Part 9

After ten days had passed, a black wind came toward him along the surface of the sea, as he sat near the shore. North had heard his voice. The wind blew hard from the north. At midnight Beaver felt of the sea. After he had sat awhile longer, he felt of it again. After he had done so for a while, he felt that it was frozen over. He sat still. Then he perceived it was strong enough.

Then Beaver stepped upon it. And he went ashore upon it. He escaped to land. Then he went to his home. He stopped up that trench. After he finished stopping it up, he went into his house. This is the end.

EAGLE’S FEAST[9]

_Kwakiutl_

Eagle gave a feast. He invited all of the myth people. Eagle told his servants to get the four cooking boxes and to put stones into the fire and to get the tongs. When this was done, Eagle put on his eagle mask and seated himself on the seashore.

As soon as Eagle was seated, he saw a porpoise coming up. Eagle flew down and grasped it and brought it to the beach. When he had been sitting there a long time, he saw another porpoise come up. Eagle grasped it at once and carried it up to the beach. Thus he did four times. Then as soon as he had caught four porpoises, he took off his eagle mask and hung it up. Then he cut up the porpoises. When they were cut up, water was poured into the cooking boxes. Then Eagle put the porpoises in, and put red hot stones into the boxes also. Soon they were cooked. Then they were taken out. Eagle had invited all his friends for a feast, so they ate all the porpoises. Then they went out.

WHEN CHICKADEE CLIMBED A TREE

_Shuswap_

Once Grizzly Bear told her grandson that if ever any of his arrows should catch in a tree, and beyond his reach, not to climb the tree. At first the boy did just as Grandmother said; but he lost many arrows. Now one day he shot his best arrow at a bird that was sitting in a tree. The bird flew away and the arrow stuck in a branch just beyond his reach. It was his very best arrow.

Then the boy forgot and climbed that tree to get the arrow. Just as he came near it, the tree suddenly grew and the arrow was far out of his reach. The boy climbed again, but just as he reached out his hand to take it, the tree shot up and again it was far out of his reach. This happened many times. So the boy kept on climbing.

Now as the boy looked down, he saw that the earth was far below him, and there were no branches at all on the tree trunk. He could not climb down, so he began to climb from branch to branch after his arrow, and the tree grew higher and higher until it broke through the floor of the Sky Land. Its lower branches were just level with the floor. And only then was the boy able to reach his arrow. Then he pulled it out, and climbed off the branch into the Sky Country.

Now the Sky Country was a great plain, covered lightly with snow. There were no signs of people. He said to himself, “There is no use in wandering aimlessly around in this way. I will set my arrow on end, and follow whichever way it falls.”

Then he did so. He traveled the way the arrow fell and came to some chips which showed him that some people had been there felling a tree. Then he came to some fresher chips. Then he traveled on until he came to a lodge, with a mat door.

Then someone opened the door and he went in. Afterward he became the chickadee.

REDBIRD AND BLACKBIRD

_Ojibwa_

Once there were two men named Redbird and Blackbird. They had a house on the shore of the lake, and they lived on wild potatoes. They spent all their time digging for wild potatoes, and that was all the food they ever had.

One day Blackbird said to Redbird, “There are great fields of wild rice across the lake. We ought to go and gather it.” So the very next day they crossed the lake and found themselves among large fields of wild rice. They began gathering the rice, then they saw people near by. They went to the people and said, “How do you do?”

The people said, “We have never seen you before.” Blackbird said, “No. We live on the other side of the lake. We live on the wild potatoes we find there.” The people said, “Well, you did right in coming over here. You ought to have good food.”

Then Blackbird and Redbird shook hands all around and went home.

Now these people talked about the wild potatoes. Just about that time, Redbird said to Blackbird, “Those people are planning to attack us, for our wild potatoes. What shall you do?” Blackbird said at once what he would do. Then Redbird said what he would do. The very next day those people came. Redbird heard their voices. At once he began to grow smaller and smaller until he was only a single feather lying on the ground. When Blackbird heard their voices, he hit himself against the house, and soon there was only an awl standing there.

The people came and searched everywhere. They said, “No, we can’t find those men,” so they went home.

Blackbird and Redbird were a little afraid they would come back. So they changed themselves into birds. Redbird flew to the woods, but Blackbird went over the lake to live.

LITTLE GRAY WOODPECKER

_Wyandot_

Once a beautiful Indian maiden used to go often to dances. When she was dressing for the dance, Gray Woodpecker would come to help her. He helped her put the many colors on her face.

Now Little Gray Woodpecker was gray all over. He had only a few small white spots. Now one day the maiden left some red paint on the bit of wood she used for a brush. Woodpecker saw this, and he said, “I will make myself beautiful with this.” So Gray Woodpecker took the brush and rubbed it just over his ears, on each side of his head. He did this many times. That is why he has two tiny red stripes on the sides of his head.

