Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1910 — BELLA COOLA DOOR KNOCKER. [ARTICLE]

BELLA COOLA DOOR KNOCKER.

An Odd Device Above an Indian Ariatocrat’a Doorvrag. Perhaps the strangest door knocker in the world may be seen in the pagan Indian village at Bella Coola, about halfway up the coast of British Columbia, an exchange says. It consists of a wooden, carving representing a man. The arms are movable and between the hands is held a knocker, apparently so formed as to represent the stone hammer the Bella Coolas used generations ago. Across the knees is a board, like part of the wooden drum these Indians formerly used much more extensively than today. When the ayns are raised the hammerlike knocker may be dropped so as to make a terrific knocking on the board. This figure, instead of being fastened on the door of the house, stands above it, but the doorway is low and the knocker is easily reached. These Indians are fond of tobacco, but seldom smoke cigars, and the owner of the knocker handled his cigar as clumsily as he wore the ready-made white man’s clothing, which is also new to him and his people. Above the door is an interesting inscription, the pride of his family,. This has been put up in honor of one of his ancestors and it reads: "In memory of Chief Clelamen, who died July, 1893, aged 50 years. He was honest & well disposed & respected by both whites and Indians. In December, 1892, he gave away wifti the help of his sons* Alexander & Johnny, property in blankets, candes, etc., valued at 84,000, this being his eighth large potlatch & feast that he had held.” . This sign is painted and was apparently made by a white man, but the wording and the arrangement of the lines show that the work was done to order. The reference to the giving away of blankets and canoes is characteristic of these people. By so doing: they gained not only an aristocratic position in the tribe, but also credit, for the property was always returned with interest and feasting in due course of time. At first this latter fact was not understood by the missionaries and InIndian agents, who supposed that the potlatch was a boastful wasting of property. They caused a law to be passed in British Columbia making it a criminal ofTense to give a potlatch, and many Indians have been imprisoned for disobeying the law by continuing their forefathers’ methods of financial investment, but nowadays the law lß,no longer enforced. Sometimes property was given away for :tfae benefit of sons and daughters. When they became a certain age they had In consequence an aristocratic position and Credit of whicb they were, as proud as are the Bons of families of social position in .New York or elsewhere, This class of potlatch may be likened to endowment Insurance". Occasionally property was gives

awmy where no return was expected. It was then mostly food, and with a f®w dresses, bracelets and similar articles, just as white swells give dinners with favors, souvenirs and birthday or wedding presents. Such giving away the Indians of the whole coast call a cultus potlatch, cultuß meaning useless and'indicating that no Investment has been made or return expected. Potlatckes of one kind or the other, according to the proprieties of the occasion, are given at christenings, weddings or when neighboring tribes are brought together.