Myths and Legends of California and the old Southwest.odt

8/14/2019 Myths and Legends of California and the old Southwest.odt

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Myths and Legends of California and the Old SouthwestCompiled and Edited by

Katharine Berry Judson

[11!"

Chi#ago$ %&C& M#Clurg ' Co&

%uthor of (Myths and Legends of %las)a(* (Myths and Legends

of the +a#ifi# ,orthwest(* and (Montana&(

-llustrated

Se#ond Edition

+refa#e

-n the beginning of the ,ew.ma)ing* the an#ient fathers li/ed

su##essi/ely in four #a/es in the 0our fold.#ontaining.earth& he first

was of sooty bla#)ness* bla#) as a #himney at night time2 the se#ond*dar) as the night in the stormy season2 the third* li)e a /alley in

starlight2 the fourth* with a light li)e the dawning& hen they #ame upin the night.shine into the 3orld of Knowing and Seeing&

So runs the 4uni myth* and it typifies well the mental de/elopment*

insight* and beauty of spee#h of the -ndian tribes along the +a#ifi#Coast* from those of %las)a in the far.away ,orthland* with half of life

spent in a#tual dar)ness and more than half in the struggle fore5isten#e against the #old and the storms loosed by fatal #uriosity from

the bear6s bag of bitter* i#y winds* to the e57uisite imagery of the4unis and other desert tribes* on their sunny plains in the Southland&

-t was in the night.shine of this southern land* with its #lear* dry air

and brilliant stars* that the -ndians* loo)ing up at the hea/ens abo/ethem* told the story of the bag of stars8of 9tset* the 0irst Mother* who

ga/e to the s#arab beetle* when the floods #ame* the bag of Star +eople*

sending him first into the world abo/e& -t was a long #limb to the worldabo/e and the tired little fellow* on#e safe* sat down by the sa#)&

%fter a while he #ut a tiny hole in the bag* :ust to see what was in it*

but the Star +eople flew out and filled the hea/ens e/erywhere& ;et hesa/ed a few stars by grasping the ne#) of the sa#)* and sat there*

frightened and sad* when 9tset* the 0irst Mother* as)ed what he had donewith the beautiful Star +eople&

he S)y.father himself* in those early years of the ,ew.ma)ing* spread

out his hand with the palm downward* and into all the wrin)les of his

hand set the semblan#e of shining yellow #orn.grains* gleaming li)e

spar)s of fire in the dar) of the early 3orld.dawn& (See*( saidS)y.father to Earth.mother* (our #hildren shall be guided by these when

the Sun.father is not near and thy mountain terra#es are as dar)nessitself& hen shall our #hildren be guided by light&( So S)y.father

#reated the stars& hen he said* (%nd e/en as these grains gleam upward

from the water* so shall seed grain li)e them spring up from the earth

when tou#hed by water* to nourish our #hildren&( %nd he #reated thegolden Seed.stuff of the #orn&

-t is around the beautiful Corn Maidens that perhaps the most deli#ate

of all imagery #lings* Maidens offended when the dan#ers sought theirpresen#e all too freely* no longer holding them so pre#ious as in the

olden time* so that* in white garments* they be#ame in/isible in the


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thi#)ening white mists& hen sadly and noiselessly they stole in amongstthe people and laid their #orn wands down amongst the trays* and laid

their white broidered garments thereon* as mothers lay soft )ilting o/er

their babes& E/en as the mists be#ame they* and with the mists drifting*

fled away* to the south Summer.land&

hey began the sear#h for the Corn Maidens* found at last only by+aiyatuma* the god of dawn* from whose flute #ame wonderful musi#* as of

li7uid /oi#es in #a/erns* or the e#ho of women6s laughter in water/ases* heard only by men of nights as they wandered up and down the

ri/er trail&

3hen he paused to rest on his :ourney* playing on his painted flute*butterflies and birds sought him* and he sent them before to see) the

