48. The Four Chiefs and Chief Grizzly Bear

A long time ago, before the Deluge, while the people were living on the upper course of Skeena River, there were four brothers, all chiefs. Each of them had a house. They lived in the old village Prairie Town, and their people were very proud of their four good chiefs, who treated them well.

One hard winter, when all the food was used up, each of the four brothers made a fire in his house every morning to show the people that they were still alive, but others were starving to death. Many people were dying of starvation, and every day they made a fire to show that they had plenty to eat.

One day toward evening a thin person came down the river on the ice, and the eldest one of the chiefs sent out his attendants to call him into his house. The man came in, and they spread mats by the side of the great fire, and the thin man seated himself there. Then the eldest chief, who had invited him in, inquired, ‘How long is it since you left vour home?’ The man replied, “It is many days since I left my home.”—What have you been eating all the while along the way?” The thin man replied, “I have eaten only snow all along the way.’ Then the chief said, “Bring in snow in a wooden dish!’ and his attendants filled the dish and put it before him. The man did not eat the snow, but arose and went out.

Another evening the thin man came round to the village again, and they told the second chief that he was coming, so he sent out his attendants to invite him in. They spread mats by the side of the fire, and the second chief asked him, ‘How long is it since you left home?” The thin man replied, “I left home many days ago.” The chief said, “What have you been eating all along the way?”— “Tate only snow.” Then the second chief ordered his attendants to bring in some snow in a wooden dish. They did so, and brought in a large wooden dish full of wet snow, and put it before him, and gave him a spoon; but the man did not eat. He arose and went out.

Another day toward evening, while the young people were playing games, the lean man came down again from the woods. They told the third chief that the thin man was coming down from the woods. Then the third chief sent out his attendants to invite him in, and the thin man came in. They spread the mats before him. He sat. down on the mats, and the chief asked him, “Is your village very far away?” The thin man said, “Yes, it is very far away.] I left there many days ago.”—’‘ And what have you been eating all the way down?” He said, “I” ate nothing but snow.” The third chief sent his attendants to bring in some snow. They did so in a large wooden dish, which they placed before him. The thin man did not eat, but arose and went out.

The people were still dying of starvation. Another day toward evening the thin man came down from the woods. They told the youngest of the four chiefs, and he sent his servant and one of his own nephews to invite him in; and when the man came in, they spread mats by the side of the fire, and the man sat down. As soon as he was seated on the mats, the fourth chief said. I have heard what my three brothers have done to you, my dear, and I am very much ashamed of what they have done. They have no pity. They did not show a kind heart to a stranger who comes and visits their houses. They are bad people.” Thus said the young chief.

He said to his wife, “See if a dried salmon remains in your box!” Then his wife arose, went to the empty salmon-box, and there was only one large spring salmon left in the box. She took it to the fire and roasted one half. She put aside the other half. And after she had roasted it, she put it in a dish and gave it to the thin man. After he had eaten the dried salmon, the chief’s nephew soaked dried berries in water and mixed them with fresh red berries. They gave these to the thin man, and many kinds of provisions besides. After they had eaten, when it was nearly midnight, the chief said to the thin man, “When do you intend to go back home? The man said, I will go back home tonight.” Then the chief said to his wife, ‘My dear, give the other half of the dried salmon to this chief, that he may eat it on his way home!’ So she gave him the other half of the dried salmon, of which he had eaten one part a little while ago. He went back the same night.

Before he left he said to the chief and his wife and his nephew, “I am much pleased because you have shown me kindness, and you have given to me your last provisions in this hard season of starvation. You have taken pity on me. I have been to the houses of all your elder brothers, but they all made fun of me, and gave me nothing but snow. Therefore [ I will reward your kindness to me, and by tomorrow I will give you a costly crest. Early tomorrow morning, when you hear a noise yonder, take your canoe and go with your nephew and your wife. Let your three brothers come afterward. Then I will give you my present.” As soon as he had said so he left.

The chief and his wife did not sleep that night; and before daybreak the young chief heard something like a song on the other side of the river. He arose, called his nephew and his wife, and said, “Let us be off!” So they crossed the river; and when they arrived on the other side, at the foot of a rock-slide, they heard a shouting above. Behold! a man was coming down wearing four crests, a grizzly-bear hat, red leggings, and a bow in his hand. Another young man Was coming down wearing a mountain-goat hat, and a woman with two large dishes one carved with live frogs, and the other one with a mountain spring. Then they sang a mourning-song. The words of their song are these:

They repeated this many times. After the two had sung their mourning-song, the one took off the grizzly-bear hat and gave it to the chief, and he took off his red leggings and gave them to the chief, also his sinew bow. The young man who wore the mountain-goat hat took it off and gave it to the chief’s nephew, and the woman gave her two dishes to the chief’s wife. Then they went up the rock-slide again and were transformed into three grizzly bears.

Later on the three elder brothers heard a noise on the other side. They went across quickly in their canoes, but they were too late. They met their youngest brother on his way back, but the three elder brothers paddled across in vain. They came back empty-handed.

