Klukwan House Post Collection

Konakadet of the Tlingit

A certain woman disliked her son-in-law very much because he was lazy and was fond of gambling. When the people went to camp, he split a tree in two and caught a lake monster. Putting on its skin... he turned into this monster and began catching fish and sea animals; which he left by his mother-in-law home where she could find them. She started to think that she was a shaman and began prophesying what animal would be left next. The people began to regard her as a great shaman. One time the Raven called just as her son-in-law was coming out of the monster's skin in front of the village and he died. When she found who had been bring the animals...his mother-in-laws died of personal shame. After that the man's wife had his body and the monster's skin carried back to the edge of the lake. Where he came back to life and carried his wife down to his house at the bottom of the lake. Where he became the Gonaqadaet and their children are now the women at the head of the creeks.

The full Konakadet story can be found in the Marius Barbeau's "Totem poles" book.

 

Back to House Post Page