Maidens* e/en before they #ould hear the musi# of his song.sound& %ndthe Maidens filled their #olored trays with seed.#orn from their fields*

and o/er all spread broidered mantles* broidered with the bright #olors

and the #reature signs of the Summer.land* and thus following him*

:ourneyed only at night and dawn* as the dead do* and the stars also&

Ba#) to the Seed +eople they #ame* but only to gi/e to the an#ients thepre#ious seed* and this ha/ing been gi/en* the dar)ness of night fell

around them& %s shadows in deep night* so these Maidens of the Seed of

Corn* the belo/ed and beautiful* were seen no more of men& But Shutsu)a

wal)ed behind the Maidens* whistling shrilly as they sped southward*e/en as the frost wind whistles when the #orn is gathered away* among

the lone #anes and the dry lea/es of a gleaned field&

he myths of California* in general* are of the same type as those gi/enin a pre#eding /olume on the myths of the +a#ifi# ,orthwest& -ndeed many

of the myths of ,orthern Californian tribes are so ob/iously the same as

those of the Modo#s and Klamath -ndians that they ha/e not been

repeated& Coyote and 0o5 reign supreme* as they do along the entire#oast* though the birds of the air ta)e a greater part in the #reation

of things& hese stories are 7uaint and whimsi#al* but they la#) the

beauty of the myths of the desert tribes& here is nothing in allCalifornian myths* so far as - ha/e studied them* whi#h in any way

#ompares with the one of the Corn Maidens* referred to abo/e* or the Sia

myths of the Cloud +eople& -n the #ompilation of this /olume* the sameidea has go/erned as in the two pre#eding /olumes8simply the preparation

of a /olume of the 7uainter* purer myths* suitable for general reading*authenti#* and with illustrations of the #ountry portrayed* but with no

pretensions to being a purely s#ientifi# pie#e of wor)& S#ientifi#people )now well the go/ernment do#uments and reports of learned

so#ieties whi#h #ontain myths of all )inds* good* bad* and indifferent&

But the /olumes of this series are intended for popular use& Changes

ha/e been made only in abridgments of long #on/ersations and of#eremonial details whi#h detra#ted from the myth as a myth* e/en though

of great ethnologi#al importan#e&

Espe#ial #redit is due in this /olume to the wor) of the ethnologists

whose wor) has appeared in the publi#ations of the Smithsonian

-nstitution* and the 9& S&


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tribes of that State ha/e not been in#luded&

han)s are also due to the Smithsonian -nstitution for the illustrations

a##redited to them* to the Carnegie -nstitution of 3ashington for

illustrations from the ?esert Botani#al Laboratory at u#son* %ri@ona*and to Mr& 0erdinard Ellerman of the Mount 3ilson Obser/atory and to

others&

K& B& J&?epartment of >istory*

9ni/ersity of 3ashington&

able of Contents

he Beginning of ,ewness . 4uni A,ew Me5i#o

he Men of the Early imes . 4uni A,ew Me5i#o

Creation and Longe/ity . %#homawi A+it =i/er* Cal&

Old Moles Creation . Shasti)a ACal&he Creation of the 3orld . +ima A%ri@ona

Spider6s Creation . Sia A,ew Me5i#ohe ow Old Man %bo/e Created the 3orld . Shasti)a ACal&

he Sear#h for the Middle and the >ardening of the 3orld . 4uni A,ew

Me5i#oOrigin of Light .


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=ain Song . Sia A,ew Me5i#ohe Corn Maidens . 4uni A,ew Me5i#o

he Sear#h for the Corn Maidens . 4uni A,ew Me5i#o

>as:elti and >ost:oghon . ,a/a:o A,ew Me5i#o

he Song.hunter . ,a/a:o A,ew Me5i#oSand +ainting of the Song.hunter . ,a/a:o

he ow the =attlesna)e Learned to Bite . +ima A%ri@onaCoyote and the =attlesna)e . Sia A,ew Me5i#o

Origin of the Saguaro and +alo erde Ca#ti . +ima A%ri@onahe hirsty Duails . +ima A%ri@ona

he Boy and the Beast . +ima A%ri@ona

3hy the %pa#hes are 0ier#e . +ima A%ri@ona

Spee#h on the 3arpath . +ima A%ri@onahe Spirit Land .


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mist and spray&

hen Earth.mother spo)e$

(E/en so shall white #louds float up from the great waters at theborders of the world* and #lustering about the mountain terra#es of the

hori@on* shall be bro)en and hardened by thy #old& hen will they sheddownward* in rain.spray* the water of life* e/en into the hollow pla#es

of my lap& 0or in my lap shall nestle our #hildren* man.)ind and#reature.)ind* for warmth in thy #oldness&(

So e/en now the trees on high mountains near the #louds and S)y.father*

#rou#h low toward Earth mother for warmth and prote#tion& 3arm isEarth.mother* #old our S)y.father&

hen S)y.father said* (E/en so& ;et -* too* will be helpful to our

#hildren&( hen he spread his hand out with the palm downward and into

all the wrin)les of his hand he set the semblan#e of shining yellow

#orn.grains2 in the dar) of the early world.dawn they gleamed li)espar)s of fire&

