The Salish People: Volume I. Charles Hill-Tout

fishing, and berry grounds of the Thompson were common property. But no one under penalty of a severe punishment could take a fish, pick a berry, or dig a root until after the Feasts of First Fruits had been held. These feasts were conducted as follows: When the salmon, for instance, begin to run, word is brought to the divisional chiefs that the fish are coming up river. Messengers are then sent to the neighbouring villages, calling a meeting of the people on a certain day, at which all must attend at the appointed place. When the day has arrived and the people have assembled, the head chief, attended by the other lesser ones and the elders, opens the ceremony at daybreak by a long prayer. While the prayer is being said everybody must stand with eyes reverently closed. To ensure this being done, as it was regarded as an essential part of the ceremony, certain of the elders were assigned the duty of watching that no one opened his eyes while the prayer was being said. Exactly to whom these prayers were addressed my informant could not tell me. All I could gather was that the “old Indians" believed in some great and beneficent power who dwelt behind the clouds, and who gave them the salmon, fruits, roots, etc., who, if they showed themselves ungrateful or unthankful, could, and might, withdraw his gifts from them. He could not give me any of the words of these prayers.⁵ After the prayer is over every one present is given a bit of salmon which has been cooked for the purpose. As soon as all have partaken of the salmon a feast is prepared at which each is free to eat as much as he desires. When the meal is concluded, a dance takes place. Each person lets down his or her hair and a space is cleared for the dancers. Singing always accompanies the dancing, and a certain individual leads the dance song in a loud voice, and the dancers keep time with the singer. They dance on this occasion in a circle, with the hands extended, palm upwards, before them, swaying them with a rhythmic motion from side to side as they sing and dance. Towards the conclusion of the dance the time quickens and the movements are more rapid and vigorous. As the dance is about to end the master of ceremonies calls to the people to stretch their palms towards the sky and look upwards. They continue in this attitude for a little while, and the chief presently brings his hands together, closing them as he does so, as if he held something in them, and lowers them gently to the level of his breast and then places them, one fist over the other, against his breast. This action signifies the reception of the gifts asked for in the prayer and song. The whole ceremony is conducted throughout with the greatest decorum and reverence. This dance is repeated again at noon and at sunset. The Feast of Berries and Roots is conducted in a similar manner.

      Besides these periodic prayings, daily prayers were said by one of the elders in each keekwilee-house every morning at daybreak, all the worshippers closing their eyes reverently the whole time and repeating in an earnest tone the closing formula Aksaias, which signified to them very much what our “Amen" does to us. Other dances were indulged in at times besides these at the Feasts of First Fruits, at which all the actors sat and swung their extended hands, palm upwards, from side to side, keeping time to a song called koiatct. The Thompson apparently never used masks of any kind at their dances, such paraphernalia being quite unknown to them.

Marriage Customs

      Puberty customs seem to have been much simpler among the Thompson than among other tribes. All I could gather concerning them was that when a girl arrived at puberty she must withdraw herself from her family for a time and live apart by herself. I could not gather that any particular course of life was prescribed for the occasion, or that she was forbidden to eat certain kinds of food. It would appear that their whole lives were much simpler and more natural than those of their congeners elsewhere. We see this in their marriage customs, for instance, which are simple compared to those of other tribes, or even with those of the Stalo or River Indians below them.

      When a youth arrived at marriageable age he generally had a maiden in his eye whom he wished for wife. He would first put himself in her way and they would stroll out together. He would next send her little presents from time to time. If she were not averse to his suit she would accept these; if otherwise she would refuse them. If his gifts were accepted he would then declare his liking for her, and tell her he would give her a year to make up her mind in the matter. If things went smoothly during this period, at the end of the time he would then send a present by a friendly elder of his family to the girl’s parents. If they accept the present they call together the relatives and friends of the family, who discuss the subject; and if the young man is acceptable to the majority of them, the girl’s father takes an elk-hide, cuts it into strips of useful lengths, and gives each one present a piece. This witnesses to their agreement. After this has been done one of the old men of the girl’s family goes to the young man and informs him that his suit is acceptable to the family, and that he may have the girl for wife. Supposing that a majority of the family be against him his present is returned and he is notified as before that he cannot have the girl, and must look elsewhere for a wife. When he has been accepted, the bridegroom goes the day following to the girl’s home, accompanied by all his friends and relations, who carry food and other gifts with them. A feast is prepared from this food, the gifts are distributed, and a general good time is indulged in. After the meal is over the old people declare themselves satisfied with the arrangements in a loud voice. The young man and his bride are now man and wife, and share the same blanket that night. Next day the girl returns with her husband to his home, and some days later her parents and relatives come and pay them a return visit, bringing with them also food and gifts. A second feast is then prepared, the gifts are distributed, and all partake of the food as before. This concludes the marriage ceremony, the pair after this being regarded as man and wife by the whole community. A man is free to marry whom he might outside his own family.

Shamanism

      Shamanism was prevalent among the Thompson. This we can gather readily enough from their stories; and certain spots and localities are pointed out by the older Indians as the places where certain celebrated shamans underwent their fasts and training to gain their powers. There were several such spots on the banks of Stein Creek, a mountain stream that runs into the Fraser about five miles above Lytton. Worn and hollowed places are pointed out here and there, and these are said to have been made by the feet of the aspirants after shamanistic powers in the performance of their exercises. We find several groups of rock paintings along this creek, which are believed by the present Indians to have been made in the past by noted shamans. It is interesting to note that these paintings are invariably found high up on the cliff surfaces above the reach of the tallest man, in some cases as high as twenty or thirty feet from the ground. It is clear, therefore, that they must have used some kind of ladder or platform to reach these heights. This, to the Indian mind, always adds to their mystery. The modern Indians seem to have no knowledge of the significance of these paintings, and say that the pigments used by themselves will not stand the weather or endure like those of the ancients.⁶