Hidasta Indian Bands, Gens and Clans

Many tribes have sub-tribes, bands, gens, clans and phratry.  Often very little information is known or they no longer exist.  We have included them here to provide more information about the tribes.

  • Bahohata (lodge). A Hidatsa band. Matthews says it may be Maohati.
  • Black-tailed Deers. A Hidatsa band or secret order. Culbertson in Smithson. Rep. 1850, 143, 1851.
  • Bulls. A Hidatsa band or society; mentioned by Culbertson (Smithson. Rep. 1850, 143, 1851) as a clan. For a similar society among the Piegan.
  • Dogs. A band or a secret order of the Hidatsa. Culbertson in Smithson. Rep. 1850, 143, 1851.
  • Dostlan-lnagai (Dō-sL!an-lnagá′-i, ‘west-coast rear-town people’). A local sub division of the Stlenga-lanas, one of the larger Haida divisions on the Raven side, who lived on the N. w. coast of Queen Charlotte ids., Brit. Col. A small section of them was called Kaiihl-lanas. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 271, 1905.
  • Ekupabeka. A Hidatsa band.
  • Etishoka (E-tish-sho′-ka, ‘hill people’). An Hidatsa band. Morgan, Anc. Soc., 159, 1877.
  • Foolish Dogs. An Hidatsa band according to Culbertson (Smithson. Rep., 1850, 143, 1851) , but properly a warrior society.
  • Foxes. A gens or secret order of the Hidatsa, according to Culbertson (Smithson. Rep. 1850, 143, 1851), but properly one of the war and dance societies.
  • Gagihetnas-hadai (G·Egihē’t-nas-:had’ā’i, ‘land-otter house people’). Given by Boas (5th Rep. N. W. Tribes Can., 27, 1889) as the name of a subdivision of the Yaku-lanas, a division of the Raven clan of the Haida in Alaska. It is in reality only a house name belonging to that band. The Gagihet (Gagixi’t) is a human being who, in native mythology, has been made insane by land otters. (J. R. S.)
  • Gitins (Gîtî′ns}. An important subdivision of the Eagle clan of the Haida. Gitins is a synonym for Eagle clan, and the name of the subdivision would naturally have been Hlgaiu-gitinai, but the family was so prominent that, as in a similar case at Masset, it came to be called simply Gitins. This was the subdivision or family that owned the town of Skidegate, Queen Charlotte ids., Brit. Col. It was divided into two principal branches Nayuuns-haidagai and Nasagas-haidagai. Subordinate branches were the Lagalaiguahl-lanas and the Gitin-gidjats. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 273, 1905.
  • Gituns (GîtAns, dialectic variant of Gîtins An important family group of the Haida, living at Masset, Queen Charlotte ids., Brit. Col. Its prominence at Masset, like that of the Gitins at Skidegate, was such that no further designation was used. Two principal subdivisions recognized were the Mamun-gitunai and the Undlskadjins-gitunai; inferior divisions were the Tees-gitunai and the Sadjugahl-lanas. (J. S. R.)
  • Got (Gōt, ‘eagle’). One of the two great exogamic phratries or clans of the Haida. A synonym for the term was Gitins, the meaning of which is uncertain. The Masset dialect made these εōt and Gituns, respectively. (J. R. S.)
  • Gunghet-kegawai. A subdivision of the Eagle clan of the Haida, belonging, as the name implies, to one of the Ninstints or Gunghet group. They were sometimes called also Gunghet-gitinai. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 270, 1905.
  • Gutgunest-nas-hadai (Gutgunē′st nas:-had’ā′i ‘owl-house people’). Given by Boas (Fifth Rep. N. W. Tribes Can., 26, 1889) as the name of a subdivision of theYaku-lanas, a division of the Raven clan of the Haida. It is really only a house name belonging to that family. (J. R. S.)
  • Gweundus (GwēA′ndAs). A subdivision of low social rank of the Hlgahetgitinai, a family of the Eagle clan of the Haida. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 274, 1905.
  • Heda-haidagai (Xé′daxā′-idAga-i, ‘people living on the low ground’). A sub division of the Stawas-haidagai, a Haida family of the Eagle clan; named from the character of the ground on which their houses stood in the town of Cumshewa. The town chief belonged to this subdivision. Swanton, Conk Haida, 273, 1905.
  • Hlgagilda-kegawai (Łgagí′lda qē′-gawa-i, ‘those born at Hlgagilda’, i. e., Skidegate) .A subdivision of the Hlgaiulanas family of the Haida. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 269, 1905.
