Our ancestors believed that after death, our spirit did not disappear. It moved to the other side, into the spirit world. It was believed that our actions in this world had an effect on the spirit world. Spirits can have an effect on us, in this world. As you read, notice that many of the old customs related to protection people in this world from the spirits following the rules in the spirit world.

According to our old people, the spirit world has natural rules or laws. In our world we see natural laws, such as the law of gravity. When anything is dropped, we see that it falls down, not up. This is the law of gravity. They say that the spirit world has its own laws. Not all people had knowledge of these laws.

The laws ruling the spirit world were understood to be different from those in this world. It required special skills and special knowledge to deal with the spirit world. A person could cause serious harm to themselves or others if they tried to deal with the spirit world without this special knowledge. Some subjects were taboo, not to be spoken of or dealt with by common people. It was not that the subject was forbidden, but that it was sensitive, requiring special knowledge. Only certain people had this type of knowledge.

The spirit world was understood by the shamans, the medicine men. They had special knowledge of the spirit world. However, common people understood some of the rules governing the spirit world. For example, they understood that when a person dies, their spirit is shocked and does not always know where to go. It was common knowledge that the sunrise land was the best place to go. The sunset land was dark and "not good".

One of our traditional beliefs is that a spirit can be reborn, that a person can come back to this world in another body. We have stories of reborn people who can remember events, etc. from their former life. This is one belief that still exists today to some extent.

We have old stories which tell of spirits that returned from the other side. They told us of what to expect. Other stories tell of how we got our songs to sing when someone dies. Another story told of how we learned that to feed a spirit, we put food in the fire after the person is buried or cremated. These stories teach us about the traditional Tahltan understanding of death and some things about the spirit world.

When a person died, the death was immediately reported to the people. They came quickly and began to sing a death chant to the dead one. The song addressed the dead one by name and by Clan. Only older people sang this song. If young people sang it, then they were likely to die early.

It was believed that when a person died, their spirit was shocked and confused. The death chant helped them find the path to the sunrise land. Apparently the beginning of the trail to the sunrise land is hard to find. The death chant helps the spirit to find it. The singers strike the ground with short sticks as they sing and move slowly forward.

The death songs were sung only at the time of death and never at any other time. They refer to the fact that we are all "part of a mountain". When we die, we are like a piece broken off the mountain. The singers go on to tell the dead one that they are singing to help, to show the way to go. They point their sticks upward and to the east where the sun rises.

Teit collected death songs when he was in the Telegraph Creek area. Some were sung in Tahltan and some in Tlingit.

Only members of the opposite Clan were involved in the funeral arrangements. No member of the same Clan were permitted to take part. Only older people, over forty years old, took part in the funeral arrangements.

A Tahltan "Wolf" Grave House

The body was laid on a blanket made of skin with its arms crossed. New moccasins were sewn for the dead one. Their spirit was going to be traveling a new trail. If old moccasins were worn, the spirit might try to follow its tracks on earth. Some belongings were put on the skin; these would be needed by the dead one. Then the body was wrapped in the skin. Some of the skin extended past the head and feet of the body. Ropes were tied around the skin at the feet, the waist and the head. The body was then placed in the house opposite the door, in the place of honour. It was left there for one or two days.

In early days, before Christianity was introduced, we cremated our dead. A large pyre was made of wood and the body placed on it. It was believed that the spirit needed to have things which would make travel comfortable. So items such as kettles, clothing, etc. were burned with the body.

If the man who died had slaves, one or more slaves might be killed at the time of his death. They were not burned with him, but their bodies might be put into the river. The man might ask that none of his slaves be killed upon his death. He may also ask that upon his death, his slaves be freed. If so, then his requests were honoured. If the slaves were not freed, they were inherited by the man's nephew. (See the section on Government for details regarding inheritance.)

When it was time to remove the body from the house, two long poles were prepared. These poles were much longer than the body. The poles were passed through the ropes on either side of the body. Men from the opposite Clan carried the dead one by holding onto the ends of the poles.

If a parent died, it was the custom to have children to jump over the skin blanket covering the body, shortly before the body was removed. They jumped over the skin that extended past the feet. If the child was too young, passed the child over the skin by the relative who was to raise the child.

The relative raising then children took them and walked directly towards the sunrise. After walking some distance, the relative passed his (or her) hands over each child in turn and then held his hands palm up and blew sharply as if blowing something away. A prayer was said at the same time, "May these children be healthy and strong. May they never be sick." In this ceremony, all evil was gathered up from the children and blown away.

The body was never removed through the door of the house so that the spirit of the dead one could not find its way back into the house. Instead a hole was made in the side of the house or the body was passed out through the window. The pallbearers did not walk through the hole or window. If they did, the dead one might take their spirit to the other side. So the body was passed through the window and the pallbearers went outside through the door.

