Indian Linguistic Families Of America, North Of Mexico Part 36

[Footnote 104: Trans. Am. Eth. Soc. II, p. 77.]

The term "Wakash" for this group of languages has since been generally ignored, and in its place Nootka or Nootka-Columbian has been adopted.

"Nootka-Columbian" was employed by Scouler in 1841 for a group of languages, extending from the mouth of Salmon River to the south of the Columbia River, now known to belong to several distinct families.

"Nootka family" was also employed by Hale[105] in 1846, who proposed the name for the tribes of Vancouver Island and those along the south side of the Straits of Fuca.

[Footnote 105: U.S. Expl. Expd., vol. 6, p. 220.]

The term "Nootka-Columbian" is strongly condemned by Sproat.[106] For the group of related tribes on the west side of Vancouver Island this author suggests Aht, "house, tribe, people," as a much more appropriate family appellation.

[Footnote 106: Savage Life, 312.]

Though by no means as appropriate a designation as could be found, it seems clear that for the so-called Wakash, Newittee, and other allied languages usually a.s.sembled under the Nootka family, the term Wakash of 1836 has priority and must be retained.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.

The tribes of the Aht division of this family are confined chiefly to the west coast of Vancouver Island. They range to the north as far as Cape Cook, the northern side of that cape being occupied by Haeltzuk tribes, as was ascertained by Dr. Boas in 1886. On the south they reached to a little above Sooke Inlet, that inlet being in possession of the Soke, a Salishan tribe.

The neighborhood of Cape Flattery, Was.h.i.+ngton, is occupied by the Makah, one of the Wakashan tribes, who probably wrested this outpost of the family from the Salish (Clallam) who next adjoin them on Puget Sound.

The boundaries of the Haeltzuk division of this family are laid down nearly as they appear on Tolmie and Dawson's linguistic map of 1884. The west side of King Island and Cascade Inlet are said by Dr. Boas to be inhabited by Haeltzuk tribes, and are colored accordingly.

PRINc.i.p.aL AHT TRIBES.

Ahowsaht. Mowachat.

Ayhuttisaht. Muclaht.

Chicklesaht. Nitinaht.

Clahoquaht. Nuchalaht.

Hishquayquaht. Ohiaht.

Howchuklisaht. Opechisaht.

Kitsmaht. Pachenaht.

Kyoquaht. Seshaht.

Macaw. Toquaht.

Manosaht. Yuclulaht.

_Population._--There are 457 Makah at the Neah Bay Agency, Was.h.i.+ngton.[107] The total population of the tribes of this family under the West Coast Agency, British Columbia, is 3,160.[108] The grand total for this division of the family is thus 3,617.

[Footnote 107: U.S. Census Bulletin for 1890.]

[Footnote 108: Canada Ind. Aff. Rep. for 1888.]

PRINc.i.p.aL HAELTZUK TRIBES.

Aquamish. Likwiltoh.

Belbellah. Mamaleilakitish.

Clowetsus. Matelpa.

Hailtzuk. Nakwahtoh.

Hais.h.i.+lla. Nawiti.

Kakamatsis. Nimkish.

Keimanoeitoh. Quatsino.

Kwakiutl. Tsawadinoh.

Kwas.h.i.+lla.

_Population._--There are 1,898 of the Haeltzuk division of the family under the Kwawkewlth Agency, British Columbia. Of the Bellacoola (Salishan family) and Haeltzuk, of the present family, there are 2,500 who are not under agents. No separate census of the latter exists at present.

WASHOAN FAMILY.

= Washo, Gatschet in Mag. Am. Hist., 255, April, 1882.

< shoshone,="" keane,="" app.="" stanford's="" comp.="" (cent.="" and="" so.="" am.),="" 477,="" 1878="" (contains="">

< snake,="" keane,="" ibid.="" (same="" as="" shoshone,="" above.)="">

This family is represented by a single well known tribe, whose range extended from Reno, on the line of the Central Pacific Railroad, to the lower end of the Carson Valley.

On the basis of vocabularies obtained by Stephen Powers and other investigators, Mr. Gatschet was the first to formally separate the language. The neighborhood of Carson is now the chief seat of the tribe, and here and in the neighboring valleys there are about 200 living a parasitic life about the ranches and towns.

WEITSPEKAN FAMILY.

= Weits-pek, Gibbs in Schoolcraft, Ind. Tribes, III, 422, 1853 (a band and language on Klamath at junction of Trinity). Latham, El. Comp.

Phil., 410, 1862 (junction of Klamath and Trinity Rivers). Gatschet in Mag. Am. Hist., 163, 1877 (affirmed to be distinct from any neighboring tongue). Gatschet in Beach, Ind. Misc., 438, 1877.

< weitspek,="" latham="" in="" trans.="" philolog.="" soc.="" lond.,="" 77,="" 1856="" (junction="" of="" klamath="" and="" trinity="" rivers;="" weyot="" and="" wishosk="" dialects).="" latham,="" opuscula,="" 343,="">

= Eurocs, Powers in Overland Monthly, VII, 530, June, 1872 (of the Lower Klamath and coastwise; Weitspek, a village of).

= Eurok, Gatschet in Mag. Am. Hist., 163, 1877. Gatschet in Beach, Ind. Misc., 437, 1877.

= Yu'-rok, Powers in Cont. N.A. Eth., III, 45, 1877 (from junction of Trinity to mouth and coastwise). Powell, ibid., 460 (vocabs. of Al-i-kwa, Klamath, Yu'-rok.)

X Klamath, Keane, App. Stanford's Comp. (Cent. and So. Am.), 475, 1878 (Eurocs belong here).

Derivation: Weitspek is the name of a tribe or village of the family situated on Klamath River. The etymology is unknown.