Saturday, August 22, 2015

THE SPIRIT HOUSE





All the spirit houses we visited had a platform on the edges for men from different clans. In the middle was at least one fire kept always smoldering, and long, hollowed out logs used as drums. Some spirit houses had a second floor where they housed masks, and other objects used in ceremonies.


 

Only initiated men could enter in the spirit house. The initiation included the scarring, and also instruction in how to make a dugout canoe, how to build a house, and men were also instructed on the lore and history of the clan. Not all men were eligible. Recently, marijuana has been introduced but not accepted. Pot smokers were considered, "Not right in the head." and could not be initiated. The accepted drug that most people used was beetle nut, which turns their mouths red, and rots their teeth.