THE WORLD OF A TLINGIT SHAMAN,
TEK'IC [Little Stone's Father] (1830-1890)
a.k.a. LxaGusa [Tells of War]
*turn sound on: song playing
-info at bottom of page
1890. Tek'ic asked for a photo prior to having his shamanic dreadlocks cut off (because his brothers were all dead). He died immediately after. He wears the Q-Agan ganguc [sun’s ears] headdress.
"We get some impression of the shaman's appearance
from the photograph taken of Tek-'ic, just before his
death, when he was sitting on the steps of Bear House,
Khantaak Island. One who had known him
said that his face was ugly and haggard because he
had to fast so much." de Laguna, Under Mt. St. Elias, Vol.2, p.685
Tek-'ic (Little Stone’s Father) pronounced 'Take-Éesh'
a.k.a. Lxagusa (tells of war) pronounced 'Lock-oo-SÁh'
Last SHAMAN (ixt) of his clan, Head of Bear House on Khantaak Island
Referred to by townspeople as, "the great doctor."
CLAN: Bear House (Te'qwe'di) , stored some shamanic items in house's "drum room" [gau ta]
The Teqwedi/Bear Clan House gained the moniker, "Coward House" in a peace ceremony:
Before 1880, Tek'ic's uncle and shamanic mentor,
QadJAqdaqina, was killed by the Kwackqwan (Owl) clan...
Because he had not avenged his uncle's death, Xadanek Johnstone
(Tek'ic's brother) renamed the Bear House, Coward House, so no one could call him a coward.
BORN circa 1830- DIED circa 1890
FAMILY:
-Wife: ("Tek-'ic had only one child because he could stay with his wife only a certain day of each month. The rest of the time he was off in the woods")
Laguna, Under Mt. St. Elias, vol. 2, p. 683.
-Brother: Hatl'is-nak
-Brother: Xadanek Johnstone
-Younger brother: Ca-kuwakan (Jack Shaw-coo-kawn)
-Son: Tom Coxe
-Uncle (mentor): QadJAqdaqina *(died of murder)
-Nephew (apprentice): Jim Kardeetoo (1862-1937)
MENTOR: Xatgawet (pronounced 'Hót-ga-wait'), QadJAqdaqina
(uncle- gave spirits/paraphernalia)
APPRENTICE: -Jim Kardeetoo (1862-1937) *sold Tek'ic's paraphernalia upon his death
to Reverend Axelson
-Skin Canoe George "Ki-ye-quart-kene," or Xeyegatqin (1855-1900).
GRAVE: at Diyaguna'Et on Lost River (Gucine), same house as uncle, QadJAqdaqina
*Grave house was repaired once, son Tom painted bear on it.
*1900- Kardeetoo exhumed Tek'ic from his raised shaman grave-house & gave
Tek’ic a Christian burial: underground, with his shaman tools, destroying
Tek'ic's soul, ending this line of shaman (shaman & their tools must be
kept above the Earth)
YEK (shamanic helper spirits) *likely would have had eight
-Brown Bear (xuts qu yek),
-No Eyes Spirit [LucwAq yek]- a Teqwedi (Bear-Clan) shaman, chief, and hero who turned into a yek upon murder by an enemy clan.
*Song playing now
-4 Land Otter spirits (to multiply his power) ‘kucda-yek’ (pp. 681, 678)
-'Child of the Sun' (gAgan-yAtxi) * Inherited from mentor Xatgawet (p. 710)
*was purported to be the strongest of the Bear Clan's yek,
and "the sun itself."
HEAR THE 'Child of the Sun' YEK SONG HERE
-de Laguna, Under Mt St Elias, vol 7, book 2
PARAPHERNALIA (documented only) :
*some kept tied in a box high out of reach of children/the uninitiated,
the most powerful tools were kept out in the forest in a hollow tree or cave
-knife with ‘child of the sun’effigy, *(See photo above),
-headdress of ‘child of the sun’ Q-Agan ganguc [sun’s ears] *(See photos)
* leather, abalone sun disks, baleen, and human hair,
-"lucky"otter skin [tlAxetl dugu] (touched it to patients to cure wounds...,
held otter mouth to his ear to hear song),
-bear claw headdress (perhaps goat horn version),
-rattle,
-ring of devilclub plants (patient stepped through for healing),
-otter tongue power bundle [shutch] *(hidden in hollow tree or cave, visited yearly to clean)
*contains tongue slice: "luck" [tlAx'tl], devilclub, & bear jaw
*Photos below,
-mussel-shell [yis] knife ['lita], to cut shamanic animal tongues,
-shaman apron (sAuket),
-yek language,
-round skin drum,
-Bear Clan killerwhale box drum [Tsimshian made] *(see photo),
-button blanket,
-large round bone earrings,
-braided root belt (sIk),
-black face-paint,
-witch-finding staff (nuk'' sati ketfi: "witchcraft dog"),
-wooden spirit figure ['ixt XAU Yegi]- described as a 'messenger', his bear spirit,
12 in tall figure with claw crown & carved bear, it could walk, gather
& eat shellfish 'like mad,' 'before the raven crowed,' after which it
turned to wood & fell down, kept in a hollow hemlock tree (if people
approached it, they got sick). *During the Child of the Sun song the
figure would be placed atop the Tsimshian Killerwhale drum and the
figure would dance of its own volition *(similar photo below).