It was believed that the souls of children are not firmly attached and are easily taken. (Perhaps this belief developed because long ago a great many of our children died young.) The spirit of the dead one can easily take the spirits from the children. The spirit is not trying to be "mean", but is following a natural spirit-law. So, when the body was being taken outside, children were protected by covering them up until the body was out of sight. Sometimes they were protected until the body was burned. They were also protected by having a piece of charcoal placed in their clothing. At the pyre, mourning songs and death chants were sung as the body slowly burned. As the songs and chants were being sung, the singers swayed from side to side.

A Tahltan Grave House

A few days after the body was completely burned, maybe three days, the burned bones were collected and wrapped in skin. The skin was set on a raised platform so that the bones were held above the ground.

In later years, the bones were placed in a small box and that was placed on the raised platform. Sometimes grave houses were built to protect the bones. These were simple, and shaped like a roof-top with no walls. When trunks were brought into the country, trunks were used instead of boxes or grave houses to hold the bones. These were also placed on platforms above the ground. Once the bones were placed there, they were allowed to disintegrate and return to the earth.

Our cemeteries were often placed on high ground near main camps or villages. A number of old graveyards may be seen in our country. Some overlook lakes, streams, and old villages. Some are built on flats.

The final stage of the funeral rituals took place about the third day after cremation. It was believed that spirits would come to get the spirit of the deceased. They would search for it. To protect the spirits of the living, a single feather (often an eagle feather) would be hung above each door into the house. These would be left for several days.

As a sign of mourning, all close relatives of the deceased cut their hair soon after the time of death. If a person had long hair, they cut it to shoulder level. If it was not too long, then they would cut it to the level of their ears.

Before their hair was cut, they sang songs of mourning. Once the hair was cut, they did not sing anymore. No special clothing was worn by any person except the new widow.

Widows followed strict customs when their husband died. They lived apart from the people in a little lean-to for a time. They also blackened their faces so the tears could be seen when they cried.

Teit says that he was told that people cried a lot when a relative died in past times [before 1915]. They cried a lot even though they knew it was not right. It was said that our crying for the dead caused rain in the spirit world. It made the spirits' trail wet and slippery and travel difficult. That is why spirits do not want us to cry much following death.

The widow followed a certain routine in her eating and sleeping. She had restrictions about what meat and fish she was allowed to eat. These restrictions were carried on over a certain period of time.

A Tahltan "Whale" Grave House

This is an example of the rules she followed: Her food was brought by a woman from the opposite Clan. On the second day of her isolation, her food was brought on a large flat stone. There were a number of pebbles on the stone. These represented a living relative and she named them. These were left with her overnight. She prayed that these relatives would be safe and healthy. Next morning her attendant gathered up the stones, wrapped them, and buried them in a dry place under the roots of a tree.

Teit (1912-15) was told that these restrictions are not followed anymore. His informant told him: Nowadays people are like dogs. They have no restrictions or regulations about these matters and therefore they die off. When people lived by these rules and regulations, people lived a long time and there were many people.

The widow was required to wear her clothing in a certain way for a month. It was tied with a belt made for her by a woman of the opposite Clan. A special necklace was also made for her by this woman. The belt was made of leather. If it broke before the time to remove it, this was believed to be an unlucky sign.

The necklace was made of leather thong and reached down to the abdomen. Small flat stones were hung from it. These represented relatives. The widow wore the belt and necklace for four years, even if she remarried in those years. The belt and necklace was buried in the same way as the pebbles were buried.

During the first year, the widow did not wash her hair. It became matted and itchy, so she carried a scratcher such as that used by teenage girls. She was not allowed to pick berries, or touch game animals or fish in that year. At the end of the year, a woman from the opposite Clan washed and combed her hair. Once she was clean, she put on normal clothing again. Her time of mourning was over.

When a man's wife died, he had very few restrictions and these were by choice. The widower followed them if he wished. A widower did not have to live in a small lean-to apart from the others, but some did fast and live alone for a time. The period of mourning was never longer than six months. Widowers were not allowed to hunt for one year. This restrictions was usually followed.

Any close relative could choose to be a special mourner for a member of the opposite Clan. Usually men were mourners for 3men, and women were mourners for women. Sometimes both men and women chose to be special mourners. These special mourners were called o'tsen. Mom & Aunty do not know anything about this.

They cut their hair and wore robes tied with leather belts. Their role was to sing and mourn for the deceased. They were very energetic and active. They slept and ate as little as possible. For example, they would get up very early in the morning and light all of the fires. They carried wood and water as well. They asked members of their clan to join and be special mourners. Any who did cut their hair and behaved as the o'tsen did. This special mourning carried on for four days. After that time, they dressed and behaved as others did.

While they were o'tsen, people prayed that they would always be as active, as early to rise, etc. By these ceremonies, the o'tsen was to keep the qualities he or she prayed for, and they would carry on after the period of mourning, even into old age.

Usually, one year after the person's death, the nearest relative(s) gave a potlatch to honour the deceased's life and to pay the debts of the deceased. Before the potlatch began, the family met to settle the inheritance. The eldest relative usually took charge. If the deceased was a man, his property was disposed of and his heir was given his inheritance. (See the section on Government for details.) If the deceased was a woman, her personal property, such as clothing, bags, tools, etc. would be given to the relatives on her side of the family. Note that her children would be raised by a relative on her side of the family.

