1
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(Ghostly wail)
2
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(Drumming)
3
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(Drumming)
4
00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,316
(Chanting and drumming)
5
00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:31,670
Totem poles. The crests and symbols of
the Indians of the north... west coast of America.
6
00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:33,716
I'm in British Columbia,
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00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,631
in a small remote island
8
00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,871
in the near... freezing waters
of the Northern Pacific.
9
00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,394
In part of the territory of the Haida tribe.
10
00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,871
It's one of the few places
where these magnificent ancient poles
11
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still survive standing in any numbers.
12
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The village has now been deserted
for almost a century
13
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but when Europeans first came here
less than 200 years ago,
14
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this was the home of
one of the most important Haida chiefs.
15
00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,075
The Europeans, British and Spanish
and American,
16
00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:06,957
came here in search of fur,
17
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and particularly the fur of the sea otter.
18
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And in response to the demand,
19
00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,232
the Indians hunted the sea otter
to such effect
20
00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,995
that it's now virtually extinct
in this part of the world.
21
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And they hunted throughout the year,
22
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except for the bleakest parts of the winter
23
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when they took refuge and shelter
in huge communal houses.
24
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And the remains of one of those
lies just at the back here.
25
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These huge timbers
26
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were the beams of the house
27
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and they stood on those house posts there
28
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ten feet above the ground.
29
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Clearly, putting them up
was a major feat of engineering.
30
00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,195
Up to 40 people
would live in a house like this.
31
00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,113
There'd be a fire in the centre there
32
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and on the balconies around the side
the individual families lived.
33
00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,032
The timber is red cedar.
34
00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,590
It's a superb tree
that grows over 200 feet tall
35
00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,878
and it was that tree that the Indians used
for their totem poles,
36
00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,316
which are among
the largest wooden sculptures
37
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ever made by men anywhere.
38
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(Chanting)
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Some of them were 60 feet high
40
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and they stood in magnificent lines
along the front of the villages.
41
00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,475
The sight was so spectacular
that from the early days of the camera,
42
00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:32,755
in the 1870s and 1880s,
43
00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:36,515
photographers trekked across America
to the Pacific Coast
44
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to take pictures like these.
45
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(Drumming)
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The pioneer cameramen between them
assembled an archive
47
00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,914
which preserves for us a marvellous image
of the coastal people
48
00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:59,278
at a time when the land seemed to them
to be still theirs
49
00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,033
and the white men were strangers.
50
00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,674
(Drum beating and singing)
51
00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:46,557
These vivid, moving portraits
were taken on the coast by Edward Curtis.
52
00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:50,189
He worked there between 1912 and 1914
53
00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:55,229
and produced the most complete
photographic record of all up to that time.
54
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Curtis had brought with him one
of the first hand... cranked movie cameras.
55
00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,997
Even at this time,
things were changing fast,
56
00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:35,638
but he was able to assemble people
57
00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:39,110
who remembered the way things were
before the white man came
58
00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,795
and who could dance on their great canoes
in the way that they used to do
59
00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:47,476
when they paid ceremonial visits
to their neighbours or set out for war.
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(Singing)
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00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,797
The land remains. It is beautiful and harsh.
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Its waters are so cold that in winter
a man falling into them
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would be chilled to death within minutes.
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00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:34,712
The forests of fir, spruce, cedar and hemlock
are vast and tractless
65
00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,837
and even the most experienced woodsman
can lose himself.
66
00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:51,632
But it is a rich land.
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00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:53,597
There is meat for the hunter
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and some of the most sumptuous,
warming furs in the world
69
00:07:57,440 --> 00:07:59,670
to be gathered by the skilful trapper.
70
00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,159
But its greatest wealth lies in its waters.
71
00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:05,674
The rivers teem with fish.
72
00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:07,318
In the summer and autumn,
73
00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,597
salmon swarm upstream
in such extravagant numbers
74
00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,150
that they're easily caught
by any of the inhabitants of the forest
75
00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,674
who might relish a feast of fish.
76
00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,754
The methods have changed
but this river, like many another,
77
00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,229
is still a traditional tribal fishing ground
78
00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:52,518
reserved by law for members
of the tribe who have always fished here.
79
00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:57,515
Today the skill is not to throw
a fish spear with force and accuracy
80
00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:01,229
but to spot a shoal of migrating salmon
on their way upriver
81
00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,357
and rapidly to encircle them with a seine net.
82
00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,829
If it's done with skill and luck,
83
00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,310
one setting might bring in
50 full... grown salmon.
84
00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,469
Steelhead, Sockeye, Coho,
Spring and Dog salmon.
