A Story as Sharp as a Knife Page 3
these ; few will need them all. They include a lot of leads to important
literary texts in other Native American languages. These are leads
I hope some readers will decide, in their own time, to follow up. To
make that easier to do, the ninety or so Native American mythellers
and the sixty-odd Native American literatures mentioned in the text
and notes are tracked through a systematic index.
The notes include a lot of background information too : on history and language, and especially on natural history. They include,
in other words, a part of the large reservoir of facts on which any
fruitful hearing of Haida oral literature depends. Once upon a time,
a Haida mythteller's older listeners would have had this information in their heads. Others could get at it, when and if they wished,
through conversation, observation and example. That was the back
of the oral book.
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a story as sharp as a knife
eyak
Haida Gwaii: the Islands of the People - or in classical Haida, Xhaaydla Gwaayaay: the Islands on the Boundary between Worlds.
20
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ahtna
eyak
southern
tutchone
kaska
tagish
N
tlingit
tahltan
the haida language
and its neighbors
Among the languages shown on
this map, Haida forms one group
tsetsaut
unto itself; Nisgha and Tsimshian
form another; Haisla, Heiltsuk,
nisgha
Uwekyala, Kwakwala, and Nootka
are part of a third group (known
as Wakashan). Nuxalk is part of a
fourth group (the Salish family).
haida
wetsuwetin
Tlingit and the other languages in
tsimshian
the northern and eastern portions
haisla
of the map are part of a fifth and
dakelh
larger group now known as Dene-Yeniseian.
The Haida, Tsimshian, Nisgha, and
heiltsuk
Tlingit cultures meet in a region known
nuxalk
in Haida as Giluusims (marked with the
hashed circle), off the mouth of the Nass
uwekyala
River. This is an area beyond the Haida
domain but important in Haida mythology.
kwakwala
0
100
200 sea miles
0
100
200
300
kilometers
nootka
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a story as sharp as a knife
? 1
? Eyak villages
37 Ttanuu
V Heiltsuk villages
38 Hlkkyaa
1 Iiyaaq (Eyak)
66 K'emxVk'vitxVv
39 Sqiina
2 AnaxVanaq ( Alaganik)
( Kimsquit)
40 Skwaay
3 Itl'aandaya ( Mountain
67 Sxvaxviylkv
41 Yaku
Slough)
( Scowquiltz)
42 Qayju
68 Q'l
? Tlingit villages
43 Sghan Gwaay
.c & Waglisla
( Bella Bella)
44 Sqay
4 Yaakwdaat ( Yakutat)
69 N'xvam'u ( Namu)
5 Klukwan
v Nisgha villages
70 Yalatli
6 Jilk_ut ( Chilkoot)
45 Gitwinksiilkw ( Canyon
7 Xunaa ( Hoonah)
? Uwikeeno villages
City)
8 T'aak_u ( Taku)
71 Nuxvanc ( Neechanz)
46 Gitlax_'aws ( Gitlakaus)
9 K_ak'w ( Basket Bay)
72 K'itit
47 Lax Nkit'wah ( Angida)
10 S'awdaan ( Sumdum)
73 Gl'dala ( Kiltala)
48 Ay'ans ( Aiyansh)
11 Xutsnoowu ( Angoon)
74 GVadlm
49 Kwinwo'a
. balis
12 Sheet'ka ( Sitka)
( Kwunwoq, Gunwa)
13 K_eix
--
_
Centers of religious &
' ( Kake)
50 Gitlaxt'aamiks
14 Kuyu
mercantile intrusion
15 Shtax'heen ( Stikine,
? Tsimshian villages
75 Novorossiisk
Old Wrangell)
(1796-1805)
16 Tuxekan
51 Maxlaqxaala ( Old
76 Novo Arkangel'sk
17 Lawaak ( Klawock)
Metlakatla)
(1804- )
18 T
52 Q'aaduu
'ang_aas ( Tongass)
77 Fort Wrangell (1834- )
53 Kitsiis ( Gitsees)
78 New Metlakatla
? Haida villages
