Chapter III: Part 3

27. k'aickontE[-l]dAñ. On the E side of Casoose Cr. on a flat
100 ft. higher than the creek, which flows just below it. The
village site is near a post which marked the old boundary between
Trinity and Mendocino counties. Two pits were seen.

28. tc'iañmiyE. On the E side of and 100 ft. higher than
Casoose Cr. It was 100 yds. downstream from the beginning of the
canyon. Five pits were counted.

IV. _tcokot kiyahAñ_

The winter villages of this group were on Red Mountain Cr. Goodboy Jack said that he did not know the village names. The impression had been received that Salt Creek V. was inhabited but Jack said it was too cold to live there in the winter. Presumably it was the hunting ground of the tcokot kiyahAñ.

LASSIK

The Lassik occupied the drainage of the main Eel River between the mouths of Dobbyn and Kekawaka creeks and the territory east of there to the crest of the Coast Range. There is almost no ethnographic information on this group in the literature except a few notes gathered by Essene (1942) when he was compiling a Culture Element List for the area. Even the geographic information on this group is weak. Merriam does not seem to have spent much time among them. Goddard may have recorded their villages but, if so, I have been able to find only a small part of his data. What there is I give below.

Merriam records only random notes on the Lassik. His informant from that group was Lucy Young, the same woman Essene worked with so effectively (Essene, 1942; see also Kroeber's data, App. II). According to Merriam, she lived with her daughter, Mrs. William Clark, on a ranch about two miles south of Zenia; Mrs. Clark's husband came originally from Hyampom. Merriam seems to have visited Lucy Young in 1922. His only statement on the group follows.

Sit-ten-biden keah ... Main Eel River from Fort Seward region
on north, southerly to Harris and Kekawaka Creek; westerly to South
Fork Eel River; easterly to Forest Glen and South Fork Trinity
River near Kelsey Peak.

TRIBELETS

Merriam's notes contain no systematic information on the tribelets of this group but do give the following miscellaneous data.

Kos-kah-tun-den ka-ah is the Settenbiden name for a related tribelet in the Blocksburg region [the territory E of Alder Pt.], now extinct. Their language is the same as that of the Bridgeville group but with many words different from Settenbiden.

Sa-tahl-che-cho-be is the Settenbiden name for the band on the east side of the Main Eel River just below the mouth of Kekawaka Creek. This tribelet is the "sko-den ke-ah" of the Eel River Wailaki. Neither Merriam nor Goddard was sure whether the group ought not more properly to be included in the Lassik or the Wailaki.

Taht-so keah is the name of a tribelet to the north of the Eel River Wailaki which the latter said was related to them. This group, together with the sa-tahl-che-cho-be, is said to constitute the then-chah-tung tribelet of the Lassik.

VILLAGES

For the most part the Lassik villages recorded by Merriam (and listed below) cannot be located, hence they have not been placed on the map.

Kahsh-bahn. A Lassik village on the W side of the main Eel R.
about 2 mi. above (S of) the mouth of Jewett Cr. This was a big
town and there were lots of acorns near there.

Kes-tah-che. On the E side of the main Eel R. nearly opposite
(a little above) the mouth of Jewett Cr.

'Ki-che-be. On the site of the present (1923) store at Ruth on
the Mad R. This was a big town with many houses and a sweathouse.
There were lots of deer, bear, and acorns in this area. During
the cold weather, usually in January, a dance, which lasted three
nights, was held in this village.

Sa-cho-yeh. A large village on the E side of the main Eel R.
about 2-1/2 mi. S of Alder Pt.

Sa-tahl-che-cho-be. The name means "red rocks." On the E side
of the main Eel R. about 1/2 mi. or a mile below the mouth of
Kekawaka Cr. There were falls and a whirlpool there.

Tah-kah-ta-cho-be. On the E side of the Mad R. on a flat near
the Hay place about 10 mi. above Ruth. It was a big town with a
sweathouse.

Taht-so. On the Underhill ranch, which was owned by Glenn or
Green at the time Merriam was in the area (1920's). Evidently it
was somewhere in the Harris region W of the main Eel R.

Tha-cho-yeh. On the main Eel R. on a flat under a high
standing rock. The rock is now called Cain Rock. It is on the E
side of the river about 3 mi. S of Alder Pt.

Tha-ken-nes-ten. The name means "talking rock." The village
was on the E side of the main Eel R. near a big rock which stood at
a bend of the river at the Johnson place (near a big white house).
It was a big town with a sweathouse.

Tha-tah-che. A large winter village in Soldier Basin on the
North Fork of the Eel (near present Gilman place). This was a big
town but had no sweathouse. In the winter they hunted deer and bear
here.

To-be-se-a-tung. On the E side of the Mad R. above the Bushman
place. It was about a mile above the river.

To-sos-ten. On the E side of the main Eel R. a mile or two
above Alder Pt.

There is some ambiguity in Merriam's notes on the status of the Lassik living in the western part of their territory near the South Fork of the Eel. The Sinkyone George Burt told Merriam that a group called the To-kub´-be ke´ah or To´-kah-be held the land on the east side of South Fork from Rocky Glen Creek south to above Garberville. This tribe was said to be centered on the east branch of South Fork and in the Harris region and to be a different tribe from the one on the main Eel River at Alder Point and Kekawaka Creek, but Merriam himself has refused to accept this assertion.

Goddard's information indicates that the east bank of South Fork was owned by the Sinkyone, and it is so detailed that it has been accepted here (see p. 164).

Goddard's unpublished material on the Lassik consists of a single map (here reproduced as map 8), which apparently shows the locations of 27 villages. A list of what are presumably the village names accompanies it, but Goddard changed the numbers on his map. Hence on our map the correct name may not be assigned to each site.