OWL

_Eastern Eskimo_

Sometimes Owl greatly disturbs a camp of Indians. Short-eared Owl will come to a camp just at the dimming of the twilight, and when the Indians hear his quiet flitting through the trees they are on the alert. Immediately they hang up some robe or leggings which they have not worn, which is just a silent way of saying, “We are not so poor as you think.” Owl annoys only poor people.

Owl also likes the lower levels, so the Indians camp often on the higher lands where he does not come.

CHIPMUNK

_Thompson River_

One day, as Grizzly Bear came along the trail, Chipmunk called her names and mocked her. Grizzly Bear rushed at Chipmunk. Chipmunk ran under a log. Grizzly Bear rushed at her again. Chipmunk did the same thing. Grizzly Bear shouted, “I’ll get you!” and the fourth time almost caught her. Her claws scratched Chipmunk’s back. Therefore the chipmunk has stripes on his back even today, because Grizzly scratched her in that way.

Later, Marmot met Grizzly Bear. He teased her in the same way that Chipmunk had, and the very fourth time that Grizzly rushed at him, she almost caught him, and scratched him, too. So Marmot also has stripes, even today.

MUSKRAT’S TAIL

_Cree_

Once Wisagatcak killed a bear; then he skinned it, and cut it in pieces, and cooked all of them. While he was cooking, he looked up and saw Muskrat in the river. Now the bear’s grease would not harden, so Wisagatcak told Muskrat to swim through the water with it. Muskrat did so, and when he returned Wisagatcak made his tail much thinner and smaller. Muskrat formerly had a broad, fleshy tail like Beaver’s, and it was a great annoyance to him.

“Now see how fast you can go,” said Wisagatcak. Muskrat jumped into the river and swam so rapidly that he broke the grease bladder which he still carried. All the grease and oil came out. That is why Muskrat leaves such a smooth, oily wake when he swims.

WOLVERENE AND BRANT

_Eastern Eskimo_

Wolverene once called all the birds together. He said, “Do you not know that I am your brother? Come to me and I will dress you in feathers.” So he dressed them all up in feathers, and made wings for himself. He said, “Now, brothers, let us fly.”

Brant said to Wolverene, “You must not look below when we are flying over a point of land, when you hear a noise below. Take a turn when we take a turn.”

The first time they took a turn, Wolverene did not look below, though he heard a noise. At the second turn, when the birds came over a point of land, he heard the shouting of Indians below. At once he looked down. And down he came like a bundle of rags!

All the Indians ran up to him, shouting, “A brant has fallen down.” They found nothing but an old dead wolverene.

WAR OF THE FOUR TRIBES

_Shuswap_

Once in the ancient time, so the old men say, the Crees from the east, the Thompson River Indians from the south, and the Lillooet Indians from the west, made up their minds to attack the Shuswap of the north. They sent messengers with the war moccasin to each other, and then they met on the east bank of the Fraser River and there joined forces. There were several hundred men in all. Then they went forward to attack the Shuswaps.

Now when they were nearly opposite the mouth of Lone Cabin Creek, and still some distance from Canoe Creek, they were met by Coyote, who changed them all into pillars of clay. You may see them there today. The tall Crees are on the right, the shorter Thompsons in the center, and the short Lillooets on the left.

TRADITION OF IROQUOIS FALLS[10]

_Eastern Cree_

At Iroquois Falls, a war party of Iroquois attacked and killed a Cree party. They took the plunder of the camp, and saved one woman alive for a guide. They asked her if she could run a rapid, and she said, “Yes.”

Now when the party came to a point above the Iroquois Falls, the woman guide told them it was possible to shoot the rapids there if the women and goods were taken out of the canoes to lighten them. The Iroquois let her out, as well, and she went by the portage. When the Iroquois saw her there, they put out from shore, though the waters were very swift. As they neared the falls, they saw how high they were. Then the Cree woman saw them try to escape, but they could not. The current of the water was too swift. So they headed their canoes for the falls and sang their war song. All went crashing over the falls and were drowned.

THE GIANTESS AND THE INDIAN

_Wyandot_

Once there were three men along a river making a canoe. As they had just finished the canoe, they heard a Stredu approaching. She was a giantess. Two of the men fled at once, without warning their friend, who sat with his back to them in the canoe.

The Stredu said to the man in the canoe, “Now I have got you!” He swiftly launched his canoe, and paddled across the river, saying unconcernedly, “Now I will see how good it is.”

The Stredu said, as if speaking to herself, “Try your canoe if you wish to, but there is more than one way of crossing a river.” She at once started across, walking on the river bottom. The water was far over her head, and the Indian could see her on the bottom. He was now returning in his canoe.

When the Stredu reached the other side, she was surprised still to see the Indian on the other side. But she thought, “This will not prevent me from walking back. But perhaps he has supernatural power.” So she started back, walking on the bottom of the river bed. The Indian at once started to recross. He said, unconcernedly, “My canoe is not quite water-tight. I will now patch it.” But he forgot and left his stone ax on the shore when he began to cross this time.