54 Kinax'ankiik
(1887- )
( Ginakangeek)
19 Kasaan
79 Kincolith (1864- )
55 Kit'antoo ( Gitandau)
20 Xhaada
80 Fort Nass ( Old Fort
56 Kitsmqeelm
21 Saqqwaan
Simpson, 1831-1834)
( Kitsumkalum)
22 Ghawkkyan
81 Port Simpson (1834- )
57 Kitsalaasw ( Kitselas)
23 Kkaykkaanii ( Kaigani)
82 Metlakatla Mission
58 Kitsaxlaal
24 Qqwii Ghandlas
(1862-1887)
( Gitzaklalth)
25 Hlinqwan
83 Masset (1869- )
59 Kitqxaala ( Kitkatla)
26 Yaakkw
84 Skidegate Mission
60 Kitqa'ata ( Kitkiata)
27 Kkyuusta
(1883- )
28 Yan
? Haisla villages
85 Gold Harbour
29 Ghadaghaaxhiwaas
(1851-1854)
(Ghaw, Old Masset)
61 Kitamaat
86 Port Essington
30 Ttii
62 Kitloop ( Kitlope)
(1871-1964)
31 Tiiyan
V Haihais villages
87 Fort McLoughlin
32 Hlghagilda ( Skidegate)
(1833-1843)
33 Ttsaa'ahl
63 Lm du
88 Bella Coola (1869- )
34 Qaysun
( Klemtu, Kitasu)
89 Fort Rupert (1836- )
35 Hlqin'ul
64 Laiq ( Mussel River)
90 [ 300 sea miles south—
36 Qquuna
65 Qinat
east of Fort Rupert :]
Fort Victoria (1843- )
22
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? 1
? 2
? 3
? 4
75
? 5
? 6
? 7
? 8
? 9
? 10
? 11
N
? 12
76
? 13
? 14
? 15
77
? 16
80
? 17
78
21
? 19
?
? 20
47 48 v 50
22 ?
v v v
23
? 25
v
v 49
? ?24
79 18
46
?
45
81
82
26 ? 27
51 ?
? 57
? 28
? 52
?
30
? 55 ?
?
56
? 29
86
? 53 ? 54
31 ?
84
58 ?
? 61
59 ?
60 ?
83
? 32
33 ?
Some of the older
34 ?
35
?
? 62
? 36
cultural centers on the
37 ?
88
northern Northwest
? 38
39 ?
64
85
? 40
Coast of North America
41 ?
?
43 ?42
63
?
?
? 44
? 65
?
67 ?
- and the first points of
87
? 68
66
70 ?
sustained intrusion
? 69
72
73 ? ? ?
71
0
100
200 sea miles
? 74
89
0
100
200
300
kilometers
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a story as sharp as a knife
1 Ghadaghaaxhiwaas
31 Xiltsi
67 Kawdas
(Ghaw, later called
32 Singgi
68 Juuqqyuu
Masset)
33 Ttanuu
69 Yaku
2 Ghiijaw
34 Skkuudas
70 Jiihlinjaaws
3 Qqayaang
35 Ttaahldi
4 Hliiyalang
36 Xhuut Ttsiixwas
71 Ghuuski
5 Naay Kun
37 Hlkkyaa (later known
72 Sghilgi
( House Point)
as Windy Bay)
73 Sqiina [2]
6 Xhuuya Ghandl
38 Gaysigas Qqiit
74 Gwiitku
( Raven's Creek)
39 Ataana
75 Ghaw Ghawdagaas
7 Ghahlins Kun
40 Qinggi
76 Singga
8 Daxwa
77 Gasindas
9 Hlghaayxha
41 Xhiina
78 Stanhlaay
10 Hlghagilda (later
42 Ghaduu
79 Saqaaydi Gilgaana
called Skidegate)
43 Skwaay
80 Sqaytaaw
44 Hlanaaygwas
81 Juu
11 Guuhlgha
45 Llaana Daaganga
12 Gawjaaws
46 Qqiit
82 Qaysun (later known
13 Gaasins
47 Xhaagi
as Scots Guy's Cove
14 Kixhlagas
48 Ghaaydi
and Gold Harbour)
15 Xayna (later called
49 Sqaws Giidawaay
83 Niisi
New Gold Harbour)
50 Qayju
84 Skuusindl
16 Sqiina [1]
85 Ttsaa'ahl
17 Jiighugiiga
51 Styuujin
86 Guudal
18 Qqaasta
52 Sindas Kun
87 Ghattanas
19 Suuxhans
53 Xhyuudaw
88 Sqiilu
20 Laanaaya
54 Sqay
89 Tiiyan
55 Ghangxhiit Kun
90 Ttii
21 Kunji
56 Swaanaay
22 Kunxhalas
57 Saw
91 Qqanan Ghandlaay
23 Quughahl
58 Taada Sttling
92 Yaakkw
24 Hlqin'ul (later
59 Sinit
93 Kkyuusta
called Cumshewa)
60 Sghan Gwaay (later
94 Daadans
25 Jiigwa
called Ninstints on
95 Yaa'ats
26 Ghaw Quns
Anthony Island)
96 Qang
27 Qqaadasghu
97 Naydan Qaahli
28 Qquuna (later
61 Taajil
98 Yan
called Skedans)
62 Hlghadan
99 Llaanas
29 Yawgas
63 Qayjudal
100 Ghawaay Qaahli (later
30 Ttlxingas
64 Sttlindighaay
known as Masset
65 Naagas
Inlet)
66 Gwaayakanjus
24
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92 ? ? 94
?