_Goddard's Lassik Villages_

1. gastc[=i]kdûñ
2. k[=o]nte^{l}tc[=i]dûñ
3. satcin[=i]tc[=i]dûñ
4. naslintce
5. ist'etatc[=i]dûñ
6. t[=o]kseye
7. kiñk'ûtek[=o]nte^{l}dûñ
8. k'ûct[=o]t[=o]dûñ
9. d[=i]y[=i]ckûk
10. nûndûkkatûndûñ
11. k[=o]nte^{l}tc[=i]dûñ
12. g[=o]sn[=o]lindûñ
13. t[=o]tcadûñ
14. sait[=o]tc[=i]
15. nûnsûn^{l}tc[=i]kkinne^{=e=}dûñ
16. y[=i]stcûttcadûñ
17. tois[=i]b[=i]
18. lesbatc[=i]tdûñ
19. k'ûstc[=i]kdûñ
20. tcûggûstatc[=i]^{=e=}
21. lesbaitc[=i]^{=e=}
22. setatc[=i]^{=e=}
23. kast[=o]ntc[=i]^{=e=}dûñ

Goddard lists other names, presumably for the Lassik villages, as follows: sekû[-l]ne, tectatalindûñ, dûltc[=i]kyacdûñ, t'o-todûñ, k'ûsnesdûñ, ne ga b[=i], kûttantc[=i]tc[=o]dûñ. The sites corresponding to these names cannot be located.

NONGATL

The Nongatl are almost entirely confined to the drainages of the Van Duzen River and upper Mad River. Their culture is the least known of any group in northwestern California. Merriam evidently did not work in their area although he recorded a few of their words given him by George Burt's wife. George Burt was a Sinkyone, but his wife was born and raised near Bridgeville. Goddard recorded some villages for this group, whose names are given below. Nomland worked with someone from the Nongatl in 1928 (Nomland, 1938, p. 9), but her results have not been published.

The territory of the Nongatl lies, for the most part, east of the main redwood belt. It is therefore no doubt well supplied with oaks, and plant foods are thus readily available. Salmon are abundant in the Van Duzen River (pl. 10, _c_) and Yager Creek but not in the Mad River in eastern Nongatl territory. In much of their territory then, the subsistence patterns of the Nongatl must have differed from those of most of northwestern California, where fishing was of primary importance.

According to Merriam (1923) the word Nung-kah^{hl} is "a general or blanket name used by themselves for all the southern Athapaskan tribes, from Iaqua and Yager Creek on the north to the northern border of Round Valley on the south, thus including the Athapaskan Wilakke." In anthropological literature, however, especially in the work of Kroeber and Goddard, this name has come to be used for the group living between Iaqua Buttes and Mad River on the north and Dobbyn Creek on the south. Merriam's name for this group is Kit-tel´. He does not seem to have obtained any information from them although one of his notes mentions the fact that the wife of George Burt, his Lolangkok Sinkyone informant, was a Kit-tel´ woman.

At times Merriam seems to have confused the Nongatl with the Lassik. In his general statement on the Nongatl, which follows, he lists them as Lassik although the area in which he places them marks them as Kit-tel´ or Nongatl.

Las´sik ... Name (from Chief Lassik, now dead) in common use
for a Non-ga´h^{hl} tribe occupying a rather large area, extending
from Iaqua Butte in the latitude of the mouth of Eel River,
southerly to Dobbyn Creek and to the head of Van Duzen River, and
from the eastern boundary of the Lolahnkok of Bull Creek and South
Fork Eel River easterly to Mad River and the crest of the long
ridge known as South Fork Mountain, and southerly to within about
two miles of Ruth on Mad River; to the headwaters of Van Duzen
River (but not reaching Kettenshaw Valley), and to Dobbyn Creek on
the main Eel; thus including the entire course and drainage area of
Larrabee Creek.

There is doubt as to the northern boundary of the so-called
Las´sik for the reason that I have not been able to obtain the
necessary vocabularies for comparison. Goddard's information points
to a division south of the Bridgeville region but I have been told
by both the Nek´-kan-ni´ of Bear River and the Lolahnk[=o]k of Bull
Creek and South Fork Eel that the language is exactly the same from
Iaqua Butte southerly and that the languages of the Nek´-kan-ni´
and Lo-lahn-k[=o]k do not differ essentially from that of the
Larrabee Creek region.

The Indians over whom Chief Lassik held sway had no common
tribal name but consisted of a number of bands or subtribes, now
mostly or quite extinct, said to have spoken the same or closely
allied dialects.

However, since the entire drainage basin of Larrabee Creek is
included in their territory, it may be desirable to adopt the term
Kos´-ten ke´-ah, by which term the Larrabee Creek band was known to
neighbors on the south--the Set-ten-bi´-den ke-ah.

SUBGROUPS

There is evidence of several subgroups among the Nongatl, but it is not known whether these were tribelets or dialect divisions. Essene (1942, pp. 90-92) got information from the Lassik woman Lucy Young indicating that there was a distinct group around Blocksburg, which the Lassik called Kuskatundun, and another group around Bridgeville they called Nai'aitci. This latter group is said to have been a roving band which preyed on all the neighboring peoples.

Goddard's village data indicate six other groups but do not give boundaries. These were as follows.

bûsk[=o]tk[=i]ya. In the neighborhood of Indian Cr. in the
upper part of the drainage of Yager Cr. (map 9).

tcillûndûñ. On the upper reaches of North Yager Cr. (map 9).

bûstc[=o]b[=i]k[=i]ya. In the vicinity of the junction of
North and Middle Yager creeks. The language of this group was said
to be the same as that of the tcittelk[=i]ya (map 9).

senûñka. On upper Larabee Cr. in the vicinity of Blocksburg
(pl. 10, _e_, _f_). This no doubt is the same as Essene's
Kuskatundun, which was the Lassik name for the group (map 10).

tcittelk[=i]ya. On the Van Duzen R. above Bridgeville. Appears
to be the same name as Merriam's Kit-tel´.

na'aitcik[=i]ya. On the Van Duzen above the tcittelk[=i]ya
group. This name appears on the Goddard map from which map 1 was
taken but is not otherwise recorded. This is evidently the same as
Essene's Nai'aitci.

k[=o]sdûñk[=i]ya. On the South Fork of the Van Duzen,
including Larabee V.

VILLAGES

The Nongatl villages recorded below are all taken from Goddard's unpublished notes (maps 7, 9, 10). This is evidently far from a complete count but it is clear that there were about as many villages in the area covered by these maps as in other parts of the Athabascan area.

_bûsk[=o]tk[=i]ya group (1-7, map 9)_

1. In the swag of a large ridge running toward the SSE to the
junction of the main components of Indian Cr., perhaps a mile from
it. There is one deep pit. There is a flowing creek 200 yds. E.