85
00:09:20,560 --> 00:09:23,791
Some people have their favourites
but they all taste good
86
00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,917
split and spitted
between sticks of red cedar
87
00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,389
and roasted in front of an open fire.
88
00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,796
The forest trees
provided not only timber but bark.
89
00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,599
Birch bark could be made into baskets,
90
00:09:36,680 --> 00:09:40,036
cedar bark shredded and woven into textiles.
91
00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,592
Beneath the trees grow bushes
that yield abundant food
92
00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:55,035
to those who know how to take it.
93
00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,793
Strawberries, wild rhubarb, huckleberries,
94
00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,758
soap berries that will whip into a froth.
95
00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:05,152
With such abundance, the people
had no need either to cultivate crops
96
00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,754
or to keep any domestic animals.
97
00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:11,230
But the forest
which provided them with so much,
98
00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:13,470
and on which they relied so heavily,
99
00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:17,872
is also dark, mysterious
and filled with echoing noises.
100
00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,794
It's scarcely surprising that it became
in the minds of the people
101
00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:26,158
a brooding force
populated by a host of powerful beings
102
00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:28,708
both visible and invisible.
103
00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,994
When the bitter winter came,
the people sheltered in their houses,
104
00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:44,870
abundantly provisioned with smoked fish
and the wild harvests of the summer.
105
00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:48,748
Now there was time
for music, dancing and drama.
106
00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,076
(Ghostly wail)
107
00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,595
(Wild animal sounds)
108
00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:26,870
(Animals howl)
109
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(Birds squawk)
110
00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,512
The people had a genius for the theatrical.
111
00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,637
Some masks were made
with changeable mouth parts
112
00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:53,475
so that a dancer who turned away
for a moment could turn back transformed.
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00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,032
All sorts of spectacular illusions
were invented.
114
00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,749
Maidens were locked in chests,
burnt to ashes in a fire,
115
00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,400
and then miraculously brought to life again.
116
00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:12,235
And spirits were conjured out of boxes
and made to gesture on command.
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00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,276
(Man shouts)
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00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,231
This is Crooked Beak of Heaven,
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00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,470
a gigantic cannibal bird
120
00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:41,269
which appears in one of the most powerful
of the traditional dramas.
121
00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:45,318
With him comes Hothokw,
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00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,710
a creature which cracks men's skulls
with its long beak
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00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:50,631
to feast upon their brains.
124
00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:13,519
The third spirit in this horrifying trio
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00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:18,151
is a creature which plucks out
men's eyeballs, a supernatural raven.
126
00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,430
(Squawking)
127
00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,191
Tribal legends tell of a hunter who
wandered into an unknown part of a forest
128
00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:41,713
and there met an animal
129
00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:44,758
which miraculously spoke to him
with a human voice.
130
00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,628
In some versions, it's a bear,
in others a raven.
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00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:52,235
After many adventures together,
the two formed an alliance
132
00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:55,392
and the animal gave the man
the right to hunt over its land.
133
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When the hunter returned to his people,
134
00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,268
he commemorated that alliance
and his rights
135
00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,954
by adopting the animal
as his heraldic crest
136
00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,600
and carving its image on his totem pole.
137
00:14:05,680 --> 00:14:11,198
And each year, during the winter dances,
his descendants renew that right.
138
00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:13,236
(Drum beating)
139
00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,356
(Woman sings)
140
00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:09,392
The art of carving masks and totem poles
was nearly lost,
141
00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,790
but today there is a new surge of interest
among the Indians.
142
00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:16,555
Walter Harris is a hereditary chief
of the Gitxsan tribe.
143
00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:20,394
He used to be a building contractor
in a town on the coast.
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00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:22,869
Today he carves totem poles
145
00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,714
in a style that conforms
to the traditions of his tribe
146
00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:28,995
and yet is identifiably his own.
147
00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:33,948
His poles are in great demand.
148
00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:37,396
Californian millionaires
commission them for their gardens,
149
00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,790
Canadian municipalities
want them for their parks.
150
00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,074
This one is neither
an extravagant souvenir
151
00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:52,833
nor a piece of official town planning.
152
00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,595
This Walter Harris designed
at the request of a lady of his own tribe
153
00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,069
who wants to honour her ancestors
154
00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:01,993
and proclaim her own lineage
and entitlements
155
00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:05,675
by putting up a pole
just as they did in the old days.
156
00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,954
The pole is to be erected
in the little settlement of Kispiox,
157
00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,156
in the tribal lands of the Gitxsan.
158
00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,232
They are one of the most
northerly of the Indian groups
159
00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,471
and live within 100 miles
of the Alaskan border.
160
00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:39,310
The method they use
to haul up these several tons of timber
161
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:43,075
is exactly the same
as that employed in traditional times.
