of the Chilula Whilkut, North Fork Whilkut, and Kloki Whilkut (see also map 16).