2. A single pit found by Pete E of a small stream flowing
south into Indian Cr. from the lowest place in the ridge at Big
Bend of the Mad R. Nearly 1/2 mi. from Indian Cr. W of a hill above
which the wagon road passes. This is where Goddard camped in 1906.
He hunted all around here without finding other pits.

3. k'onûseb[=i]'. On a point running down SSW toward Indian
Cr. There were two pits near the creek and two more 200 ft. up the
hill. A few large and small oaks were growing there. Water was to
be had a few yards E. Pete saw a house there when he was a boy.

4. W of a small stream flowing into Indian Cr. from the N, and
E of a large flat. There was a flat place with dirt thrown out in
front of it but with no pit. About 1/8 mi. E on the round end of a
ridge was a fairly evident pit and a sekal.

5. About 200 yds. E of the small stream mentioned in no. 4
were a few small pits.

6. One pit was on the W bank of a S-flowing branch of Indian
Cr. Small ridges N and S of it form a small basin, giving it
protection from the winds. Madrone and black oaks are growing
there. It is possible that a depression on the southern ridge is
also a house pit.

7. On a small ridge on the E side of the branch of Indian Cr.,
which flows from the S past Fork Baker ranch buildings. About 1-1/2
mi. north of these buildings Pete found 3 pits. He said there were
small streams N and S of the ridge. Goddard did not visit the place
but it was pointed out by Pete as W of a big Douglas spruce tree
and a large rock. Goddard described it as above.

_tcillûndûñ group (8-12, map 9)_

8. On the slope N of North Yager Cr. close to the county road
and about 100 yds. from the bridge. There are 2 pits close to the
wagon road and 1 or 2 a little farther N. The site is 65 ft. higher
than the bridge.

9. kactc[=o]tc[=i]b[=i]', "redwoods..?.. in." On the N side
of North Yager Cr. at the W end of a flat of about an acre. There
are a few redwoods on the opposite side of the creek. Six pits were
found about 100 yds. back from the creek. Pete had heard of the
flat but not that Indians lived there. A hunter told Goddard of the
Indians being killed there by whites.

10. About 1/4 mi. up a branch which flows into North Yager Cr.
from the north. On the W side of the creek on a rounded ridge were
3 pits, 2 of which were very distinct.

11. On a small flat on the N side of Yager Cr. and close to it
Pete saw 2 large deep pits. They were about 1/4 mi. downstream from
the branch where village 10 was found.

12. tse'dûttc^{l}bûtta'dûñ. A half-mile N of North Yager Cr.
at the edge of Douglas spruce and tanbark oak timber. Stones used
by the Indians were lying near the water and 2 pits were found
there. To the W, on the crest of the ridge, there were 5 pits at
the S end of the timber. A cabin stands there.

Goddard lists five more sites found in this vicinity on North Yager Creek but they are not named and their locations are indefinite so they will not be given here.

_bûstc[=o]b[=i]k[=i]ya group (13-18, map 9)_

13. senindûsc[=i]m[=i]. On the W bank of North Yager Cr. 1/4
mi. below a waterfall of the same name. Two pits were located 100
ft. above the creek in brush and timber. On the same side of the
creek but 1/4 mi. downstream were 4 more pits, in one of which a
sekal lay.

14. nakat[=o]dûñ. On the E side of North Yager Cr., on a flat
now covered with huckleberry brush. Pete found 2 pits here. On the
W side of the creek, a little downstream, were 2 more pits. The
flat had been badly washed away by freshets.

15. Two pits were found among the redwoods and thick brush at
the junction of North and Middle Yager creeks.

16. ist'egab[=i]', "madrones in." Just at the eastern edge of
the timber on a point running down toward Middle Yager Cr. were 4
pits.

17. k[=o]ntc[=o]wetc[=i]kinnedûñ. About 1/4 mi. N of Middle
Yager Cr. On a small flat on a hillside, facing SW in open timber
above a small stream. There were 7 pits here. Pete had heard that
there used to be a village so situated.

18. An overhanging rock on the N side of Middle Yager Cr.
shows signs of occupation and there is a pit near by.

_senûñka group (19-35, map 10)_

19. On a little point 200 yds. N of Curless' house. There is
one pit. Charlie Taylor's grandmother was born here, according to
Curless, who showed the site to Goddard. This was the most northern
village of the senûñka on Larabee Cr.

20. t'[=o]kintcab[=i]'. On the hillside on either side of the
stream which crosses the road about a mile S of Curless' place.
It is nearly a mile from Larabee Cr. and is close to the timber.
The village was in a line of Douglas spruce south of an oat-field.
There were 7 large pits on the W side of the stream and 5 on the E
side. With one exception these were N of the fence; others may have
been filled by plowing.

21. t'[=o]kintcab[=i]'. On the E side of Larabee Cr. a
good-sized stream flows across the county road by a group of farm
buildings. On the E side of the road close to the N side of this
stream are from 4 to 6 pits. Douglas spruce and tanbark timber with
brush obscured them. On the W side of the road is a large sheep
barn. W of this barn are 4 pits, some quite uncertain because the
ground has been cleared of large Douglas spruce timber. There is a
large plowed flat 1/4 mi. W, near Larabee Cr. Andrew's wife told
Pete of such a place where there used to be many Indians.

22. k'ûcna'aidûñ (?). In a swag on the W side of a gulch lined
with Douglas spruce and tanbark oak timber with exposure toward the
S. There are 5 distinct pits.

23. On a point 200 yds. N of the junction of the two main
components of Larabee Cr., W of a small stream. There were 4 pits,
only one of which was large. The end of a pestle was lying in this
one.

24. On the E side of Larabee Cr., between it and the county
road, on the S side of a small stream. There was one pit. The
building of the road may have destroyed others.

25. On a large flat N of the junction of the two components of
Larabee Cr. and a little to the E. There were 10 pits. There is a
cabin and a corral here and many pits may have been filled in.

26. On the hillside N of the eastern component of Larabee Cr.
Pete thought there were 3 pits. There had been slides there and
Goddard was not sure of them.

27. On the N side of a large branch of Larabee Cr. from the E,
200 yds. N of where it is joined by a stream from the N. The stream
from the E is bûstadûñk[=o]t. There were 3 pits among the Douglas
spruce and black oaks.

28. On the E side of the Eel R. about 3/4 mi. N of the mouth
of Coleman Cr. at the edge of timber on a small bench. There were 2
small house pits.

