Preface
During many years spent within the Arctic Circle of Northwestern Alaska, at Tig-a-ra (Point Hope Village), where I have lived at the mission station of the Episcopal Church, acting as medical man and teacher, and, later on, in deacon's orders, I have naturally become interested in these ancient people, and have written the following volume of short stories simply to show the nature, traditions and legends of the In-u-pash.[1] ] I have also introduced a few brief sketches, hoping to give a little insight into the simplicity of these primitive people who have been isolated from the outside world from the most remote time. There has been no attempt made to exhaust the subject.
John B. Driggs, M.D.
April, 1905.
Contents
| I. | Introduction | [ 17 ] |
| II. | The Tragedy of The Three Brothers | [ 23 ] |
| III. | The Metigewēk | [ 31 ] |
| IV. | Origin of Man | [ 35 ] |
| V. | What Brought Age into the World | [ 39 ] |
| VI. | Toongna | [ 43 ] |
| VII. | The "Ongootkoot" | [ 47 ] |
| VIII. | Webukside | [ 57 ] |
| IX. | Birth of Tooloogigra | [ 63 ] |
| X. | Day and Night | [ 69 ] |
| XI. | Man's First Constructed Home | [ 73 ] |
| XII. | The Mammoth | [ 81 ] |
| XIII. | Fire-Making | [ 85 ] |
| XIV. | Instruments | [ 89 ] |
| XV. | Music | [ 99 ] |
| XVI. | Wooden Faces | [ 105 ] |
| XVII. | The Evolution of the Cook | [ 109 ] |
| XVIII. | Chokarluke | [ 117 ] |
| XIX. | Introduction of Tobacco | [ 121 ] |
| XX. | Winter Evenings and Stories | [ 127 ] |
| Allugua | [ 130 ] | |
| Caterpillar | [ 135 ] | |
| Tungnaluke's Perplexity | [ 138 ] | |
| The Raven, the Barnacle Goose, and the Whale | [ 142 ] | |
| XXI. | Courtship | [ 149 ] |
| XXII. | The Wooing of Billy Fishtail | [ 155 ] |
| XXIII. | Writing | [ 159 ] |
Illustrations
| The princess and her companion | [ Frontispiece ] |
| Facing page | |
| A group of In-u-pash | [ 22 ] |
| An elevated grave | [ 96 ] |
| Nanoona's descendants | [ 124 ] |
| Mr. and Mrs. Billy Fishtail | [ 156 ] |