SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 136 Anthropological Papers, No. 27 Music of the Indians of British Columbia By FRANCES DENSMORE FOREWORD Many tribes and locations are represented in the present work, differing from the writer's former books,^ which have generally con- sidered the music of only one tribe. This material from widely sep- arated regions was available at Chilliwack, British Columbia, during the season of hop-picking, the Indians being employed in the fields. The work was made possible by the courtesy of Canadian officials. Grateful acknowledgment is made to Dr. Duncan Campbell Scott, Deputy Superintendent General, Department of Indian Affairs at Ot- tawa, who provided a letter of credential, and to Mr. C. C. Perry, In- dian agent at Vancouver, and Indian Commissioner A. O. N. Daunt, Indian agent at New Westminster, who extended assistance and co- operation. Acknowledgment is also made of the courtesy of Walter Withers, corporal (later sergeant). Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who acted as escort between Chilliwack and the hop camp, and as- sisted the work in many ways. Courtesies were also extended by municipal officers in Chilliwack and by the executive office of the Columbia Hop Co., in whose camp the work was conducted. This is the writer's first musical work in Canada and the results are important as a basis of comparison between the songs of Canad- ian Indians and those of Indians residing in the United States. On this trip the writer had the helpful companionship of her sis- ter, Margaret Densmore. iSee bibliography (Densmore, 1910, 1913, 1918, 1922, 1923, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1929 a, 1929 b, 1932, 1932 a, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1942). CONTENTS PAGE List of songs 7 1. Arranged in order of serial numbers 7 2. Arranged in order of catalog numbers 9 Names of singers, number of songs transcribed, and home of singer 12 Special signs used in transcriptions of songs 12 Introduction 13 Treatment of the sick 17 War songs 41 Potlatch songs 48 Dance songs 51 Social songs 61 Slahal game songs 64 Gambling songs 72 Canoe songs 73 Stories and their songs 75 Love songs 81 Divorce songs 84 Miscellaneous songs 85 Miscellaneous notes 95 Summary of analyses 95 Bibliography 99 ILLUSTRATIONS PLATES 1. 1, Street in hop-pickers' camp. 2, Typical dwellings in hop-pickers' camp 100 2. 1, Communal dwelling in hop-pickers' camp. 2, "Red Cross shack" in which songs were recorded 100 3. 1, Group of Indians engaged in barter of clothing. 2, Corner of hop field 100 4. 1, Wires lowered for removal of hops. 2, Indians gathering hops 100 5. 1, Women gathering hops. 2, Wires raised to original position after removal of hops 100 6. 1, Indian woman and child. 2, Tasalt 100 7. 1, Dwelling (at right) occupied by Tasalt. 2, Bones used in slahal game 100 8. 1, Slahal game in progress, showing drum. 2, Slahal game in progress, leader indicating "guess" 100 9. 1, Henry Haldane. 2, Mrs. Sophie Wilson 100 ' TEXT FIGURES 1. Map of British Columbia 14 2. Sketch showing locations of bones in slahal game 66 5 LIST OF SONGS 1. Arranged in Order of Serial Numbers Songs With Treatment of the Sick Catalog Serial No. No. Page 1. Introductory song with treatment of the sick 2031 19 2. Song when treating smallpox 2032 20 3. Song when treating fever 2035 21 4. Song when treating palsy 2036 22 5. Song when treating hemorrhage from the lungs 2033 23 6. Song when treating pneumonia 2034 23 7. Two girls on a horse 2048 (a and b) 25 8. "Look at this sick person" 2049 26 9. An appeal to certain animals 2050 27 10. An appeal to the deer 2051 28 11. "I am going to cure this sick man" 1691 30 12. "I am trying to cure this sick man" 1693 31 13. "The whale is going to help me cure this sick man" 1694 32 14. "The thunderbird will help me cure this sick man" 1692 32 15. Song of Y'ak, the medicine man (a) 1695 33 16. Song of Y'ak, the medicine man (b) 1715 34 17. Song of Y'ak, the medicine man (c) 1716 35 18. "This song cheers me" 2026 36 19. "I am going to make you better" 1711 36 20. Doctor's song (a) 1667 37 21. Doctor's song (b) 1668 38 22. Doctor's song (c) 1669 38 23. Song of a medicine man at Nitinat Lake (a) 1696 39 24. Song of a medicine man at Nitinat Lake (b) 1697 40 25. Doctor Jim's song 2061 40 26. Song of