29. On the E side Of the Eel about 300 yds. N of the mouth of
Coleman Cr., 75 yds. back from the river and 40 ft. above it. There
were 2 large deep pits. The exposure is SW.

30. canak[=i]', "creek tail." On the E side of the Eel R. S of
the mouth of Coleman Cr. There were 3 pits close to the creek but
high above it on the bank, 2 on a flat 25 yds. S, and 2 more near a
dry gulch 200 yds. S of the creek. Near the creek the brakes were
so thick that many pits may have been overlooked. This place was
mentioned by Charlie in 1908.

31. On the E side of the Eel R. about 500 yds. S of the mouth
of Coleman Cr. on a flat close to the S side of a gulch lined with
maple and peppernut trees. There were 8 pits here and 7 or 8 more
from 50 to 75 yds. S.

32. N of the knoll which is just below the forks of Coleman
Cr. There was 1 pit.

33. On the E side of the Eel R. about 300 yds. N of the mouth
of Mill Cr. on a brushy point. There were 5 pits.

34. On the E side of the Eel R. N of the mouth of Mill Cr.
just S of a big rock. There were 2 pits.

35. nadaitcûñ. This name was supplied by Charlie in 1908 as
belonging to the village at the mouth of a large creek on the E
side of the Eel R. above Coleman Cr.

SINKYONE

The Sinkyone occupied the territory on the west side of the South Fork of the Eel from Scotia south to Hollow Tree Creek. From the Mattole boundary at Spanish Flat south to the Coast Yuki line at Usal Creek they held the coast.

We have more ethnographic information about the Sinkyone than about most of the Athabascan groups. Merriam's material and Goddard's data combined provide a virtually complete village list for the northern, or Lolangkok, Sinkyone and a few villages for the southern, or Shelter Cove, Sinkyone. Kroeber's Handbook (1925_a_, pp. 145-150) gives a fair amount of general ethnography and this is well augmented by Nomland's paper (Nomland, 1935).

Sinkyone territory is in the redwood coastal zone and this location no doubt reduced somewhat the supply of vegetal food. The Sinkyone were, however, well supplied with fish products by the Eel River, which not only had an excellent salmon run but also provided quantities of lamprey eel.

On the basis of Merriam's linguistic evidence the Sinkyone have been divided into a northern group, called Lolangkok after the native name for Bull Creek, and a southern group, called Shelter Cove after a sheltered spot on the coast midway between the Mattole and Yuki boundaries. This division is rendered somewhat questionable by the unreliability of Sally Bell, Merriam's Shelter Cove Sinkyone informant. It is doubtful, however, whether Sally Bell's linguistic information could be falsified. In any case, the separation is partly verified by Goddard's data and I have therefore accepted it.

The Merriam notes contain a comparatively large amount of material on the Lolangkok Sinkyone. The following general statement on that group is taken verbatim from that source.

The Lo-lahn´-k[=o]k. Information is from George Burt, a member
of the tribe, who was raised on Bull Creek at the rancheria called
Kahs-cho´-chin-net´-tah about seven miles upstream from Dyerville,
at a place now known as Schoolhouse Flat, and who now lives near
Fortuna (1922).

The territory of the Lo-lahn´-k[=o]k began on the north at
Shively and covered a narrow strip on the east side of the main Eel
River to Dyerville, and a much broader area on the west side, and
continued southerly on the west side of South Fork Eel River nearly
to Garberville. On the west it not only covered the South Fork
drainage, but continued over Elk Ridge to the head waters of Upper
Mattole River.

The southern boundary ran a little north of Ettersburg,
Briceland, and Garberville.

Informant states that on the east side of South Fork Eel River
their territory included only the immediate river valley.

Merriam's informant from the Southern Sinkyone was Sally Bell. She had evidently lived at Briceland for more than thirty years when she was interviewed in 1923. Nomland (1935, p. 149) says of her that she was "born Needle Rock; reared from childhood by white settlers, married Coast Yuki, Tom Bell; blind, senile, sees spirits in rafters, etc." (See fig. 1, _d_.) This group Merriam describes only in a brief general statement, summarized as follows.

To´-cho´-be ke´ah is their own name and the Lolahnkok name
for the tribe (and village) in the Briceland region (between the
South Fork of the Eel and the coast). It is used also in a larger
sense for all bands speaking the same dialect from the west side of
the South Fork of the Eel River (in the Garberville region) to the
coast. The Set´tenbi´den [Lassik] call this group Yis-sing´-kun-ne.
The name of the group is pronounced To-cho´-be ke´ah by the
Lolahn´k[=o]k and Taw-chaw´-be-ke´ah by themselves.

TRIBELETS

None of the tribelets of the Sinkyone is described or located specifically enough to permit the drawing of boundaries. Hence they are merely listed here, with available location data. Nomland (1935, p. 151) says: "Two informants always gave names of land areas in place of village names." These names are no doubt those of tribelets.

chi-chin-kah ke-ah (Merriam). This is the name for the
tribelet between the upper waters of Bull Cr. and Elk Ridge.
Nomland gives the name chacingu´k for the group in the ridge N of
Briceland, which is evidently Elk Ridge.

yese'kuk (Nomland). This is given as the Mattole R. area,
possibly a tribelet designation.

The two tribelets listed above are the only ones noted in the
area of the Bull Creek or Lolangkok Sinkyone. The following, all
from Merriam except where noted, are in the area of the Shelter
Cove Sinkyone.

to-cho-be ke-ah (taw-chaw-be keah). Name for the tribelet and
village in the Briceland region between the South Fork of the Eel
and the coast. Used in the larger sense for all the tribelets from
Briceland south to Usal Cr. totro'b[=e] (Nomland, 1935). This was
the name of the Briceland area.

nahs-lin-che-ke-ah. This was the name of the tribelet on South
Fork S of Garberville. senke'kut (Nomland). This is given as the
area "to the South Fork from Garberville."

tahng-ah-ting keah. This was the Bull Creek Sinkyone name
for the Shelter Cove and Point Delgada tribelet. They were called
tahng-i-keah by themselves and by the Briceland Sinkyone. Kroeber
(1925, p. 145) gives tangating as the place name for Shelter Cove.

Usal (Yosawl). This is the southernmost tribelet of the
Briceland Sinkyone, said to extend from Usal Cr. to Shelter Cove.
According to Kroeber (1925, p. 145) "This word seems to be from
Pomo Yoshol, denoting either the Coast Yuki or the Mankya, both of
whom are north of the Pomo; but yo is 'south' and shol 'eastward'
in that language."

