Bear crest benefactor (Tate’s versions)

Overview

The first version places four chief brothers at Prairie Town during a famine. A thin stranger says that he has eaten only snow on his journey. The first three hosts respond by serving him snow, which he refuses. The youngest recognises their cruelty and shares his family’s last salmon and other provisions, also supplying food for the traveller’s departure. The stranger promises to reward the household’s kindness.

Across the river the following morning, the chief, his wife and nephew meet three figures bearing crests and singing. They give the human family a grizzly-bear hat, red leggings, a sinew bow, a mountain-goat hat and two carved dishes, one with living frogs and the other with a mountain spring. Returning uphill, the three figures become grizzly bears. The elder brothers arrive too late and receive nothing.

The bow enables the grateful recipient to hunt abundantly and feed his people, including his unkind brothers. He holds feasts, displays the gifts and announces their inherited ownership and songs, taking the name Nes-nawa. In old age he again entertains a stranger, whom he recognises as his earlier benefactor. This visitor gives him a mountain pole bearing a small living man and another song. At his last feast the chief transfers property, hunting ground, crests and obligations of kindness to his nephew before dying.

The separately marked second version gives six brothers rather than four. Again only the youngest feeds the visitor, here with half of the last salmon. The rewarding figure is called Prince of the Black Bears and presents red leggings, a mountain-goat hat and a grizzly-bear hat. The ending associates the dance representation, ornamented with abalone at ears, eyes and teeth, specifically with Chief Dzeba’sa and the GispawadwE’da. It does not repeat the first version’s late-life pole episode. The different bear labels and family counts remain variants; they are not converted into a single uninterrupted biography.

Origins & earliest records

Franz Boas, Tsimshian Mythology, based on texts recorded by Henry W. Tate, published in 1916 in the Bureau of American Ethnology’s thirty-first report for 1909–1910. Boas translated Tate’s free interlinear English renderings of his Tsimshian texts. The preface notes Tate’s editorial choices and some influence from published collections; the 1916 volume omits the original-language text.

Records & interpretation

Story 48, The Four Chiefs and Chief Grizzly Bear, complete pp. 292–295, and explicitly marked Another Version, complete pp. 295–296; preface pp. 31–32.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Tsimshian Mythology

   Henry W. Tate, recorder; Franz Boas, translator and editor · 1916

   Story 48, The Four Chiefs and Chief Grizzly Bear, complete pp. 292–295, and explicitly marked Another Version, complete pp. 295–296; preface pp. 31–32.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Primary textBoas/Tate 1916: two Bear benefactor versionsResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.