a medicine man at Carmanah 1698 41 War Songs 27. Song when going to war 1699 42 28. Song when returning from war 1700 43 29. War dance song 1701 44 30. Song when carrying heads of the enemy on poles (a) 1702 45 31. Song when carrying heads of the enemy on poles (b) 1703 46 32. Song concerning a ransomed captive 1672 47 33. The rider on the kohaks 2039 47 PoTLATCH Songs 34. Song of approach to a potlatch 2046 49 35. A desire for clear weather 2037 49 36. Potlatch song 1710 50 7 8 BUREAU OF MIERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bdll. 136 1. Akranged in Order of Serial Numbers—Continued Dance Songs Catalog Serial No. No. Page 37. Dance song of the Fraser River Indians (a) 2040 52 38. Dance song of the Fraser River Indians (b) 2041 52 39. Dance song of the Fraser River Indians (c) 2042 53 40. Dance song (a) 1704 54 41. Dance song (b) 1705 54 42. Dancesong(c) 2047 55 43. Dance song (d) 2024 55 44. Klokali dance song 1706 56 45. Thunderbird dance song 1717 57 46. Song of Campbell dance 1673 57 47. Dance song from Babine 1690 58 48. Dance song of the Thompson River Indians (a) 2055 59 49. Dance song of the Thompson River Indians (b) 2056 59 50. Song of dance with wolf headdress (a) 1712 60 51. Song of dance with wolf headdress (b) 1713 60 52. Song of dance with wolf headdress (c) 1718 61 Social Songs 53. Song after receiving a gift (a) 1707 62 54. Song after receiving a gift (b) 1708 62 55. Social song (a) 1674 63 56. Social song (b) 1675 63 57. Social song (c) 1676 64 58. Social song (d) 1677 64 Game Songs 59. Slahal game song (a) 2028 67 60. Slahal game song (b) 2023 68 61. Slahal game song (c) 2052 69 62. Slahal game song (d) 2053 69 63. Slahal game song (e) 2054 70 64. Slahal game song (f) 2057 70 65. Slahal game song (g) 1671 71 66. Song of pleasure 2038 72 67. GamVjling song (a) 2058 72 68. Gambhng song (b) 2063 73 Canoe Songs 69. Canoesong(a) 1665 73 70. Canoe song (b) 1666 74 71. Canoesong(c) 1682 75 Songs Connected with Stories 72. Song with story of the frog woman 1681 76 73. "Wrap a feather around me" 1686 77 74. "I will scrape my bod.y on the rocks" 1709 78 75. The little boy and the whale 2061 79 Songs foe Children 76. Song to a little girl 1714 80 77. Lullaby- 1680 80 Anthrop.Pap.no. 27] MUSIC OF INDIANS OF B. C. DENSMO'RE 1. Arranged in Order of Serial Numbers—Continued Love Songs Catalog Serial No. No. Page 78. "I wish I were a cloud" 2044 81 79. "All my sweethearts are gone except one" 2045 81 80. "I am going to stay at home" 1687 82 81. "She is glad to see him" 1688 83 82. "Give me a bottle of rum" 1689 83 Divorce Songs 83. Divorce dance song (a) 1684 84 84. Divorce dance song (b) 1685 85 Miscellaneous Songs 85. Song to a spirit in the fire 1683 86 86. Song concerning the prophet Skilmaha 2021 87 87. Song with termination of mourning 2027 87 88. Song of a seal 1670 88 89. Song of a shark hunter 2062 89 90. Song of a hunter 2030 89 91. Song of happiness 2029 90 92. Dream of going to Ottawa 2025 90 93. "I wish I was in Butte Inlet" 1678 91 94. Song of a traveler 1679 91 95. "Your pretty hair" 2060 92 96. A woman's song 2043 93 97. Song of a man alone at home ] 2022 94 98. Indian cowboy song 2059 94 2. Arranged in Order of Catalog Numbers Cat- Se- alog Title of son? Name of singer rial Page No. No. 1665 Canoe song (a) Bob George. 69 73 1666 Canoe song (b) do 70 74 1667 Doctor's song (a) do 20 37 1668 Doctor's song (b) -do. 21 38 1669 Doctor's song (c) .do. 22 38 1670 Song of a seal .do. 88 88 1671 Slahal game song (g) .do. 65 71 1672 Song concerning a ransomed captive. .do. 32 47 1673 Song of Campbell dance .do. 46 57 1674 Social song (a) .do. 55 63 1675 Social song (b) .do. 56 63 1676 Social song (c) .do_ 57 64 1677 Social song (d) do 58 64 1678 "I wish I was in Butte Inlet" Sophie Wilson. 93 91 1679 Song of a traveler do 94 91 1680 Lullaby do 77 80 1681 Song with story of the frog woman.. Henry Haldane. 72 76 1682 Canoe song (c) Johnson 71 75 435660—43 2 . 10 BUREAU OF AI»^IERICAN ETHHS'OLOGY [Bull. 136 2. Arranged in Order of Catalog Nusibers—Continued Title of song Name of siDger Song to a spirit in the fire Jane Green Divorce dance song (a) do Divorce dance song (b) do "Wrap a feather around me" do "I am going to stay at home" do "She is glad to see him" Ellen Stevens "Give me a bottle of rum" do Dance song from Babine Abraham Williams.