The following names are given by Nomland for Sinkyone areas. They do not correspond to Merriam's tribelets and are probably just place names.

anse'ntakuk The land south of Briceland

cusacic'ha The region north of Garberville

yenekuk The area southeast of Briceland

yese' The coast area to the Mattole boundary at Four Mile Cr.

VILLAGES

Most of the Sinkyone villages given here are taken from Goddard's notes. A few are also given by Merriam. In the list the source is indicated by (G) for Goddard, (M) for Merriam. Merriam's notes contain, besides the village names, a list of place names on the Eel and on South Fork, running from Scotia to south of Garberville (see pp. 191-193, map 13). In areas where Merriam's material can be compared with Goddard's these place names nearly all turn out to be village names. It seems likely therefore that, in other areas also, nearly all are village names. In calculating population (see p. 216), I have occasionally used these to augment the village count.

_Lolangkok Sinkyone villages on the main Eel (map 11)._--Of the following villages, the two north of the mouth of South Fork are from Merriam's notes, for which George Burt was the informant. Merriam also gives several place names for the area below the mouth of South Fork, and it seems probable that most, if not all, of these were actually villages rather than mere landmarks; this was certainly so farther south on South Fork.

Above the mouth of South Fork the villages are from Goddard's notes; the informant was Charlie and the information was gathered in 1903 and 1908. It is possible that these villages are not Sinkyone. However, there is no specific evidence for attributing this region to the Nongatl and it is known that Charlie was a Lolangkok Sinkyone, so I have placed them in this latter group. Goddard has given the section, township, and range locations as he did for the preceding villages. These have been helpful in locating the sites, but I have omitted his notations because they are no longer accurate; the maps have been changed since the time of Goddard's original work.

1. lah-s[=a]-se´-te (M). At Shively on the main Eel R.

2. kah´-li-cho´-be, "growing flat" (M). At a place now called
Englewood, a small settlement 9 mi. E of Scotia bridge. The name is
said to refer to things growing up there.

3. seûstcelindûñ (G). On the S bank of the main Eel not far
downstream from Dyerville.

4. t[=o]nesdadûñ (G). On the NE bank of the Eel directly
across from seûstcelindûñ.

5. tetcinne (G). On the E side of the Eel upstream from
t[=o]nesdadûñ. A big rock, pointing downstream, is said to project
into the river there.

6. tûggûstc[=o] dasañke (G). On the E side of the Eel S of
tetcinne. A large rancheria in an open place.

7. naltcûñka (G). On the W side of Eel R. S of tûggûstc[=o]
dasañke. There is a big slide there. It is below Camp Grant on the
S side, according to Charlie, 1903.

nahl-tsin´-kah (M). Camp Grant.

8. t[=o][-l]tciñyasta' (G). On the E side of the Eel about 1
mi. above naltcûñka. A large rock stands back of the village site.

9. tadûttc[=i]' (G). On the E side of the Eel not far above
t[=o][-l]tciñyasta', at the mouth of a large creek in which salmon
run (tadak[=o]k, Thompson Cr.?). Above Camp Grant.

10. tcillûñdûñ (G). On the E side of the Eel 1/4 mi.
above tadûttc[=i]'. An open place without a creek. (Given as
k[=i]lûndûñk[=i]a by Charlie in 1903.)

11. ne'gakak, "moss"? (G). On the W side of the Eel opposite
tcillûñdûñ.

12. ne'tcink[=o]k (G). At the mouth of a creek on the W side
of the Eel some way above ne'gakak.

13. gactc[=o]bi', "redwoods in" (G). In a large open flat
among the redwoods on the E side of the Eel above ne'tcink[=o]k.
Given by Charlie in 1903 as kûctc[=o]bek[=i]a on the S side.

14. On the E side of the Eel just S of a creek which flows
down a steep rough bed on a rather high bench are 4 pits. The
ground is black with refuse and cooking stones lie about. The river
enters a canyon N of this creek. A round timbered butte is close to
the mouth of the creek on the N. A great timbered butte seems to
occupy the E bank of the river for several miles.

15. seda'dûn, "rock mouth place" (G). On the E side (W also?),
where the river flows out between rocks. A small creek is there.
About 2 mi. above gactc[=o]bi'.

_Lolangkok Sinkyone villages on South Fork (map 11)._--

16. [-l]tcûnta'dûñ (G). Said to have been on the W side of
South Fork and the S side of the Eel R., where the store and saloon
of Dyerville now stand.

chin-tah´-tah (M). The flat occupied by Dyerville; this is no
doubt the same as the name given by Goddard.

17. kahs-cho´-chin-net´-tah (M). A large village on Bull Cr.
about 7 mi. upstream from Dyerville. The place is now known as
Schoolhouse Flat.

18. [-l][=o]lûñk[=i]' (G). On the S bank of Bull Cr. at its
mouth, in large redwood timber. There were 10 pits along the bank
of South Fork and the pit of a yitco', 8 paces across, about 200
yds. W of the mouth of Bull Cr. A large redwood, hollowed by
fire, had fallen, the floor being 4 ft. below the ground. Charlie
remembered seeing Indians living in it. Charlie thought there used
to be three or four houses on the S side of the creek, but we found
no evidence of them. Three men were once killed here by whites, and
a woman was shot through the hips; she lay here a day or two and
died. One of the white men, named Steve, cut a piece from the arm
of one of the Indians, built a fire, cooked it, and ate it. The
best man of the Indians escaped.

lo-lahn´-k[=o]k (M). Bull Cr. Merriam does not mention a
village at its mouth.

19. [-l][=o]lûñk[=o]k y[=i]bañ (G). On the E bank of South
Fork opposite and N of the mouth of Bull Cr. Two pits were seen
directly across from Bull Cr. and 2 about 100 yds. downstream. They
are in heavy redwood timber, but receive a good deal of sun because
they are close to the river, which flows NW at this point.

20. s[=o]snoibûndûñ (G). On the E bank of South Fork about a
mile S of the mouth of Bull Cr. Five pits were counted in small
redwood timber, where there is a spring which supplied the village.
There used to be a yitco' here, in which Charlie remembered dancing
when he was a small boy.