When the Stredu had recrossed, she again saw that Indian on the other side. Then she saw the stone ax. She said, “He has forgotten his weapon,” for she did not know what it was. She said, “I will smash it against that rock.” Then she hit the rock with the ax and the rock was shattered into bits. The ax was not broken. Then the Stredu became afraid. She ran away.

THE DESTRUCTION OF MONSTERS

_Shuswap_

There were many monsters in the Fraser River and the North Thompson River. Tlecsa was the eldest of four brothers who lived near Kamloops, and there were many evil beings in that country who killed all the Indians, so the four brothers decided to destroy them. There were the four Grizzly Bear sisters, and the huge elk which stood in the Thompson River just where it flows out of Kamloops Lake and swallowed all who came down the river, even a canoe with people. There was the great ram of the mountain sheep who lived on a cliff in Bonaparte Valley and killed people by blowing his breath upon them. Every one of these was killed by Tlecsa and his magic.

Then the brothers followed up the Bonaparte River until they came to a chasm which is now near the old fifty-nine-mile post, on the old Caribou road. Here lived Great Beaver and his friends. They were not cannibals, but the Indians feared their magic. The Indians did not know how to catch or kill them, but Tlecsa said, “I will eat beaver flesh,” so he started after him. But first he made a beaver spear, and tied a piece of white bark around each wrist so his brothers could see him, if he were dragged under water.

Tlecsa went up to Great Beaver and harpooned him. Beaver at once dragged him into the creek. His brothers watched him for a while and then lost sight of him, and at once began to search for him in all the near-by creeks. They even dug ditches in many places. At last they dug a deep ditch along the largest creek, and then they found him. When they dug near him, he said, “Be careful not to hurt me. I am here.” Great Beaver had dragged him into his own house in the bank, but there Tlecsa had killed Great Beaver. At once the brothers killed many beavers and took their skins. They also ate Big Beaver. Tlecsa said, “Hereafter beaver shall be speared by mankind. The Indians shall use their flesh and skins. Beavers shall no longer have magic power;” and it was so.

Now Tlecsa and his brothers wandered around through the mountains and through Bonaparte Valley, and after a while they went up the Marble Cañon. On a high cliff lived Great Eagle, who swooped down on the Indians in the valley. He would catch an Indian and dash him against the rocks and bring him to the young eaglets in his nest. Tlecsa said, “I shall ornament myself with eagle feathers.”

Now when his brothers were not looking, Tlecsa put some white paint in one side of his mouth, and some red paint in the other side. Soon Great Eagle saw him. Swooping down, he clutched him, and then, flying high on the cliffs, dashed him against the rocks. Tlecsa warded off the blow with his flaker, and let the red paint flow out of his mouth upon the rocks. His brothers below, watching, said, “He is dead. See his blood.”

Again Great Eagle dashed Tlecsa against the rocks, and the white paint flowed from his mouth over the rocks. His brothers below, watching, said, “He is dead. See his brains.”

Now Great Eagle also thought he was dead, so he laid him on a ledge of rocks near the nest. At once Tlecsa killed Great Eagle and pulled out his tail feathers. Then he tied an eaglet to each wrist and commanded them to fly down with him. When they reached the valley far below, Tlecsa pulled the large feathers out of the eaglets’ wings and tails, and gave them to his brothers. He said to the eaglets, “Hereafter you shall be ordinary eagles. You shall have no power to kill people, and Indians shall ornament their heads and weapons with your feathers;” and it was so.

FOOTNOTES

[1]The scenic pictures in this volume were selected to show the magnificence and beauty of the home of many of these myths.

[2]These Indian houses were made with rough, loose boards on the sides and top, which were shifted to let the smoke out, and in summer to let the breeze in. The fire was always in the center of such one-room houses, and the usual smoke hole was immediately above it.

[3]The warm wind of the North Pacific Coast is called a chinook.

[4]Devilfish was the usual bait in halibut fishing.

[5]This myth is said to give an excellent idea of climatic conditions along part of the Northwest Coast—largely a struggle between the rainy southeast wind and the cold north wind.

[6]Told by all Cree Indians, but of course influenced by contact with the white race.

[7]Popularly called Whiskey Jack, though the word is Indian. It means “meat bird,” as this Canadian jay is fond of meat and therefore is a great torment around camps.

[8]The name appears under various spellings—Manibozho, Nanebojo, etc. Nenebuc appears among many tribes centering around the Great Lakes, though the myth is essentially Ojibwa. Other versions of it, received from the American Ojibwas, will be found in the author’s _Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes_.

[9]The chief interest of this tale is that it is a correct description of Indian cooking and feasting.

[10]There seem to be innumerable waterfalls in North America concerning which there is such a tradition as this one. Without question many of them are imaginary. This story of the Crees and Iroquois is told by many tribes, though the location of the falls differs in every version of the story.

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