  • Hlgahet-gitinai (Łgā′xet gítínā′-i, ‘Gitins of Pebble-town’). A division of the Eagle clan of the Haida, for which Gitins was a second name. They moved from Hlgahet, the old town near Skidegate, to Chaahl on the w. coast, along with other families (see Hlgahetgu-lanas). Originally they and the Gitins of Skidegate constituted one family. The Djahui-hlgahet-kegawai, Yaku-gitinai, Hlgahet-kegawai, and Gweundus were subdivisions, (J. R. S.)
  • Hlgahetgu-lanas (Łgā′xet-gu-lá′nas, ‘people of Pebble-town’). The most important division of the Raven clan of the Haida, on the w. coast of Queen Charlotte ids, Brit. Col. It received its name from an old town near Skidegate, where the people formerly lived. Before this they were part of the Yaku-lanas and lived at Lawn hill, but trouble arising, they were driven away and purchased the town of Hlgahet from the Kogangas. Later another war forced them to move to the w. coast. (J. R. S.)
  • Hlgahet-kegawai (Łgā′xet-qé′gawa-i, ‘those born at Pebble-town’). A subdivision of the Hlgahet-gitinai, a family of the Eagle clan of the Haida, or only another name for that family. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 274, 1905.
  • Hlielung-keawai (Łi′elAñ qē′awa-i, ‘those born at the town of Hlielung’). A subdivision of the Stustas, a family of the Eagle clan of the Haida, occupying a town at the mouth of Hiellen (Hlielung) r., Graham id., Queen Charlotte group, Brit. Col. (J. R. S.)
  • Hlielung-stustae (Łi′elAñ stAsta′-i) ‘Stustas of Hlielung’). A subdivision of the Stustas, an important family of the Eagle clan of the Haida, occupying the town at the mouth of Hlielung or Hiellen r., Queen Charlotte ids. Brit. Col. Possibly a synonym of Hlielung-keawai. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 276, 1905.
  • Hlimulnaas-hadai (ŁimAl na′as xā′-da-i, ‘hlimul-skin-house people’). A subdivision of the Salendas, a Haida family of the Eagle clan. They were so called from one of their houses; hlimul was a name applied to the skins of certain mainland animals. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 276, 1905.
  • Hlingwainaas-hadai (Łingwā′-i na′ as xā′da-i, ‘world-house people’). A sub division of the Aokeawai, a family of the Raven clan of the Haida; probably named from a house. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 272, 1905.
  • Hlkaonedis (Tlingit: Łqa′onedis, ‘people of Łqao river’). A subdivision of the Koetas, a family of the Raven clan of the Haida, living principally in Alaska. They may have received their name from a camping place. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 272, 1905.
  • Hotagastlas-hadai (Xō′tAgastLas xā′da-i, ‘people who run about in crowds’). A subdivision of the Chaahl-lanas, a family of the Eagle clan of the Haida, settled in Alaska. They are said to have been thus named because they were so numerous that when visitors came great crowds ran to meet them. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 276, 1905.
  • Hotnas-hadai (εot nas xada′-i, ‘box-house people’). Given by Boas (Fifth Rep. N. W. Tribes Can., 27, 1889) as the name of a subdivision of the Yaku-lanas, a family of the Raven clan of the Haida in Alaska. It is in reality only a house name belonging to that family. (J. R. S.)
  • Hoya (Xō′ya, ‘raven’ in the Skidegate dialect). One of the two great phratries or clans into which the Haida are divided. (J. R. S.)
  • Huadjinaas-hadai. (Xū′Adjî na′as xā′-da-i, ‘people of grizzly-bear house’). A subdivision of the Koetas family of the Kaigani Haida of British Columbia. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 272, 1905.
  • Huados (Xuadō′s, ‘standing-water people, in allusion to the swampy nature of the land around their towns’). A division of the Raven clan of the Haida, formerly occupying the E. shore of Graham id., Queen Charlotte group, Brit. Col. Originally they were settled at Naikun, but on account of wars they moved to C. Ball, thence to Skidegate. The Naikun-kegawai seem to have been a sort of aristocratic branch of this family. (J. R. S.)
  • Ildjunai-hadai (Î′ldjuna-i xā′da-i, valuable-house people). A subdivision of the Yadus, a family of the Eagle clan of the Haida in w. British Columbia. The name is derived from that of a house. Swanton, Cont. Haida, 276, 1905.

Topics:
Hidasta,

Collection:
Hodge, Frederick Webb, Compiler. The Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Bureau of American Ethnology, Government Printing Office. 1906.

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