21. nûnsûntc[=o]tc[=i]', "butte large mouth" (G). On both
sides of the mouth of Brush Cr. (Canoe Cr.) in large redwood
timber. On the N side are 6 pits, 5 of them in a row back about 30
yds. There are seven pits on the S side of the creek, some of them
much plainer than others. The father of Albert's wife, Sally, came
from this village.

nahn´-sin-cho´-ke (M). See Place Names.

22. sedj[=o]cb[=i]' (G). On the E bank of South Fork, which
flows toward the W at this point. A stream from the E (Feese Cr.)
flows in a little above the village. There are many tanbark oaks
growing near by, which Charlie suggested were the reason for the
village's being located here. Seven pits could be distinguished;
the clearing away of timber may have obscured some others. The name
setc[=o]sdiñ was also given by Charlie. Tc[=o]s means vagina, "what
woman has."

s[=a]-ch[=o]s-te (M). See Place Names.

23. gûtta'bûndûñ, named from a deep hole in the stream (G). On
the W side of South Fork, where it flows toward the NE just below
Myer's. The site has been completely washed away. Charlie's father
belonged here and Charlie lived here when a boy. Jack, Charlie's
half-brother, was born at this village. There used to be a yitco'
and a large hollow tree in which a family used to spend the winter.

kah-tah´-be (M). See Place Names.

24. tantañaik[=i]' bûndûñ (G). On the E side of South Fork.
A creek, along which are many tanbark oaks, flows into South Fork
on the opposite side and a little above. The name of the creek is
tantañaik[=o]k (Coon Cr.). The site is just below a garden. The
place was so grown up with brakes it was impossible to count the
pits.

25. t[=o]dûnni', "water sings" (G). On the NW corner of Myer's
Flat on the right bank of South Fork, where it completes its course
toward the W and turns toward the NE. The site has been washed
away. There used to be large peppernut trees growing there. A few
are still left. The name of Myer's Flat is kûnteltc[=o]b[=i]. It is
also mentioned as kontelky[=o]b[=i].

ken´-tes-cho´-be (M). See Place Names.

26. sestcicbandûñ (G). On the right bank of South Fork on a
narrow bench between the hill and that stream. There is an eddy
in the river just above, which furnished good fishing, and many
oaks are on the hills. The site received plenty of sun because the
river flows W at this point. Four pits were seen. Also given as
sûstc[=i]cb[=i], "rough like a rasp."

ses-che´-is-ke (M). See Place Names.

27. sebûggûnna', "rock around" (G). On the right side and
close to South Fork just downstream from a rocky point around which
the river changes its direction from S to NW. Fourteen or fifteen
pits could be distinguished, most of them quite distinct.

s[=a]-bug´-gah-nah´ (M). See Place Names.

28. sek[=o]ntc[=o]bandûñ (G). On the left side of South Fork
nearly opposite sebûggûnna'. The sandy bench is covered with
brakes. Five pits were made out. Charlie lived here for four
years after he came back from the reservation. Also mentioned as
tañaib[=i].

29. s[=o]ldek[=o]k bûkk[=i]'d[=u]ñ (G). On a small flat
covered with large redwood timber on the N side of South Fork and
on the W side of Elk Creek (s[=o]ldek[=o]k), which flows into it
from the N. Seven pits were counted along the banks of the river
and the creek.

s[=o]l´-te-che (M). See Place Names.

30. sente[-l]tcelindûñ, "rock flat flows out place" (G).
Close to the W bank of South Fork near a deep fishing place. There
are three pits between the county road and the river. Also called
sentelduñ.

sen-t[)e]^{ch}-be (M). See Place Names.

31. ca'nak[=i]', "creek trail" (G). On the W bank of South
Fork 100 yds. N of the mouth of Salmon Cr., in large redwoods.
The river has washed the soil away so no evidence of occupation
remains. Willow brush is now growing there. Also called
natonank[=o]k bûttc[=i]'dûñ.

sah-nah´-k[=o]k (M). Name for Salmon Cr. See Place Names.

32. tc[=i]stc[=i]bi' (G). On the E bank of South Fork opposite
the mouth of Salmon Cr. It is on the end of a ridge. Charlie had a
ne'y[=i]k' here after returning from the reservation (village site
not visited). This village was mentioned by Sam as his birthplace.
His mother may have been from here. Also referred to by Charlie as
canak[=i]' and tcûstc[=e]k[=o]ok.

33. nant'[=o]' (G). On the N side of Salmon Cr. in a bend.
Large redwoods fill the valley of the creek as well as the
particular site of this village. Five deep, distinct pits were
seen. There are said to be one or two on the south side of the
creek.

34. k[=o]nte[-l]b[=i], "flat in" (G). On a large flat, through
which Salmon Cr. flows. The village was on the N side of the creek
near where Tomlinson's barn now stands. There is a spring there
near a pepperwood tree. This flat is now in peach orchard.

35. kaslintc[=o]'dûñ, "riffle large place" (G). On the N side
of Salmon Cr. about 400 yds. upstream from k[=o]nte[-l]b[=i]'.

36. setcinnabatse tcelindûn (G). On the N side of Salmon Cr.
in a basin-like flat. Four pits were seen near the creek and 4 in a
row back about 50 yds. against the base of the hill. There were 2
more pits in front of the last 4, making 10 in all. There is heavy
Douglas spruce and tanbark oak timber on the southern side of the
creek. About 200 yds. upstream is a waterfall, which provided fine
fishing, since large salmon could not jump the falls.

37. bandûñ (G). On the end of a ridge, W of a small run lined
with peppernut trees. About 200 yds. NE of se[-l]tcindûñ. There
were 5 pits, 2 of which were very large.

38. setcinnabatse (G). On a flattened end of the ridge E of
se[-l]tcindûñ, 300 yds. S and a little W of it. Two pits were
certain.

39. se[-l]tcindûñ (G). On the E side of a gulch, in which
there was flowing water in July, about 300 yds. N of Salmon Cr.
There were 4 or 5 pits. The ground is strewn with black stones.

40. tcebanedûñ (G). On the flattened portion of a ridge, with
southern exposure. Black oaks and buckeyes are growing there.
Seven pits were to be seen with black stones lying in them. Great
broken rocks lie in a gulch to the west. About 350 yds. NNW of
se[-l]tcindûñ.