93
? 5
? 95
98 ? 1
96 ?
? 4
?? 2
90
? 97
?
? 3
? 91
? 6
89 ?
?
100
? 7
? 99
88 ?
?
87
? 8
? villages & camps
? 9
? mountains & points
? rivers & bays
11
12 ?? 1o
?
?
13
?
? 16
86 ?
15
? 17
18 ?
85 ? ? 84
? 14
19 ?? 20
? 83
? 21
82
25
? ? 81
? 23
26 ?
?
?
? 22
27 ? 24
79 ? 80
?
28
78
?
?
? 29
30 ? ?
31 ? 32
77 ? 76 ?
? 33
?
35 ?
34
75
? 37
? ? 74
? 36
? ? 38
40
? 39
?
41
xhaaydla gwaayaay
73 ?
? 42
71
Some of the homes of
72
? 43
??? 70
68 ??
humans and mythcreatures
69 44 45
67 ?
? ?
prior to colonization
?
? 47
66 46 ?
? 48 49
65 ? 64
? ? 50
?
? 61
? 51
63 ?? 62 59 ? 52
60 ?
?
? 53
0
25
50 sea miles
58 ?? 57
56 ? ? 54
0
25
50
75
kilometers
? 55
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Hlghagilda, 1881. Photograph by Edward Dossetter.
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1sghwaansing
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In the quotations from Native American texts :
[*] square brackets mark editorial restorations
angle brackets mark editorial insertions
{*} curly braces mark editorial deletions
+ * + daggers flag passages that seem corrupt
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1 * Goose Food
The largest and most comPlex works of classical
Haida literature belong to a genre known as qqaygaang. Qqay, the
root, means full or old or round ; the suffix -gaang means enduring
or continuing to be. The word is often rendered in English as story,
myth or tale, and these are sensible translations, but they give no
overt clue to the artistry involved. Like all works of literature, the
qqaygaang are constructed from inherited materials and filled with
shared ideas, but they are made, in every case, by individuals. How
they are built is a matter of personal skill and sensitivity and style.
The best transcriptions that we have of classical Haida myth, and
the best performances occuring in the present day, are works of
art, like the finest pieces of Haida weaving, painting and sculpture.
The qqaygaang are what people fond of literature call oral narrative poems.
Since the qqaygaang are the subject of this book, we should begin
with an example. But a book is a dehydrated voice, set adrift in many
copies, like a seed, and a work of oral literature is rooted like a tree,
in time and place and in the person who is speaking. The poems we
want to hear are colored and shaped by a language other than this
one, and informed by an oral tradition that books know nothing
about. It accomplishes nothing to ask the poem to come to us. We
must try to make the pilgrimage to the poem.
The author of this poem, the teller of this myth, was born and
raised on the brink of the North Pacific, on the exposed west side
of an island off the Northwest Coast of North America. He spoke
the Haida language from childhood, and in time he learned some
words of the Chinook trade jargon, perhaps a little Tlingit and some
Tsimshian but virtually no English. Nevertheless he acquired, in the
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a story as sharp as a knife
course of his extraordinary life, both a Haida and an English name.
In Haida we should call him Ghandl or Ghandls, which means Fresh
Water or River or Creek. But the few Europeans he knew referred to
him as Walter. He was born in Qaysun Llanagaay,1 or Sealion Town,
in Xhaaydla Gwaayaay, the Islands on the xhaaydla, which is to say, the Islands on the Boundary between Worlds.