Wailaki (Wintun:
'northern language'). An Athapascan
tribe or group of many villages formerly on the main Eel river
and its north fork from Kekawaka creek to within a few miles of
Round valley, California. After some fighting with the whites
they were placed on Round valley Reservation, where a few of
them still reside. Their houses were circular. They had no
canoes, but crossed streams by weighting themselves down with
stones while they waded. They lived by the river during the wet
months of the year, when their chief occupation was fishing,
done at especially favorable places by means of nets and spears.
The summer and fall months were spent on the sides and tops of
the ridges, where the women were able to gather the bulbs,
seeds, and nuts, and the men could unite in deer drives and
other methods of hunting. They usually buried their dead, but
burned those who fell in battle. They took the whole heads of
their enemies as trophies, with which they were accustomed to
dance. Like the Yuki the women have their noses and cheeks as
well as their chins tattooed. Coyote holds the principal place
in their mythology, were he is represented as acting under the
direction of his father. He secured for men daylight and the
heavenly bodies, and fire which he succeeded in stealing from
their guardians. He established the fishing places, and ordained
social and other customs. An adolescent ceremony was held for
the girls, and most of the boys were trained with the candidates
for medicine-men, who were restricted as to their food, drink,
and sleep for many days. This training took place in the fall
under the direction of two or more old shamans. Public
exhibitions, consisting in part of dancing, were given by the
candidates. Large conical dance houses were erected
occasionally, and dedicated with ceremonies of dancing and
singing; such were important occasions of mingled social and
religious character.