41. setc[=o]'seye (G). A large rock, with the overhanging side
facing SE. A rim of earth showed where the house wall used to be on
the W. The E was left open. About 1/4 mi. W of the falls of Salmon
Cr.

42. t[=o][-l]elindûñ, "water flows together place" (G). On the
flat W of Salmon Cr. and W of a large creek flowing into it from
the S (South Fork Salmon Cr.). Four pits are close to the bank of
Salmon Cr. and a fifth was partly caved in. One was seen on the
lower part of the flat to the S.

43. nesdai'dûñ (G). Said to be on a side hill.

44. to[-l]elindûñ, "water comes together place" (G). Said to
be where three creeks join, forming the South Fork of Salmon Cr.,
about 5 mi. from its mouth. Distinguished from the village at the
mouth of the same creek by being called "small."

45. ses[=o]sye' (G). At the end of a ridge running down to
Salmon Cr. from the E. So close to the bank of the stream that
one pit has been undermined. Four remain. About 1/2 mi. NW of
to[-l]elindûñ.

46. ne'kañk[=i]' (G). In the saucer-shaped end of a ridge,
close to the E bank of Salmon Cr. and facing a little S of W.
Opposite, a large creek, called ne'kañk[=o]k, flows in from the W.
There are 9 pits, which may still be seen. Five of them, situated
close to the base of the hill, are very large and deep. Black oaks
grow there.

47. ne'i[-l]ga[-l]dûñ, "land shinny-playing place" (G). On a
flat close to the E side of Salmon Cr., which swings around it. A
gulch heads in the cedar grove N of the Hunter ranch buildings.
Twelve or 13 pits were counted, 5 of which were quite distinct.

48. seistc[=i]' (G). About 1/2 mi. E of Salmon Cr. on the
flattened southern slope of a ridge about 100 yds. from its crest.
There are 8 pits in a row and 1 other, not in line with them. There
is a gulch 100 ft. S of the row of pits. Cedars, black oaks, and
buckeyes grow there. A small pond of water is E of the site.

49. mûñkkasaik[=o]k (G). On the W side of a branch of Salmon
Cr. which flows from the N about 1/2 mi. W of the Burnell ranch
house. Two pits are close to the stream and 4 or 5 are 10 or 15
ft. higher. The higher ones have good sun in the winter. The trail
crosses the creek at this place.

50. setc'ûnt[=o]dûñ (G). On the W side of the South Fork of
the Eel about 1/4 mi. above the mouth of Butte Cr. (nûnsûnk[=o]k),
which provided desirable fishing. A large rock stands there close
to the river. There are said to have been four houses. This site
was not visited. It was mentioned by Charlie as sesuñt[=o]; he said
it was the most southerly village of his people. Sam called it
senûns[=i]mkûk and said it belonged in Charlie's territory.

The first name given by Goddard is evidently related to
Merriam's s[=a]´-chen-to´-te, "water against rock," which was said
to be a place in the river near Goddard's setc'ûnt[=o]dûñ. See
Place Names.

_Shelter Cove Sinkyone villages (map 12)._--The following list of villages comes almost entirely from Goddard's notes (G); relevant comments by Merriam are noted (M). Goddard's informants were Sam, Albert, and Charlie, of whom the first two were Shelter Cove Sinkyone, the last Lolangkok Sinkyone.

1. ke'kestc[=i]' (G). Close to South Fork on the E side about
1/8 mi. S of the mouth of Fish Cr. (kekek[=o]k). A large house with
a garden is just below. A deep place in the river provided fishing,
in addition to the creek. Three pits and a grinding stone were
found. Plowing had probably filled in other pits. The first store
of Phillipsville stood here. According to Sam (1903), this was the
most northern village of his people.

k[)a]-kes´-k[=o]k (M). Fish Cr.

2. kûtdûntelb[=i]', "flat in" (G). At the NW part of the
Phillipsville flat. It is said to have been a large village. There
is fishing in an eddy just upstream. The site has been washed away
and therefore was not visited.

ket´-tin-tel´-be (M). At a place called Phillipsville, 18 mi.
S of Dyerville. The site is in an orchard on a ranch and has a fine
redwood grove and a good camping place.

3. seb[=i]ye, "at base of rock" (G). On the E side of South
Fork at the upper end of the Phillipsville flat. The site has been
plowed and was in fruit and garden when visited. One pit could
still be seen. The river flows nearly W, hence the village has
southern sun. Large redwoods occupy the left bank of the stream. A
deep place here provided fishing.

s[)a]-be-y[)e]´ (M). The flat on the E side of South Fork, S
of Phillipsville. See Place Names.

4. tcingûlge[-l]dûñ (name of a tree) (G). On the right bank
of South Fork just below a turn to the E. Between the road and the
river two pits were seen. There is a schoolhouse on the E side of
the road. Many eels were caught near this village.

chig-gel´-e-yes´-ke (M). A place 1.9 mi. S of Phillipsville.
See Place Names.

5. da[-l]tcimmûndûñ (G). On the right (S) bank of South Fork,
where it flows W around a long ridge sloping down from the E.
Seven pits were counted between the county road and the river,
which may have carried others away. A large creek, seyekok (Rocky
Glen Cr.), empties N of this place. This village was mentioned as
t'altcimmûndûñ by Albert in 1907.

s[)e]-tes´-k[=o]k (M). Rocky Glen Cr. See Place Names.

6. tca'lûñk[=i]' (G). On the E bank of South Fork. A small
stream flows down from the E. Three pits were found on the N side
of it and two on the S side. The place had been plowed. Charlie
said there used to be many houses there. This village was given by
Albert as tca'lûntc[=i].

7. da[-l]kaik[=o]k (G). On a flat 50 yds. E of the county
bridge across Buhne Cr. (now called Dean Cr.), along both sides of
the stream. Seven pits were found on the S side of the creek and
two on the N side. The road and plowed fields may have reduced the
number. This village was mentioned by Sam in 1903 as a settlement
of his people.

tahs-ki´-ke (M). Merriam attributes this village to the
to-kub´-be people, who ranged E from here.

8. da[-l]kaik[=i]' (G). On the W side of South Fork, opposite
the mouth of Dean Cr. Albert said there used to be a village there.

This is evidently the village Merriam refers to in the
paragraph above on village 7.