162
00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:47,199
It requires no more than ropes,
spars and manpower.
163
00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,390
(Shouts)
164
00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,628
The pole joins others
belonging to the village,
165
00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,314
most of them between 50 and 100 years old.
166
00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:19,109
The owner of the new pole is Mary Johnson.
167
00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,510
This pole's name is Geelast.
168
00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:26,673
That means one great big fireweed.
169
00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:29,834
That's one... horned goat.
170
00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:34,948
That's his horn. He only got one horn.
That's all he got.
171
00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:37,235
And why is he at the top of the pole?
172
00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:42,917
Because it's our crest. It's very valuable.
173
00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,629
Yeah. It's our inheritage.
174
00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,392
- Yes.
- Yeah.
175
00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,597
- I...
- And it will...
176
00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:58,438
And many thousands of years ago,
it passed on to generation
177
00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,512
from generation to generation.
178
00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:07,670
Below the one... horned goat
are four views of a grizzly bear man
179
00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:09,876
with an abalone shell necklace.
180
00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:11,951
Below that, a white killer whale,
181
00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:16,272
with its dorsal fin,
a blowhole just in front,
182
00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:18,874
the eyes and the toothed grinning mouth.
183
00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,272
And finally a weeping, starving woman
clutching a grouse.
184
00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:28,275
All of them jealously... guarded crests
that declare Mary Johnson's ancestry.
185
00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:33,636
(Chanting)
186
00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:49,552
Ksan, where Walter Harris carves poles,
187
00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,712
is a centre of the revival of Gitxsan arts.
188
00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:56,839
Not only is there wood carving, masks
and boxes as well as poles,
189
00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:00,230
but ceremonial blankets
are being woven once more,
190
00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:04,154
house fronts are being painted
with new versions of old designs.
191
00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:09,273
Silver engraving might seem to be
a new craft for the Gitxsan
192
00:19:09,360 --> 00:19:11,999
but in fact it has a considerable antiquity.
193
00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:16,198
For people here wore splendid
sliver bracelets over a century ago,
194
00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:20,717
and embellished them with just such
patterns as the ones on this box.
195
00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:22,950
(Drumming and chanting)
196
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,160
Indian designs
are often based on animal forms
197
00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,595
which at first are difficult to recognise.
198
00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:01,275
But in fact they are stylised
according to very strict rules.
199
00:20:01,360 --> 00:20:05,319
And once you know those, the designs
are a little easier to decipher.
200
00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,437
This is another killer whale
but drawn by an artist
201
00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:11,637
from the Gitxsan's neighbours, the Haida.
202
00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:16,111
It has a large dorsal fin
like the one on Mary Johnson's pole,
203
00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:21,035
prominent ferocious teeth
and on its back a spouting blowhole.
204
00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,592
It's the work of Bill Reed.
205
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,592
- What's this one?
- This is a little more difficult.
206
00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:32,958
But again, if you are familiar with the actual
creature, it becomes much more apparent.
207
00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,237
This is a dogfish which is a small shark,
about four feet long.
208
00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,630
And it's seen from the underside.
209
00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:43,633
So this is a typical downturned shark mouth.
210
00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:49,912
Erm... These two circles at the top
are the nostrils.
211
00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,709
But they've added
an anthropomorphic nose here,
212
00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,189
which gives it
this somewhat human face.
213
00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,750
There's a face in the middle of its back.
What's that doing there?
214
00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:01,717
That's really a stomach but...
215
00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,234
All right, a face in the middle of its stomach.
216
00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:13,149
Er... In all the complicated designs,
when you had a space which needed filling,
217
00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:17,153
it was generally filled
with something that resembled a face.
218
00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:20,073
And all these creatures were thought of
219
00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,038
as having both human and animal
characteristics.
220
00:21:23,120 --> 00:21:25,429
Because this is not a picture
of a real dogfish,
221
00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:29,798
this is a picture of a mythological dogfish
which figures in some legends.
222
00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:35,193
You've also taken these particular styles
and made them into different things.
223
00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:39,432
You've got some beautiful gold things
down there. What sort of box is that?
224
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,671
Well, it's an adaptation of an old form.
225
00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,309
It was a food dish, actually,
for serving food at feasts and so on.
226
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:51,110
And was made out of wood.
And this is in the form of a beaver,
227
00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:54,510
which is identifiable
by his two big incisor teeth.
228
00:21:55,600 --> 00:21:58,478
It's interesting what they did
with these designs.
229
00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:03,509
What I tried to reproduce in this one
is that they played tricks all the time.
230
00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:07,195
You know, in... jokes were a big thing in the art.
