[11] Qꜝol-djat is somewhat difficult to render. It is the feminine of one word for chief, qꜝol, but “chieftainess” would convey a false impression, because it is associated with the idea of the exercise of a chief’s power by a woman. A qꜝol-djat was not one who exercised the power of a chief, but a woman who belonged to the ranks of the chiefs, whether she were a chief’s wife or a chief’s daughter. [↑]
[12] Supported by ropes, because he was too full of arrows to rest upon the ground. [↑]
[13] A man always communicated with his father-in-law and his mother-in-law through his wife. [↑]
[14] The Haida word used here is the same as that for “one,” and appears to mean “oneness in clan,” since to marry the same man both had to belong to the opposite clan. One of my interpreters said that this term might also be applied by a man to the husband of his wife’s sister. [↑]
[15] Canoes were brought to land stern first unless the occupants were in great haste. Among the many things the supernatural beings were supposed to do in an opposite manner from men was to land bow first. [↑]
[16] The Haida at this point is somewhat obscure. [↑]
[17] Every animal and every human being is supposed to be provided with a “thread of life,” an idea not found elsewhere in America so far as I am aware. Līs, the word used here, is also applied to threads of mountain sheep wool. Another name, wa′nwa-i, is given in the story of [How shining-heavens caused himself to be born]. [↑]
[18] A person’s luck in hunting would be destroyed by his wife’s unfaithfulness. [↑]
[19] See the story of [Supernatural-being-who-went-naked]. [↑]
[20] “Something-white,” name given to the skin of some mainland animal obtained in trade by the Haida. [↑]