I've seen that tough, long-necked beastie referred to as "Chinook dialect" and spelled "gwee-duc." Trouble is, I can't tell you where I saw it. One of my dictionaries describes it as a clam found in Puget Sound, weighing up to fifteen pounds each. You could make a lot of chowder from one of those!

Can't help you with your ex-father-in-law, kat, but I spent some time one summer sharing a shack in the Neah Bay reservation with an anthropologist (Jim Spelius) who was doing Rh factor blood tests of the tribe. Charlie Swan lived in the house right next to ours. Charlie carved the masks, etc., but his vision was failing, so he got his daughters to help paint them, following his very specific instructions. I later saw his photograph on the cover of a book of Northwest Indian art. He was also a fine singer of traditional songs. One night, after having been through a particularly rough day, Charlie came to our place, more than a bit in his cups, sat in our front room and sang most of the night. He sent one of his sons next door to fetch his drum so he could show us his most powerful love song. He had to have the drum to do it right. That was a magic night for me!

Sandy