231
00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:11,068
One of the in... jokes was to make
the two sides of a box like this,
232
00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:15,551
so that they appeared, as you turned the box,
to be symmetrical.
233
00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,677
But in fact they're different
in every element.
234
00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,069
- You can see...
- They've got faces...
235
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,549
It's got a face on this side, a face on this side.
236
00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:27,235
But the two faces are different
so you have to keep looking back.
237
00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:31,552
It's kind of a surprise when you find that
these elements are different.
238
00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:36,475
And the same with the little border
round the top of the lid here,
239
00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:40,189
which looks as though it's just
a symmetrical geometric border.
240
00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:44,319
In actual fact, every corner
is different from every other corner.
241
00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:52,870
One of the great impulses
behind the art of the northwest coast,
242
00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:58,080
I think, was to give as, achieve as much
variety and difference as possible
243
00:22:58,160 --> 00:22:59,912
within the limitations,
244
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,151
and the artist
was always pushing against the limitations
245
00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:05,993
to make an individual statement,
246
00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,719
in spite of the restrictions
which were put on him.
247
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:14,909
So that it was essential that he had rules
against which to press, as it were.
248
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,230
Yes, I think this is the thing
249
00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:22,394
that probably makes the northwest coast art
as appealing today as it is,
250
00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,836
is the enormous tensions
which lie within the designs
251
00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:29,708
and part of that tension
does come from the rigid rules
252
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,678
which the artist
was always pushing against.
253
00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:38,312
And I think this is a very tense,
almost anxious, art form, in some ways.
254
00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:45,158
I think there were tensions,
contradictions, anxieties,
255
00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:47,515
which had to be released in some way.
256
00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:49,670
And I think this enormous production of art
257
00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:53,958
was a device which they evolved
to take care of this situation.
258
00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,508
Cos it could be that the northwest coast
259
00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,398
was one of the oldest
continuous cultures in the world
260
00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,597
and they had worked out
a pretty stable way of life.
261
00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,592
And the art must have been
tremendously important to them
262
00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:09,309
because they devoted so much
of their time and energy
263
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,516
to the production of these things.
264
00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:16,996
Both the Haida and the Gitxsan
265
00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,755
carved poles and left the wood plain
and unpainted.
266
00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:23,593
This, one of the most ancient still standing,
267
00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,752
represents wolves which surround a bear.
268
00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:31,834
The bear has been disembowelled.
Its stomach and intestines lie below it.
269
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,435
At the bottom,
forest spirits encircle a hole
270
00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,876
which once served
as an entrance to a great house.
271
00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:48,670
But this pole is very different.
272
00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:53,117
Powerfully carved in three dimensions
and brilliantly painted.
273
00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:58,911
And it's different because we've come
300 miles south to a different country.
274
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,230
The land of the Kwakiutl people.
275
00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:03,276
This is Alert Bay,
276
00:25:03,360 --> 00:25:06,397
almost the only place
on the entire northwest coast
277
00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,677
where the old traditions
of carving and music and dancing
278
00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:13,150
have remained unbroken since early times.
279
00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:18,268
And this pole is itself an indication
of that continuity of tradition.
280
00:25:18,360 --> 00:25:22,876
It's certainly one of the finest poles
still extant
281
00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:27,670
and yet it was carved in comparatively
recent times, sometime in the '20s,
282
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:31,912
by Willie Seaweed, one of the greatest
of the Kwakiutl carvers.
283
00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:36,835
It represents a Dzunuk'wa,
the wild woman of the forest,
284
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,356
her red lips pouting as she hoots a noise
285
00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,069
which they say you can still hear
in the forest sometimes.
286
00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:48,199
And on her head,
another impressive emblem figure,
287
00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:49,838
the Thunderbird.
288
00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:55,994
The Kwakiutl have produced some of the most
flamboyant sculpture on the coast.
289
00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:59,550
This figure has been given a hat
with a bucket for a crown,
290
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:01,790
and a motor tyre for a brim.
291
00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:06,510
And whilst other tribes have favoured
austere unpainted wood,
292
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,194
the Kwakiutl, particularly in recent times,
293
00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:11,669
have delighted in vivid colour.
294
00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,917
Tradition is strong in Alert Bay.
295
00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,833
The people have recently built
a new ceremonial house
296
00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,593
and there are still people here who took part
297
00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:27,558
in Edward Curtis's film
of the spectacular dramas
298
00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:29,756
that were held in such places.
299
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:31,910
(Chanting and drumming)
300
00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:40,916
(Shouting)
301
00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,359
Wealth on the coast
was much the same thing as importance
302
00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,398
and big chiefs
went out of their way at such feasts
303
00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:53,436
to show how rich they were.