(See*( he said* pointing to the se/en grains between his thumb and four

fingers* (our #hildren shall be guided by these when the Sun.father is

not near and thy terra#es are as dar)ness itself& hen shall our

#hildren be guided by lights&( So S)y.father #reated the stars& hen hesaid* (%nd e/en as these grains gleam up from the water* so shall seed

grain li)e them spring up from the earth when tou#hed by water* tonourish our #hildren&( %nd thus they #reated the seed.#orn& %nd in many

other ways they de/ised for their #hildren* the soul.beings&

But the first #hildren* in a #a/e of the earth* were unfinished& he

#a/e was of sooty bla#)ness* bla#) as a #himney at night time* and foul&

Loud be#ame their murmurings and lamentations* until many sought toes#ape* growing wiser and more man.li)e&

But the earth was not then as we now see it& hen Sun.father sent downtwo sons Asons also of the 0oam.#ap* the Belo/ed wain* win Brothers

of Light* yet Elder and ;ounger* the =ight and the Left* li)e to

7uestion and answer in de#iding and doing& o them the Sun.fatherimparted his own wisdom& >e ga/e them the great #loud.bow* and for

arrows the thunderbolts of the four 7uarters& 0or bu#)ler* they had thefog.ma)ing shield* spun and wo/en of the floating #louds and spray& he

shield supports its bearer* as #louds are supported by the wind* yethides its bearer also& %nd he ga/e to them the fathership and #ontrol of

men and of all #reatures& hen the Belo/ed wain* with their great

#loud.bow lifted the S)y.father into the /ault of the s)ies* that the

earth might be#ome warm and fitter for men and #reatures& hen along thesun.see)ing trail* they sped to the mountains westward& 3ith magi#

)ni/es they spread open the depths of the mountain and un#o/ered the#a/e in whi#h dwelt the unfinished men and #reatures& So they dwelt with

men* learning to )now them* and see)ing to lead them out&

,ow there were growing things in the depths* li)e grasses and /ines& Sothe Belo/ed wain breathed on the stems* growing tall toward the light

as grass is wont to do* ma)ing them stronger* and twisting them upwarduntil they formed a great ladder by whi#h men and #reatures as#ended to

a se#ond #a/e&

9p the ladder into the se#ond #a/e.world* men and the beings #rowded*


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following #losely the wo Little but Mighty Ones& ;et many fell ba#) andwere lost in the dar)ness& hey peopled the under.world from whi#h they

es#aped in after time* amid terrible earth sha)ings&

-n this se#ond #a/e it was as dar) as the night of a stormy season* butlarger of spa#e and higher& >ere again men and the beings in#reased* and

their #omplainings grew loud& So the wain again in#reased the growth ofthe ladder* and again led men upward* not all at on#e* but in si5 bands*

to be#ome the fathers of the si5 )inds of men* the yellow* the tawnygray* the red* the white* the bla#)* and the mingled& %nd this time also

many were lost or left behind&

,ow the third great #a/e was larger and lighter* li)e a /alley instarlight& %nd again they in#reased in number& %nd again the wo led

them out into a fourth #a/e& >ere it was light li)e dawning* and menbegan to per#ei/e and to learn /ariously* a##ording to their natures*

wherefore the wain taught them first to see) the Sun.father&

hen as the last #a/e be#ame filled and men learned to understand* thewo led them forth again into the great upper world* whi#h is the 3orld

of Knowing Seeing&

he Men of the Early imes

4uni A,ew Me5i#o

Eight years was but four days and four nights when the world was new& -twas while su#h days and nights #ontinued that men were led out* in the

night.shine of the 3orld of Seeing& 0or e/en when they saw the greatstar* they thought it the Sun.father himself* it so burned their eye.balls&

Men and #reatures were more ali)e then than now& Our fathers were bla#)*

li)e the #a/es they #ame from2 their s)ins were #old and s#aly li)ethose of mud #reatures2 their eyes were goggled li)e an owl6s2 their

ears were li)e those of #a/e bats2 their feet were webbed li)e those of

wal)ers in wet and soft pla#es2 they had tails* long or short* as theywere old or young& Men #rou#hed when they wal)ed* or #rawled along the

ground li)e li@ards& hey feared to wal) straight* but #rou#hed as

before time they had in their #a/e worlds* that they might not stumbleor fall in the un#ertain light&

