Lassik (Las'-sik, the name of
their last chief). A people of the
Athapascan family formerly occupying a portion of main Eel
river, Cal., and its east tributaries, Van Dozen, Larrabee, and
Dobbin creeks, together with the headwaters of Mad river. They
had for neighbors toward the north the Athapascan inhabitants of
the valley of Mad river and Redwood creek; toward the east the
Wintun of Southfork of Trinity river; toward the south the
Wailaki, from whom they were separated by Kekawaka creek; toward
the west the Sinkine on Southfork of Eel river. They occupied
their regular village sites along the streams only in winter.
Their houses were conical in form, made of the bark of Douglas
spruce. They had neither sweat lodges nor dance houses. The
basketry was twined, but differed considerably from that of the
Hupa in its decoration. Beside
the methods employed elsewhere for securing deer and elk, the
Lassik used to follow a fresh track until the animal, unable to
feed or rest, was overtaken. They intermarried with the Wintun,
to whom they were assimilated in mourning customs, etc. Powers
(Cont. N. A. Ethnol., 111, 121, 1877)
gives the impression that the Lassik belong with the Wintun in
language, but this is a mistake. Their dialect resembles the
Hupa in its morphology and the Wailaki in its phonology. The
majority of them perished during the first few years of the
occupancy of their country by white people, a bounty being
placed on their heads and the traffic in children for slaves
being profitable and unrestrained. A few families of them are
still living in the neighborhood of their former homes.
