Tradition of the Ma'malêleqala.
(Told by Lâ'bid, a Ma'malêleqala.)
Mâ'lêleqala knew that Q!â'nêqê?laku was coming south after having left his brother ?nEmô'gwis, and that he was transforming the world. He also knew that the Deluge, which was sent by the Chief in Heaven, was coming, and that people were preparing for it. Mâ'lêleqala's house was on the island T!ô'xuseXLalaku, opposite Fort Rupert.
Now they were waiting for Q!â'nêqê?laku to come. One day when they were out in their canoe, they were met by another canoe. A man was aboard. When he came near, he asked, "What are you doing here?" Mâ'lêleqala replied, "What do you mean? Do you mean my canoe that is on the water, or do you mean the red cedar-bark on my head?" Q!â'nêqê?laku replied, "I mean the cedar-bark on your head. I like it." Mâ'lêleqala was not quite sure whether it was Q!â'nêqê?laku who had come. Then Q!â'nêqê?laku continued, "You and all your
Q!â'nêqê?laku went on. He had just come from Gwa'dzê?, where he had put the people to rights. As soon as Q!â'nêqê?laku had left, Mâ'lêleqala called his tribe in the evening, and he told them of what had happened. For this reason a meeting is always held before the winter-dance, in which the plans for the ceremonial are discussed. Late at night the supernatural power appeared, singing like a bird. Then they prepared for the dance of Mâ'lêleqala's daughters, whose names were Q!wâ'q!waLEmg*ilayûgwa and Wîlx*stasîlayûgwa. They made torches and assembled in front of the houses. The people carried large planks, on which the girls were dancing one after the other. The people sang, - "Aya a haik*as mêLa, lâ'k*as amâ'sêL? yâ'wix*ilidzEmsôx awâ'sk*as?ô lâ'k*as amâ'sêL lê'li?stâlayuxusôx awâ' The people raised the torches high up while they were singing; but when they did not close their song with the burden "awâ'ya," the two girls disappeared one after the other, and their father said that they had been taken away by the supernatural power. They staid away for a long time, and for this reason the novices continue to do so at present. (The people really hide the dancers, so that the uninitiated may think that they have been taken away by the spirit, but they always stay in the house where they are in hiding.) One day the two girls went out. They saw something dark in the air. They did not know what it was. When it approached, they saw that it was a large bird which carried something in its talons. When it came still nearer, they saw that it was the thunder-bird carrying the double-headed serpent (sî'siuL). The bird dropped it near the In the evening they began the winter-dance (kwê'xala). The people took their boxes and carried them into the house for their chief. There they sat down quietly. Then a speaker arose and called Hâ'naL!ênoxu to go and take the boxes. He took one of them up, went around the fire, and put it down behind the fire. Then there began to be a noise in the house, and the people sang,- "The great one is going to be Thrower with her throwing-stick. This great Yâ'lag*ilîs. Hâ." ("Lâ'dzêLElalaê mâ'maq!ayasês mâ'magayû hêyâ'lag*ilidzê â'dxêsg*a yâ'lag*ilidzê. Hâ") After they finished singing the song, they beat time, and various dancers came in one after another,--the Thunder-Bird, the Grizzly Bear, the Dzô'noq!wa, the Raven, the On the fourth night they beat time again to bring back the women who had disappeared. The old man, who would not let the people know what had happened, because he was ashamed, first showed the face of the carving he had made, pretending that it was his daughter. He had hidden some people behind the house, who imitated his daughter's voice and the voices of the spirits. Then a large board was let down from the roof, on which the figure was seated. It seemed to move about like a living person. The younger sister came back safely when the performance of bringing back the novice was held. During this ceremony the figure was shown again and disappeared again; and the people said that the woman had gone back with the spirits, and that she would never return. It is said that this whole performance was made in accordance with the advice of Q!â'nêqê?laku. Therefore the winter ceremonial is performed in this manner. 480:1 See also F. Boas, Indianische Sagen, etc., p. 146; and p. 83 of this volume. 481:1 It is about half a mile west of Fort Rupert.lk*as?ôx mêiLaya."