(de Laguna, Under Mt St Elias, vol 7 pt 2, p. 705),
-woven mat,
-eagle down,
-red healing paint,
-yek songs,
-bone hair-pins,
-tapping sticks,
DEEDS
*major supernatural ceremonies required 8 days of
fasting, thirsting, and abstinence
-sent yek (helper spirit) to find missing brother’s son in Knight Island after seal hunt
*had to fast/thirst, announce his payment to the yek, & leave his hair down
while waiting for a reply
-helped brother hunt bear with spear
-treated Bear Bit Billy (Kwackqwan/Owl clan, Head of Fort House, aka BB Williams)
of horrendous wounds following bear attack inTsa 'ani [sealing camp,
'Seal's Town,' in Disenchantment Bay] **See photo below
-cured spirit intrusion ('Anelsin) of 14 year old girl, who opened a shaman grave box
& touched a shaman's wooden fish rattle and bone necklace, causing her
belly to bloat, pain, and a fish tail traveling under skin (the tail of the rattle)
-spirit traveled to other towns (under water, along the edge of the underworld
abyss [hay-wAui])- eg to Sitka, while Tek'ic laid under a cedar-bark mat
in Yakutat
-healed through blowing, singing, painting red ochre, rubbing, shaking, uttering a cry like a muffled shout
-cured headache : house was cleaned, new boards put by the fire, ran around the fire,
fell into a trance, then spirit in him spoke. Then food and tobacco were served to the guests.
-lanced the infected wound of young girl to let out the pus
-cured mumps in children
-predicted war/attacks
-knew emotional state/traumatic experience by looking at a woman
-threw/caught burning logs without injury (power demonstration)
-exposed witches using staff called ‘witchcraft dog’- shaman yelped like a dog, pretended to haul in an invisible rope, and was led by this to the terrified slave whom he denounced as a witch, then fell into convulsions
-cured stab wounds without leaving a scar (heal a cut instantly)
-treated the Cakwe boys who had been stabbed by their uncle
-interpreted others’ dreams
-told future through his dreams, or through spirit (yek) warnings
(back to fire, quiet house, hair down)
-magically paralyzed a rival Tlingit shaman (Abercrombie, 1884)
Tek'ic cured Bear-Bit Billy [K'wackqwan clan, Head of Fort House] of horrendous wounds following bear attack in Disenchantment Bay. The bear, feeling guilty stayed & allowed itself to be killed. The hide was kept (behind Billy?), and the Bear clan had to pay a fine for the 'offense.' Bear-Bit Billy lived another 15 years.
DEATH OF TEK’IC
1890- asked to have his hair cut because his brothers were all dead
(Another source said that Tek'ic's spirit told him bad news was coming: that chief Minaman (Daqusetc?) died,
who was to care for Tek’ic’s body) thus Tek'ic wanted to die. They took him to the clean sand of the
beach, and cut his hair. He died soon after."
" The life of the shaman was in his hair—'like Sampson,'
one informant commented. He could not cut it,
nor could his wife cut hers. The shaman's long matted
locks ('ixt xisi) could never be combed out."
Laguna, Under Mt. St. Elias, p. 685
*First Tek'ic wanted a commemorative photo taken
(See photo above)
------------------------
After Death: The corpse retained its dangerous power, Kardeetoo said that every fly
that landed on Tek-'ic's body dropped dead.
Tek’ic’s long hair and claw-like nails never stopped growing. Tek-'ic's fingernails grew through the board on which he lay. . . . His body did not rot, & children could not
approach the grave without sickness, or fainting spells.
1900- Kardeetoo, Tek'ic's former apprentice, now a Christian, exhumed Tek'ic from his shaman grave-house, and reburied Tek’ic in the ground (with his shaman tools) according
to Christian observance, ending this line of shaman. Kardeetoo wanted to prevent
the power of Tek'ic and his tools from transferring and creating a new shaman...