If the deceased was a married man, the eldest relative asked each of the unmarried men in order of their age, who would take the widow and house of the deceased. When someone agreed, he was given the widow and the house, as well as half the movable property of the man. This man and the widow shared ownership of these. The widow then became the real wife of that man.

If no one took the widow, then the property was divided among the relatives. The widow usually was freed by the family after the paying ceremony. Sometimes a widow became very angry and insulted if no one took her. She might go and live with some man. This was considered to be against the rules of traditional Tahltan society. However, other than causing jealousy and talk, usually nothing further was done in this case.

Long ago, a potlatch was given for the deceased a year after the death. Everyone who died had a potlatch given for them: children, men and women. The potlatch was a ceremony which included dancing, a feast, and a give-away ceremony. It lasted from two to four days, depending on the wealth and importance of the deceased. The feast for the deceased was only for the members of the opposite Clan, but everybody who wished to, attended and were welcomed and fed. Everyone attending the feast wore ceremonial or dancing clothing. Speeches were made to honour the deceased. Tlingit was often used in these speeches. Respect was shown to his life, his death, etc.

The feast was the last supper of the deceased. At the feast, the spirit of the deceased was given food in a special ceremony. We call it feeding the fire. Food was placed on the fire in a respectful way, as if serving the deceased. It was not thrown on as if throwing something away. The deceased was spoken to as if present. The person of the opposite Clan who was feeding the fire might say, "This food is what we are having for this last supper." Other comments might be added, such as "We hope you enjoy it."

A Tahltan Grave House

Long ago, most of the singing and dancing at the potlatch was done by members of the opposite Clan. Ceremonial songs were sung by the members of the same Clan which told of the regret at the loss of the deceased.

The give-away ceremony was held on the final day of the potlatch. This was an important part of the death rituals. It cleared up all matters relating to the deceased. One reason that the potlatch was held at least a year after the death was that it took the relatives of the deceased a long time to gather up the money and goods to give away. They worked together to gather goods such as blankets and clothing, and food. In later years, other items such as money, jewelry, and other items of value were added to the items to give away.

First, all debts of the deceased were paid. Then everyone of the opposite Clan who helped with the funeral was paid for their part in the funeral arrangements. Dancers from the opposite Clan were paid. Finally, whatever was left over was distributed to everyone except the family of the deceased. The family of the deceased took nothing from the potlatch.

The potlatch was a cheerful event. Songs were not songs of mourning, but were more cheerful. This was like a celebration of the life of the deceased. It marked the end of the period of mourning.

Over the years, the rituals and ceremonies surrounding death and funerals changed. As noted above, the items gathered to give away changed when new articles of value became available. In the early 1900's, items such as money, tobacco, pails of rice, records, and jewelry were added, as well as modern clothing.

The conversion of many of our people to Christianity changed the burial practices. So, nowadays most of our people are laid in coffins and buried in cemeteries. Picket fences, headstones, and a variety of grave houses are common. They may be cremated, but are never cremated slowly in open pyres now.

Potlatches, that is, the give-away ceremony, was banned by our government of Canada at one time. So, only the final supper was the custom for many years. Nowadays, variations of the potlatch are practiced. Most of the time, the funeral is carried out in a Christian (or other) church, depending on the religious beliefs of the deceased. Variations of the give-away ceremony is still followed by some people.

A final supper is usually held. Sometimes this is a small, informal meal. Sometimes it is a large feast. Nowadays, it is difficult to have a potlatch a year later because we do not all live in the Telegraph Creek area any longer. So it has become the custom to have the funeral followed by the feast. In fact, any other customs, such as giving away the name of the deceased, might be carried out at this time. We recognize that this is not the way it was done in days past, but it is the most practical way in this day.

At the feast, instead of the relatives providing everything, sometimes all of us who attend donate money in remembrance of the deceased. If this is done, the name of the person(s) donating and the amount they give is called out. The money is used to pay for the cost of the feast and to pay members of the opposite Clan who had been involved in the funeral arrangements. These include the pallbearers and those who prepared the meal. The remainder of the money is put towards paying for the cost of the funeral.

Any money left over is given away. This is also the case with leftover food at this last supper. Nothing, not even food, is taken home by the family of the deceased. To do so is considered to be bad luck.

We often "feed the fire" at the supper. When we do, we use our best bowl or plate to carry the food. Sometimes we might have two or three plates to provide food for those who have died recently and who have not had a last supper for some reason. We remember them and feed their spirits at the same time.

All rituals and ceremonies pay respect to the deceased. If they or their family choose to follow some traditional Tahltan ceremonies, then their wishes are honoured by our community. If they choose to follow Christian or other religious rituals and ceremonies, their wishes are respected.

We Tahltans recognize and respect that religious beliefs are a personal matter both in life and in death.