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Social Science Native American Studies

Origin of the wolf ritual

The whaling indians: West Coast legends and stories — Part 12 of the Sapir-Thomas Nootka texts

by (author) Edward Sapir, Morris Swadesh, Alexander Thomas & John Thomas

Publisher
Canadian Museum of History
Initial publish date
Jan 2007
Category
Native American Studies
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781772823080
    Publish Date
    Jan 2007
    List Price
    $21.99

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Description

This last segment of the Sapir-Thomas Nootka texts includes three first-hand accounts of the Tlkwa:na, or Wolf Ritual, a principal ceremony of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations of the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

The ritual, which takes several days to enact, is described in detail, from the howling of the “Wolves” in human form, to the abduction of children to their forest lair and the return of these initiates to perform newly learned dances. Also included are Sapir’s field record of a Tlkwa:na of 1910; his correspondence with his chief interpreters Alex Thomas and Frank Williams; and autobiographical stories by Alex Thomas.

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