9. [-l]tûggan[=o]b[=i]' (G). On a flat on the E side of South
Fork about 1/4 mi. above the mouth of Redwood Cr. Goddard noted
that the place had a favorable location, but did not find the pits.
Albert said there used to be a village there.

stuk´-kan-no´-be (M). Name for the flat at this place. See
Place Names.

10. k[=o]sc[=i]k[=i] (G). A short way below Garberville,
according to Sam (1903). Charlie said it was named k[=o]ssetc[=i]'
or k[=o]setc[=i]' and that it was just below Garberville on the E
side of the river. There used to be a store there.

11. seb[=i]yedadûñ, "rocks under..?... place" (G). A village
at Garberville.

12. kûnte[-l]tc[=o]b[=i]', "flat large in" (G). On a flat
above Garberville.

ken-tes´-che tahng-ah´-te (M). A beautiful deep valley on
South Fork just SW of Garberville.

13. Usal (not necessarily the native name). Not mentioned by
Goddard, Merriam, or Nomland, but Gifford (1939, p. 304) says that
both Coast Yuki and Sinkyone were spoken here (pl. 11, _d_).

Following are a number of Shelter Cove Sinkyone villages which I have not been able to locate precisely.

kahs´-cho-so´-be (M). A village of the Briceland Sinkyone
on South Fork about 4 mi. S of Garberville and not in sight from
the present highway. It may not actually be one of the Briceland
Sinkyone villages.

kaicañkûk (G). On a ridge below Garberville. Information from
Sam, 1903.

[-l]tc[=i]kûk (G). On a ridge below seyadûñ on South Fork.
Information from Sam, 1903.

t[=o]kûbb[=i] (G). On a ridge above Garberville. Information
from Sam, 1903. seya(e)dûñ (G). On a ridge on the E side of South
Fork, probably below Garberville.

PLACE NAMES

The first list of place names below was taken by Merriam from George Burt in 1923. (See map 13.) It starts at Scotia, runs upstream to the confluence of the Eel and South Fork, and then runs up South Fork as far as Garberville. Many of the places indicated cannot be located from maps and it would even be difficult to identify them on the spot. Merriam seems to have driven by auto from Scotia to Garberville, marking locations in tenths of miles.

tah´-cho. Main Eel R.

hah´-tin cho´-be. A stretch of land on the S side of the main
Eel extending from Scotia Bridge E at least to Brown's Mill, and S
from the river to the top of the ridge.

kahn-so´-ti-y[)e]´, "under maple trees." A big loop of the
river 2 mi. E from Scotia Bridge.

hah´-ting-k[=o]k. Jordan Cr., 2.2 mi. E of Scotia Bridge.

hah´-tin cho´-be. The prairie on top of the ridge S of Jordan
Cr. An old Indian trail goes up there. [Harrow Prairie. Merriam
gives the same name for the prairie and the stretch of land above.
The stretch of land is probably a village named for the prairie.]

ahn´-sin ken-tes´-be, "Pepperwood Flat." A flat on the S side
of the Eel, 3 mi. E of Scotia Bridge. [Pepperwood.]

lah´-sa tal´-k[=o]k, "Buckeye Creek." Bear Cr., nearly 6 mi. E
of Scotia Bridge. "Used to be lots of salmon there."

lah-s[=a]-se´-te. The present town of Shively.

bis´-kahl chum´-me. A bluff on Eel R. where the river makes a
loop to the S. About 6.3 mi. from Scotia Bridge.

s[=a]-tahs´ ch[=a]-lin´-te. An extensive gravel flat on the N
side of the Eel in the curve of a big loop in the river, 6.5 mi.
from Scotia Bridge.

s[=a]-tahs´-be. A bluff on the N side of the Eel at the
railroad tunnel 6-3/4 or 7 mi. E from Scotia Bridge. Said to be a
rough place.

ahn-sin´-tah´-be, "Pepperwood Flat." A flat on the S side of
the river 7.5 mi. E from Scotia Bridge. Place now called Pepperwood.

ahn-sin-tah´-k[=o]k, "Pepperwood Creek." A small creek closely
followed by the highway, about 7.5 to 8 mi. E from Scotia Bridge.
[Evidently Chadd Cr.]

kahs-tes´-be. Holmes' lumber camp, on S side of Eel about 7.5
mi. E of Scotia Bridge.

slahn´-k[=o]. Larabee Creek, entering the Eel from the E.

kah´-li-cho´-be, "growing flat." At a place called Englewood,
a small settlement 9 mi. E of Scotia Bridge and continuing to
Englewood Roadhouse at 9.8 mi. The name is said to refer to things
"growing up" there.

tan´-k[=o]s tah´-te (tan´-k[=o]s means _Equisitum_). A long
ford 10.5 mi. E of Scotia Bridge. It is a long gravel bar on the
N side of the river. It is named for the abundance of Horsetail
(_Equisitum_) found there.

s[=a]´ cho´-te (sa means "rock"). A big rock projecting into
the river from the S side, 11.5 mi. from Scotia Bridge. [It appears
to be what is now called High Rock.]

s[=a]-tah´-ting. A redwood forest and flat near the rock sa
cho-te and named for that rock.

chin-tah´-tah. An extensive flat on the S side of the Eel from
the mouth of South Fork W, including Dyerville, 13 mi. from Scotia
Bridge.

ts[)a]-vel´-be. An area on the S side of the Eel immediately W
of and adjoining chin-tah´-tah.

lel´-lin teg´-o-be. The junction of South Fork with the main
Eel R.

sin´-ke-k[=o]k. The South Fork of the Eel R.

tah´-tung-i´-kut. South Fork railroad station.

nahl-tsin´-kah (nahl-tsuk´-kah). Old Camp Grant.

·hles-yah´-kah (les-yah´-kah). Fruitland in Elk Prairie.

s[=a]-tah´-be. Eel Rock, about 12 mi. up the Eel from its
junction with South Fork.

tah´-cho. The main Eel R.

nah-tah´-ting i-k[=a]. Dyerville Redwood Flat in the point
between the main Eel and South Fork. The name means "pointed out,"
a descriptive term suggested by the geographical feature.

lo-lahn´-k[=o]k. Bull Cr.

kahs-cho´ chi-net´-tah. Schoolhouse Flat, 7 mi. up Bull Cr.

s[=a]´-es-ch[=a]-lin´-te, "rock run out." On the E side of
South Fork 1/2 or 3/4 mi. S of Dyerville.