Athapascan Indians; Indians of North America -- California
The first killing took place at Burnt Ranch, three miles south of
the mouth of Smith River, at the rancheria called Yahnk-tah´-kut,
a name perpetuated by the district school house name. Here a large
number of Indians were caught during a ceremonial dance and ruthlessly
slaughtered. The Indians say this was the first killing.
The second killing was at the rancheria of [=A]´-choo-lik on the big
lagoon known as Lake Earl about three miles north of Crescent City [cf.
Drucker's etculet in Drucker, 1937, map 3]. The Indians were engaged in
gambling at the time.
The third killing was at the large village of Hah-wun-kwut [Xawun hwut,
Drucker, 1937, map 3] at the mouth of Smith River.
At the time of the Indian troubles in northwestern California Chief
Ki´-lis (named for Ki-o-lus the Willow tree) was chief of the
Hah´-wun-kwut tribe.
Three young men of the tribe were active in resenting the aggressions of
the whites and were said to have killed several of the early settlers.
They were very clever and neither the settlers nor the soldiers were
able to capture them. Finally the officer in charge of the troops at
Fort Dick (a log fort on Smith River, about three miles from the present
settlement called Smith River Corners) told Chief Ki´-lis that he would
be hung by the soldiers unless he captured the three young men in
question.
It happened that the chief had two wives, who were sisters of the three
young men. The chief was in great trouble and called a meeting of his
head men. They said that if the people would contribute enough blood
money (which consists of the long Dentalium shells) they could pay the
two sisters the price necessary to atone for the killing in accordance
with the law of the tribe. The people agreed to this and raised the
necessary money. The nearest male relatives of the young men were chosen
to do the killing, but the young men could not be found.
One day when one of the chief's wives was getting mussels near the
mouth of Smith River one of the young men appeared and told her that he
and his brothers were hungry and wanted food. She designated a place
on the point of a nearby ridge where she said she would take food, and
it was agreed that the three brothers would come to get it in the late
afternoon or early evening. She then went home and told her husband,
Chief Ki-lis, who in turn notified the nearest relatives of the young
men; they went and concealed themselves near the spot. When the young
men came and were looking for the food their relatives fell upon them
and killed them. They were buried in the same place and the graves may
be seen there to this day.
The officer in charge of the troops was greatly pleased. He and his
soldiers arranged "a big time," giving the Indians plenty to eat and
also some blankets. This ended the "Indian war" in that region.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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