304
00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:57,399
0ne of the most prized foods
was a certain kind of fish oil
305
00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,040
and people would drink it from giant ladles
306
00:27:00,120 --> 00:27:04,477
and take pride in spilling it carelessly
all over themselves.
307
00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:06,516
(Singing)
308
00:27:12,360 --> 00:27:14,999
There were some feasts called potlatches,
309
00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:19,790
at which new rights or a new rank
or standard was conferred on a chief.
310
00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,316
The people who came to witness
such investitures
311
00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:28,109
not only shared in the feast
but were given extravagant presents.
312
00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:30,509
All kinds of goods were handed out.
313
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:33,831
Pots and pans, trade blankets by the 100,
314
00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:35,751
bags of flour by the ton,
315
00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:39,435
furniture, banknotes, even canoes.
316
00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,398
Giving away one's wealth publicly, of course,
317
00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,675
is not unknown in Europe or elsewhere,
318
00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:48,435
as a way of gaining prestige
and a place in the aristocracy.
319
00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:50,476
And it was the same here.
320
00:27:57,080 --> 00:27:59,275
A potlatch was also the occasion
321
00:27:59,360 --> 00:28:02,591
when a chief displayed
his most impressive heirlooms.
322
00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:05,478
Masks, carvings of all kinds,
323
00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:09,189
and these extraordinary objects, coppers.
324
00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:14,795
They are made from sheet copper.
325
00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,713
Some of them
have designs painted on them like this.
326
00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:20,519
Some are plain. All are extremely valuable.
327
00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:25,469
And the display of a copper
might form the climax of a potlatch.
328
00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:27,994
Indeed, coppers became more valuable,
329
00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:31,595
the greater the number of potlatches
at which they were displayed.
330
00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:36,037
Sometimes a chief
would offer a copper for sale to a rival,
331
00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:41,319
who had to buy that copper at the price
that was last paid for it, plus a bit more,
332
00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:43,118
or else be shamed.
333
00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:47,239
And so some coppers became worth
literally thousands of dollars.
334
00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:49,629
They're a bit like banknotes.
335
00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,553
In themselves, they are worthless
336
00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,279
but they represent huge sums of money.
337
00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,828
At the end of the last century,
338
00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:02,198
wealth was flooding on to the coast
of northwest America
339
00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:04,510
in unprecedented scale.
340
00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:08,832
And great chiefs assembled
around the white man's trading posts
341
00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,480
and bitter rivalries developed between them
342
00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:15,075
as they competed
for the lion's share of the wealth.
343
00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,116
A rivalry that was expressed
344
00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:20,510
not only in the magnificence
and extravagance of the potlatches
345
00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:23,672
but also in the destruction of goods.
346
00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,877
At potlatches they would smash pots and pans,
347
00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:31,590
they would burn banknotes,
destroy blankets and even break a copper.
348
00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:34,911
And when a man did that,
he would take the worthless fragments
349
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,992
and hand them contemptuously to his rival.
350
00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,435
Who then, if he were not to be shamed,
351
00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:45,036
would have to destroy wealth of his own
to the value of that copper
352
00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:46,997
plus a bit more.
353
00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:52,234
I know of a woman,
she was from Village Island.
354
00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:56,108
She was one of the higher rank ladies.
355
00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:01,228
Lucy Brown remembers those
competitive potlatches very well indeed.
356
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,756
Yeah. I think she took her brother's standard.
357
00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:07,274
She lost the brother that had the standard.
358
00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:11,353
And I watched her as a little girl.
359
00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:13,874
She was a relation of mine.
360
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:17,635
And I asked her, "What are you doing?"
I said to her.
361
00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:22,191
She had this copper
and she was hammering away at this.
362
00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,555
And she had her face all black
363
00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,200
and I said, "What are you doing?"
364
00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:29,919
She says, "I just want to make that loose
365
00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,470
"so I won't have a hard time
when I start breaking it inside."
366
00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:37,394
So she unbraided her hair
and walked in with this copper.
367
00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:40,715
They all have names.
368
00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:44,759
I know a copper called Lubixil.
369
00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:47,434
- What does that mean?
- That means...
370
00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:51,877
The whole thing is emptied out
from the guy that has it.
371
00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:54,838
- (Laughs)
- He's got nothing left, you know.
372
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,833
He's given everything he had
to that copper, to have that copper.
373
00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:03,152
The government decided that these
events must be stopped.
374
00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:04,798
Potlatching was outlawed.
375
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:07,952
But the Kwakiutl
clung doggedly to their traditions
376
00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,759
and in 1921, in spite of the ban,
377
00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:14,276
a huge potlatch was held in a secluded village.
