64. Story of the Wolf Clan[1]

The Wolf Clan originated in Alaska. The Tahltan of the upper Stikine River had a great war. Two chiefs, Gus-xg·ain and Łagunus, were killed. Then their nephews and six brothers belonging to the Wolf Clan fled from their enemies. Two of them went across the mountains to Nass River, while four went down Stikine River by canoe.

The four brothers who went down the river arrived at a place where a large glacier obstructed the valley, and where the river ran through under the ice. Then they sang a mourning-song and entered the ice cave expecting to be drowned. They passed through safely and went right down the river. Before evening they arrived at the mouth of the river, and saw the smoke of a village. They were afraid that the people might kill them: therefore they camped there, waiting for the night to come. The villagers, however, had watchmen stationed on the river, who had seen the canoe coming down: therefore they sent their warriors in two canoes to fight the four brothers. These, however, spoke kindly to them, and they were invited into the chief’s house. There they told the chief that they were fleeing from their enemies; and when they said that they belonged to the Wolf Clan and gave the names of their uncles, the chief of the Stikine said that he wanted to take that name: therefore he gave a great feast and took the name Gus-xg·ain.

Later on a war broke out among the Stikine people, and some of the Tahltan brothers fled to Tongass, where they settled.

After some time had elapsed, another war broke out, and one of them fled to the Tsimshian: therefore there are not many people of the Wolf Clan among the Tsimshian.

The two brothers who had crossed the mountains to Nass River found the people encamped above Portland Canal. The chief of the

Nass tribe took them into his house and asked them where they came from and where they were going. The two brothers told him that they had fled because their two uncles had been slain. They told him, furthermore, that thev” belonged to the Wolf Clan. Then the Nass chief claimed them as his relatives. He made a great feast and took the name Gus-xg·ain. He took the two young men to be his nephews.