Now the young chief became the richest among all his people. With his sinew bow he shot all kinds of animals; and while the winter famine lasted, he had plenty of meat of all kinds, fat of all kinds, and skins of all kinds. He fed all his people, also his three brothers, and all his people brought him all kinds of property as presents.

Before the winter famine ended, he invited all the people of the river, and gave away property to them, and he put on his mountain-goat hat and sang one mourning-song while he piled up his property before it was given away. And this crest went on through all generations throughout the ages.

He made another feast and invited all the different tribes, and he wore his grizzly-bear hat and his red leggings, and he carried his sinew bow and sang the two mourning-songs which he had received from the grizzly bears who rewarded him for his kindness to the Chief Bear.

Then his wife showed the guests her two carved dishes, which she also had received from the grizzly bears in return for her kindness; and the guests were delighted to see the new crests and to hear the two songs. Then the chief proclaimed that no one should use these crests and his mourning-songs, only his clan after him through all generations. He also took his new chiefs name, which the grizzly bear had given him to reward him for his kindness. His name was Nēs-nawa.

The three brothers were jealous of their younger brother, but the people of all the tribes loved and honored him, and his name was great among the people. His own tribe was very proud of their chief, who was the richest among all the chiefs.

When he was old, he went again to his hunting-ground; and while he was there, while they were encamped, in the evening, a man came to him, and the old chief invited him to eat with him. So they ate together; and while they were eating, the man said, “I wall give you my mountain-pole. You shall keep it, as you did the other things which I gave you before.” Then the old man’s eyes opened, and he recognized him, and another song went with this pole. A small live man was seated at one end of the pole.

When the old chief went home, he gave his last feast; and when all the guests were in, he took his new crest, the pole, and he sang the song of the pole. After he had given away all his property to his guests, he said, “His is my last feast, and this is the last time I shall see your faces. I [shall leave all my property to my only nephew, and also all my crests and my mourning-songs. He shall have all my power and my honor. He shall have my hunting-ground and my house, and he shall be kind as I have always been kind to my people.” After that he gave his blessing to his nephew. Then he took a wooden drum, sang his mourning-song with all his relatives, and all the guests were sorry to hear his last kind words to his relatives. At the end of his song he lay down and died, and all the guests mourned over him for two days and two nights. His nephew succeeded him.

Chief Dzēba’sa used the Prince Black Bear when he danced among the other chiefs in the winter dance. In olden times, when the people still lived on the upper part of Skeena River, in Prairie Town, there was a great famine among the people. There were six chiefs in the village, and each had a house. During the famine the smoke continued to ascend from their houses every morning, but many of their tribe died of starvation.

One morning in winter it was very cold. The Skeena River was full of ice, and snow covered the ground. Then a stranger came along on the ice. Te went into the house of the oldest chief, whose attendants spread a mat by the side of the fire, and the chief ordered his attendants to put fuel on the fire. They did so. Then the chief asked the stranger, “What kind of food do you eat down river?” The stranger replied, “I ate only snow while I was coming along.” So the chief ordered his attendants to bring snow in a dish. They brought in a large wooden dish filled with snow, and placed it before the stranger. Then the stranger stood up and went out. The stranger looked very poor.

On the following morning the same stranger was seen coming along the ice. He went into the house of the second chief, whose attendants spread mats for him by the side of the fire. Then the chief ordered his attendants to put fuel on the fire, and they did so. The chief asked what kind of food the stranger had eaten when he was coming down the river. He replied, “I ate only snow when I was coming along.’ So the chief ordered his attendants to bring in snow in a wooden dish, and they did so. They filled a large wooden dish with snow, and placed it before the stranger. The stranger went out without touching the snow.

The third morning he was seen coming along on the ice. He went into the house of the third chief, and the same happened as before. Finally, on the sixth morning, the stranger went into the house of the sixth chief, who was a very young man. The six chiefs were brothers, and this one was the youngest of them. The stranger entered the house, and the young chief welcomed him. He said to his attendants, “Spread the mats by the side of the fire.” They did so, and they put fuel on the fire. The young chief had seen the meanness of his five brothers to the poor stranger who had come to their village, and he had made up his mind to be kind to him and to comfort him. His wife arose, went to one of the boxes, opened it, and took out their last: dried salmon, half of which she put back in her box. The other half she put in a wooden dish, and placed it before the stranger, who ate it. After the stranger had eaten, he said to the young chief, “Very early tomorrow morning go to the other side of the river. If you should hear anything, you might go across. I will then give you a present.” The young chief did not sleep that night. Very early next morning he arose with his attendant. They crossed the river, and as soon as they came to the other side, they heard a mourning-song. Then the Prince of the Black Bears came down from the hills singing this song, and with three crests, red leggings, a mountain-goat hat, and a grizzly-bear hat, and he gave them to the chief in return for the half-salmon which he had eaten in the chief’s house the day before. Then the five brothers of the young chief quarreled with their younger brother. Since that time the G·ispawadwᴇ’da have the Prince of the Black Bears in their dances, with abalone shells in each ear and on each eye, and abalone shells on each tooth, and no chief besides Dzēba’sa can use Prince of the Black Bears.