378
00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,955
Just after it finished,
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrived.
379
00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:19,632
30 people were arrested,
380
00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:23,679
and some 800 masks and pieces of regalia
were confiscated.
381
00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:26,957
The anger of people
at this suppression was intense
382
00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,508
and they've been campaigning
for the restitution
383
00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,034
of their traditional rights and heirlooms.
384
00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,315
Potlatching is no longer forbidden
385
00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,198
but the precious objects
have still not been returned.
386
00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:41,558
The people have now made a film
of their own to make their case in public.
387
00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:45,838
They're even building a museum to house
the heirlooms when they are returned.
388
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:49,997
But at least potlatches
can now be held openly once more
389
00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:54,756
as an honourable way of acquiring
and proclaiming one's rank and position.
390
00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,514
Alert Bay is a wealthy community
391
00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:03,513
with a thriving fishing fleet
run by men of substance
392
00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:07,559
who respect and support
the aristocratic structure of their tribe.
393
00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:18,311
The Skalu... the name means "whale"...
394
00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,516
is owned and skippered by Arthur Dick,
395
00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:23,319
the head of one of Alert Bay's
important families.
396
00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:27,234
A family that is also a great upholder
of Kwakiutl custom.
397
00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:31,518
Like nearly everyone in the bay,
Arthur's fortunes are founded on fish.
398
00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:36,352
When we go out,
399
00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:39,910
you... you've got to know where to go
and the right time,
400
00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:41,991
otherwise you not good fisherman.
401
00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:45,789
Right time. You've got to have
the right spot and the right time.
402
00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:51,477
And I tell you the fish come in
and they show up on exactly the right time.
403
00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:53,790
Cos I got it in my log book.
404
00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:59,238
Every year I got in my... Exactly the right time.
You will never go wrong.
405
00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:03,552
If you become a fisherman,
I give you my book.
406
00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:05,915
- You'll never go wrong.
- Well, thanks!
407
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,389
Every year, exactly the same day.
408
00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:11,870
(David) I know that you're going
to have a potlatch.
409
00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:14,030
Potlatch really means respect.
410
00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:16,998
I just want to say this to you.
411
00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:21,471
Respect. You highly honour your... oldest.
412
00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:23,710
That's what it really means.
413
00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:27,509
But you give away
a lot of... a lot of goods, don't you?
414
00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,194
You give away a lot of things, yeah.
415
00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:33,636
When a person calls a potlatch,
416
00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:37,429
everybody come, they... everybody come.
417
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:41,559
The guys that didn't come,
he's got no respect for you.
418
00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:47,153
While Arthur goes off on a tour
round the islands
419
00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,310
to make sure that his guests do come,
420
00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:53,518
preparations continue in his house
back in Alert Bay.
421
00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:59,352
There's lots of stories
of people going to potlatch.
422
00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:04,309
Ron Hamilton, one of the guests,
has been recruited to paint a screen,
423
00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:07,198
for he's an artist
with a considerable reputation.
424
00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:11,034
You just hear that someone needs
a certain kind of mask.
425
00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:13,270
They knock that mask out in a day.
426
00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:15,476
Knock it out in a couple of hours.
427
00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:17,994
I've heard stories
where people sat on beaches
428
00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:21,277
and carve a mask or paint a screen.
429
00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:25,831
Screens are all painted overnight,
one night, that's all they were allowed.
430
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:33,199
(David) So in past times, just as today, there
were great artists, who everybody knew.
431
00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:35,157
Oh, yeah.
432
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:38,471
And so presumably there was competition
to get them to do
433
00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:40,915
things for particular ceremonials.
434
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,798
There was competition between them, for sure.
435
00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:47,156
There's lots of cooperation too.
There is competition.
436
00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:50,996
As sure as shooting.
437
00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:59,678
While Ron works, the womenfolk
are sewing white ermine fur
438
00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,149
onto plaited red cedar bark headbands.
439
00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:07,672
A hat, worn before on many ritual occasions,
440
00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:10,558
must be refurbished with iridescent shell.
441
00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:12,676
(Speaks Kwak'wala)
442
00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:16,799
And the old ladies retell stories
of potlatches of their youth
443
00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:21,192
and of the reckless, splendid extravagance
of the great chiefs of the past.
444
00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:23,236
(Speaks Kwak'wala)
445
00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:33,718
And in a back room,
Crooked Beak of Heaven awaits.
446
00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:37,429
Do you think there's more
of this sort of activity going on now
447
00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:39,909
than there was when you were younger?
448
00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:44,039
The time when it's against the law,
when people are scared to do it,
449
00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:47,829
the time when I guess you could say
450
00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:52,038
it was not a good thing to be an Indian,
is over with now.
