Page:Tlingit Myths and Texts.djvu/386
THE TOBACCO FEAST[1]
If one of the family of the writer's informant, the Kasq!ague′dî, had married a Nanỵaā′ỵî woman and she died, the Nanỵaā′ỵî would invite his people for tobacco. They invited them there to mourn. This feast was different from the pleasure feasts, when dancing and such things took place. The people asked them while the dead body was still lying in the house. Then the other Kasq!ague′dî would ask the bereaved man to deliver a speech. The Nanỵaā′ỵî would be very quiet because they were mourning. Then he would rise and speak as follows:
"Yes, yes, my grandfathers, we remember you are mourning. We are not smoking this tobacco for which you have invited us. These long dead uncles of ours and our mothers are the ones who smoke it. Do not mourn, my grandfathers. She is not dead. Her aunts are holding her on their laps. All her father's brothers are shaking hands with her. Our [dead] chief has come back because he has seen you mourning. Now, however, he has wiped away your tears. That is all."[2]
("Yes, yes,
about it
we remember
you are mourning.
This [tobacco]
you have invited us to smoke
not
we are smoking it.
These long dead
uncles of ours
and
our mothers are the ones
they
smoke it.
Never
your minds
let mourn
Not
she is dead.
have her on their laps.
All
hands with her
they
are shaking.
Our chief
back
has come
on you
you are mourning.
he has seen.
Now,
however,
your eye
water
he has wiped away.
That is all.
One of those giving the feast would now reply:
"I thank you deeply, deeply for the things you have done to these grandfathers of yours with your words. A person will always take his shell to a dry place.[3] So you have done to this dead of ours.