Christian missionaries discouraged shamanic practice, so they reburied him,
with the little wooden figure of the Sun's Child into which he used to put his power.
They say that's why many Bear Clan (Teqwedi) members died soon after,
because they destroyed Tek'ic's spirit —killing all the Bear clans' souls. . . .
-The name 'Little Stone*s Father* (Tek-*ic) was given to a small boy, born after the death of the shaman.
Model of a raised shaman grave-house ('ixt' qadakedi )
similar to the one in which Tek'ic was first entombed.
The shaman's mummified remains lie above the Earth, on his box of paraphernalia.
****
"A new shaman becomes one through infection by
the spirit or power of a dead shaman, usually a relative. This comes from going near the grave house, or from handling the shamanistic paraphernaha. Therefore, when a shaman died, it was customary for his nephews to be present at the ensepulture of his remains." -de Laguna, Under Mt St Elais
Tek'ic's World
THE SHAMANIC PARAPHERNALIA OF TEK'IC (& other Yakutat shaman)
Tek'ic's Sun's Ears headdress: sun’ Q-Agan ganguc :
-----------------------------------
"Teqwedi shamans at Yakutat wore a special headdress called the 'Sun's ears' (gAgan gAnguc). The one worn by Tek'ic was sold by Jim Kardeetoo to the Reverend Axelson (pi. 144). My informants described this headdress as an exclusive prerogative of Teqwedi shamans, but not restricted to those at Yakutat."
It was like when the sun comes out. It was colored, like a rainbow (abalone?). But it had human hair on it. It was made out of leather, with baleen [yay i a xiEui] on back of the ears. The headpiece is mounted with abalone shell, costly at that time. That's Tek-'ic's uniform." (MJ) "-de Laguna, Under Mt. St Elias, Vol7, part 2, p.694
-----------------------------------
"Teqwedi shamans at Yakutat wore a special headdress called the 'Sun's ears' (gAgan gAnguc). The one worn by Tek'ic was sold by Jim Kardeetoo to the Reverend Axelson (pi. 144). My informants described this headdress as an exclusive prerogative of Teqwedi shamans, but not restricted to those at Yakutat."
It was like when the sun comes out. It was colored, like a rainbow (abalone?). But it had human hair on it. It was made out of leather, with baleen [yay i a xiEui] on back of the ears. The headpiece is mounted with abalone shell, costly at that time. That's Tek-'ic's uniform." (MJ) "-de Laguna, Under Mt. St Elias, Vol7, part 2, p.694
Shaman's Song of Tek'-ic
***Playing in background of this page
PERFORMED BY Charley White,
nephew of Tek'ic, in 1954.
"This is a song for one of Tek'ic's helper spirits (yek), who was first a Teqwedi (Bear-Clan) shaman, chief, and hero. The spirit's name is LucwAq yek [No Eyes Spirit], or LucwAq yAhayi [No Eyes Shadow]
Source: De Laguna, Frederica. Tlingit and Yakutat songs, etc., 1954. (Mss.Rec.30)
NOTE REGARDING THE YEK (shamanic spirit helper) LucwAq
LucwAq (“No Eyes”) was a Teqwedi (bear clan) Chief & Shaman who turned into a yek:
*One winter, LucwAq foretold: when the Tl’uknaxAdi (silver salmon clan) attack (a war over a woman), "If you people kill me before anything happens, you win the war. If you don't kill me, you’re defeated...” The bear-clan opened the door to the clan-house, & made a ramp out of ice to slow their enemies. Then LucwAq & some men went out to cut wood (as each morning), but he saw an enemy behind a tree. They ran to the house, but LucwAq was accidentally shot as he entered the house, mistaken for an enemy. LucwAq explained, ”You kill me. My own people kill me. My wish is come true. You're going to win the war.”
The Bear clan defeated the enemies that attacked the clan house, & pursued but did not kill the rest. LucwAq yet survived... Later, in revenge, the Tl’uknaxAdi (silver salmon clan) attacked & killed many bear clan men at a sealing camp at WuganiyE. LucwAq escaped but the Tl’uknaxAdi pursued him up a cliff, & shot his leg off.
LucwAq died exclaiming, “I'm going to be a yek [shaman's spirit] against you."
“And it came true. LucwAq's spirit came to TEK-'IC.
And that yek, was named "LucwAq yAhayi" (No Eyes- Shadow [spirit]).