451
00:35:52,120 --> 00:35:56,830
Things are getting better. People are starting
to accept Indians a little bit more.
452
00:35:56,920 --> 00:35:59,639
The law against potlatching's over.
453
00:35:59,720 --> 00:36:04,475
Indian children are going to school
and their teachers are white people.
454
00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:10,032
By saying "Your people got beautiful art,
your people got beautiful dancers,
455
00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:14,830
"your people got beautiful songs
and beautiful houses.
456
00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,957
"They got everything that's nice."
457
00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:22,397
And I guess
hearing it come from a stranger,
458
00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:26,234
it makes you maybe believe it more,
459
00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:28,959
than if you just hear it
from your own family.
460
00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:32,430
I guess it's another thing too,
embarrassment, you know.
461
00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:35,956
I know one of my nieces went to school
and they were talking.
462
00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:38,349
"What are you? ' 'I'm an Indian."
463
00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:41,432
"Oh. You got an Indian name?"
464
00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:43,078
"No."
465
00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:45,515
"Oh. You talk Indian language?" "No."
466
00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,114
"You live in an Indian house?" "No."
467
00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:50,395
"You got Indian dress?" "No."
468
00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:54,678
"How come you're Indian? What makes you
Indian?" See? That's embarrassing.
469
00:36:56,200 --> 00:37:03,356
So maybe the Indians just want to know
more about their own lifestyle, I guess.
470
00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:07,033
(David) Arthur Dick need have had no worries
about the number of guests
471
00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:08,872
who would come to his potlatch.
472
00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:11,394
The big house is crowded to capacity.
473
00:37:13,240 --> 00:37:14,958
(Drumming and chanting)
474
00:37:31,360 --> 00:37:34,158
Arthur's son is dressed as a Hamatsa,
475
00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:37,277
a man possessed by the
great cannibal spirit of the forest
476
00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:39,999
and in a frenzy for the taste of human flesh.
477
00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:43,277
In former times, men could only dance this
478
00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:45,874
if they had undergone
an arduous initiation,
479
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,235
living alone in the forest for months
480
00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:51,232
and becoming
totally wild and uncontrollable
481
00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:53,197
as the spirit took hold of them.
482
00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:57,478
Such a dance is a most valuable prerogative
belonging to the Dick family.
483
00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:01,633
And it's the first and one of
the most important events of the evening.
484
00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:26,198
The cannibal Hamatsa has been tamed
and turned into a Kolus,
485
00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:28,874
a creature rather like a young Thunderbird.
486
00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:33,556
The women of his family
dance in celebration behind him.
487
00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:37,836
(Singing)
488
00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:19,151
Lucy Brown is dancing with a copper,
489
00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:23,233
one that is so well used
that it's lost three of its panels.
490
00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:50,075
The screen, painted by Ron Hamilton,
is set up for the first time.
491
00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:51,991
Everyone knows that it's his work
492
00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:55,356
and from now it will be treasured
as part of the Dick possessions
493
00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:57,556
to be displayed at all his potlatches.
494
00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:06,470
0ne of Arthur's granddaughters,
in her refurbished hat,
495
00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:08,516
dances in front of it.
496
00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:11,956
The privilege to dance in this way
was brought to the Dick family
497
00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:14,998
when one of his forebears
several generations back
498
00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:19,392
married a woman from the Nutka people,
the Kwakiutls' neighbours to the west.
499
00:40:19,480 --> 00:40:23,393
So valuable do the people
consider the rights to such dances
500
00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:26,870
that men have been known
to take second or third wives,
501
00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:31,397
just for the sake of the prerogatives
that they bring with them on marriage.
502
00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:44,032
The children have their own special rights.
503
00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:47,749
These are wearing masks
that represent the daylight,
504
00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:49,990
for this is a dance of the dawn.
505
00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:03,796
(Rattles and drums)
506
00:41:12,440 --> 00:41:16,638
The Kwekwaxa'we,
men with rattles made of scallop shells.
507
00:41:16,720 --> 00:41:21,555
This dance belonged originally to
the Salish people, 200 miles to the south.
508
00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:25,792
Several families among the Kwakiutl
have the rights to this,
509
00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:29,555
for there have been several marriages
with the Salish over the years.
510
00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:54,229
0ne of Arthur's relatives scatters coins
and the children scramble for them.
511
00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:56,709
It's an essential part of the Kwekwaxa'we
512
00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:58,870
and the first distribution of gifts
513
00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:01,315
but a mere hint of what is to come.
514
00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:30,956
(Wailing)
515
00:42:53,360 --> 00:42:55,510
And now comes another Hamatsa.
516
00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:59,991
An old man who was initiated
into the Hamatsa rituals many years ago
517
00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:04,073
when the customs were more
strictly adhered to than they are now.
518
00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:08,233
He produces slightly nervous laughter
from his audience
519
00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:11,915
and just occasionally
he freezes a laugh on their lips
520
00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:16,039
as they catch a glimpse of something
that they don't quite understand.
521
00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:18,076
(Singing)
522
00:44:07,240 --> 00:44:09,390
(Applause)
523
00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:14,479
Arthur Dick's new honours are now conferred
upon him by a high... ranking chief.
524
00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:18,633
For the first time, he wears
a chief's mask of the Tsonoqwa spirit,
525
00:44:18,720 --> 00:44:20,438
and all who see him do so
526
00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:23,990
acknowledge and accept
that he now has that right.
527
00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:26,636
(Wails)
528
00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:43,276
He is also to receive the copper
which Lucy Brown displayed in her dance.
529
00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:46,432
It comes to him
because his son recently married,
530
00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:49,318
and the bride's family
promised Arthur this copper
531
00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:51,356
as part of the marriage settlement.
532
00:44:51,440 --> 00:44:55,035
But it would not be truly his
if the gift were made in private.
533
00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:59,352
It must be handed over during a potlatch
so that all may see.
534
00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:02,876
(Speaks Kwak'wala)
535
00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:05,076
A chief from a nearby village speaks.
536
00:45:11,280 --> 00:45:15,398
"I rejoice that Arthur Dick has received
from the family of his daughter... in... law
537
00:45:15,480 --> 00:45:17,675
"the copper Caratola.
538
00:45:17,760 --> 00:45:21,070
"I am pleased that he has stood up
in the ways of his ancestors
539
00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:25,358
"and that he has done this thing,
that he has given this potlatch. "
540
00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:41,193
Now comes the distribution of gifts
to all those who have witnessed
541
00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:43,316
Arthur Dick's investiture.
542
00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:47,552
His lavishness and generosity now
will be a measure of his greatness.
543
00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:51,315
A validation of his right
to new, exalted titles.
544
00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:55,871
Now people may truly judge
whether or not he is a great man.
545
00:45:55,960 --> 00:45:58,394
Goods of all kinds and values
546
00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:01,711
are distributed
to the several hundred people present.
547
00:46:01,800 --> 00:46:04,439
Important people will get important gifts.
548
00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:06,431
Everybody will get something.
549
00:46:06,520 --> 00:46:08,875
There will be pots and pans and tea towels,
550
00:46:08,960 --> 00:46:11,110
knitted hats and radio sets,
551
00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:13,873
buckets and bowls, and dollar bills.
552
00:46:38,680 --> 00:46:41,148
There are calculating eyes in the audience.
553
00:46:41,240 --> 00:46:43,754
It's clear that Arthur must at this moment
554
00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:48,550
be in the process of distributing several
thousand dollars' worth of goods and cash.
555
00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:50,756
By accepting these gifts,
556
00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:53,274
his guests are publicly acknowledging
557
00:46:53,360 --> 00:46:55,828
that they accept his claims to his new rank.
558
00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:03,236
(Laughter)
559
00:47:05,520 --> 00:47:07,317
It's long past midnight.
560
00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:11,075
Dancing and singing
has been going on for over eight hours.
561
00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:15,631
The Dick family have done their audience
and themselves more than justice.
562
00:47:15,720 --> 00:47:17,517
Their gifts have been generous
563
00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:20,398
and the dances and regalia
they have displayed
564
00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:22,755
have been those that befit a great man.
565
00:47:22,840 --> 00:47:25,559
The public ceremonies are over
566
00:47:25,640 --> 00:47:28,950
but the family will go on celebrating
their successful potlatch
567
00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:31,554
in their own houses until dawn.
568
00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:38,876
(Singing)
569
00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:44,236
Three days later,
Crooked Beak of Heaven is dancing again.
570
00:47:44,320 --> 00:47:47,118
For this is the beginning
of the new fishing season.
571
00:47:47,200 --> 00:47:50,158
In celebration, the Skalu,
like the rest of the fleet,
572
00:47:50,240 --> 00:47:53,198
is dressed overall,
pennants flying form the masts,
573
00:47:53,280 --> 00:47:55,396
dancers parading on the decks.
574
00:47:55,480 --> 00:47:57,436
(Singing)
575
00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:05,989
0nce again, the Kwakiutl will be putting to sea
576
00:48:06,080 --> 00:48:09,834
to fish in the waters
that have provided them with such riches
577
00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:13,833
ever since they settled here,
on the northwest coast of America.