-de Laguna, Under Mt St Elias, Vol 7, part 1
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LYRICS:
'a ha ha ha
'uwe he 'ehe
'a ha ha-a, 'uwe huhe
'e-ye-e he he
'a ha huwe hehe
'a he he, he he ya
A' 'unA-Ax ke-he— I AM GOING TO
B ka gu-hu da-ha—GO UP THERE
C Laxata-a kina ha-a— ABOVE YAKUTAT BAY
D' 'a-a, 'a ha ha-a
E' 'i ya ha, 'iya ha,
F' 'a ha- 'a ha ha,
A' 'una-Ax ya—THERE I TURNED MY FACE DOWN
B" kA-lita-a 'a-a— THERE I LOOKED THROUGH A HOLE
C -ha ha, GudAlkexl kina ha—ABOVE EAGLE FORT
D 'a ha ha, 'a he ha
('a ha, 'a ha u!) [repeat]
Shaman's Song of Tek'-ic
***Playing in background of this page
PERFORMED BY Charley White,
nephew of Tek'ic, in 1954.
"This is a song for one of Tek'ic's helper spirits (yek), who was first a Teqwedi (Bear-Clan) shaman, chief, and hero. The spirit's name is LucwAq yek [No Eyes Spirit], or LucwAq yAhayi [No Eyes Shadow]
Source: De Laguna, Frederica. Tlingit and Yakutat songs, etc., 1954. (Mss.Rec.30)
NOTE REGARDING THE YEK (shamanic spirit helper) LucwAq
LucwAq (“No Eyes”) was a Teqwedi (bear clan) Chief & Shaman who turned into a yek:
*One winter, LucwAq foretold: when the Tl’uknaxAdi (silver salmon clan) attack (a war over a woman), "If you people kill me before anything happens, you win the war. If you don't kill me, you’re defeated...” The bear-clan opened the door to the clan-house, & made a ramp out of ice to slow their enemies. Then LucwAq & some men went out to cut wood (as each morning), but he saw an enemy behind a tree. They ran to the house, but LucwAq was accidentally shot as he entered the house, mistaken for an enemy. LucwAq explained, ”You kill me. My own people kill me. My wish is come true. You're going to win the war.”
The Bear clan defeated the enemies that attacked the clan house, & pursued but did not kill the rest. LucwAq yet survived... Later, in revenge, the Tl’uknaxAdi (silver salmon clan) attacked & killed many bear clan men at a sealing camp at WuganiyE. LucwAq escaped but the Tl’uknaxAdi pursued him up a cliff, & shot his leg off.
LucwAq died exclaiming, “I'm going to be a yek [shaman's spirit] against you."
“And it came true. LucwAq's spirit came to TEK-'IC.
And that yek, was named "LucwAq yAhayi" (No Eyes- Shadow [spirit]).
-de Laguna, Under Mt St Elias, Vol 7, part 1
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LYRICS:
'a ha ha ha
'uwe he 'ehe
'a ha ha-a, 'uwe huhe
'e-ye-e he he
'a ha huwe hehe
'a he he, he he ya
A' 'unA-Ax ke-he— I AM GOING TO
B ka gu-hu da-ha—GO UP THERE
C Laxata-a kina ha-a— ABOVE YAKUTAT BAY
D' 'a-a, 'a ha ha-a
E' 'i ya ha, 'iya ha,
F' 'a ha- 'a ha ha,
A' 'una-Ax ya—THERE I TURNED MY FACE DOWN
B" kA-lita-a 'a-a— THERE I LOOKED THROUGH A HOLE
C -ha ha, GudAlkexl kina ha—ABOVE EAGLE FORT
D 'a ha ha, 'a he ha
('a ha, 'a ha u!) [repeat]
Listen to another of Tek'ic shamanic Yek songs here:
REFERENCES:
Emmons, George Thornton & (Ed.) de Laguna, Frederica (1991). The Tlingit Indians. Seattle, London, Vancouver: University of Washington Press.
Rosman, A. (1977), Under Mount Saint Elias: The History and Culture of the Yakutat Tlingit. Parts One, Two, and Three. Frederica de Laguna. American Anthropologist, 79: 463–464. doi:10.1525/aa.1977.79.2.02a00370
Wardwell, Allen. "Tangible Visions: Northwest Coast Shamanism and its Art." 1996. The Monticelli Press. New York
Sealaska Heritage Institute Archive Item 4: Audio recording made by Frederica de Laguna, Tape 1, 1954, copy on CD. C) Charlie White sings his father’s brother’s Shaman Spirit song (that of Tek'ic): "laXak'ina yek 'Spirit on top of Yakutat.'"
[ http://shicollections.org/?p=collections/findingaid&id=88&q=&rootcontentid=660#id660 ]