3hen the morning star arose* they blin)ed e5#essi/ely when they beheld

its brightness and #ried out that now surely the 0ather was #oming& Butit was only the elder of the Bright Ones* heralding with his shield of

flame the approa#h of the Sun.father& %nd when* low down in the east*

the Sun.father himself appeared* though shrouded in the mist of the

world.waters* they were blinded and heated by his light and glory& heyfell down wallowing and #o/ered their eyes with their hands and arms*

yet e/er as they loo)ed toward the light* they struggled toward the Sunas moths and other night #reatures see) the light of a #amp fire& hus

they be#ame used to the light& But when they rose and wal)ed straight*

no longer bending* and loo)ed upon ea#h other* they sought to #lothe

themsel/es with girdles and garments of bar) and rushes& %nd when bywal)ing only upon their hinder feet they were bruised by stone and sand*

they plaited sandals of yu##a fibre&

Creation and Longe/ity

%#homawi A+it =i/er* Cal&


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Coyote began the #reation of the earth* but Eagle #ompleted it& Coyote

s#rat#hed it up with his paws out of nothingness* but Eagle #omplained

there were no mountains for him to per#h on& So Coyote made hills* but

they were not high enough& herefore Eagle s#rat#hed up great ridges&3hen Eagle flew o/er them* his feathers dropped down* too) root* and

be#ame trees& he pin feathers be#ame bushes and plants&

Coyote and 0o5 together #reated man& hey 7uarrelled as to whether theyshould let men li/e always or not& Coyote said* (-f they want to die*

let them die&( 0o5 said* (-f they want to #ome ba#)* let them #omeba#)&( But Coyote6s medi#ine was stronger* and nobody e/er #ame ba#)&

Coyote also brought fire into the world* for the -ndians were free@ing&

>e :ourneyed far to the west* to a pla#e where there was fire* stolesome of it* and brought it home in his ears& >e )indled a fire in the

mountains* and the -ndians saw the smo)e of it* and went up and got

fire&

Old Mole6s CreationShasti)a ACal&

Long* long ago* before there was any earth* Old Mole burrowed underneath

Somewhere* and threw up the earth whi#h forms the world& hen e heatedstones to )eep his hands warm* and as the Moons arose* he )illed one

after another with his flint.stone )nife* until he had slain nine of

them& hus the people were sa/ed from free@ing at night&

3hen it rains* some -ndian* si#) in hea/en* is weeping& Long* long ago*there was a good young -ndian on earth& 3hen he died the -ndians wept so

that a flood #ame upon the earth* and drowned all people e5#ept one#ouple&

he Creation of the 3orld+ima A%ri@ona

-n the beginning there was nothing at all e5#ept dar)ness& %ll was

dar)ness and emptiness& 0or a long* long while* the dar)ness gathered

until it be#ame a great mass& O/er this the spirit of Earth ?o#tor

drifted to and fro li)e a fluffy bit of #otton in the bree@e& hen Earth?o#tor de#ided to ma)e for himself an abiding pla#e& So he thought

within himself* (Come forth* some )ind of plant*( and there appeared the#reosote bush& >e pla#ed this before him and set it upright& But it at

on#e fell o/er& >e set it upright again2 again it fell& So it fell untilthe fourth time it remained upright& hen Earth ?o#tor too) from his

breast a little dust and flattened it into a #a)e& 3hen the dust #a)e


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was still* he dan#ed upon it* singing a magi# song&

,e5t he #reated some bla#) inse#ts whi#h made bla#) gum on the #reosote

bush& hen he made a termite whi#h wor)ed with the small earth #a)e

until it grew /ery large& %s he sang and dan#ed upon it* the flat 3orldstret#hed out on all sides until it was as large as it is now& hen he

made a round s)y.#o/er to fit o/er it* round li)e the houses of the+imas& But the earth shoo) and stret#hed* so that it was unsafe& So

Earth ?o#tor made a gray spider whi#h was to spin a web around the edgesof the earth and s)y* fastening them together& 3hen this was done* the

earth grew firm and solid&

Earth ?o#tor made water* mountains* trees* grass* and weeds.madee/erything as we see it now& But all was still in)y bla#)ness& hen he

made a dish* poured water into it* and it be#ame i#e& >e threw thisround blo#) of i#e far to the north* and it fell at the pla#e where the

earth and s)y were wo/en together& %t on#e the i#e began to gleam and

shine& 3e #all it now the sun& -t rose from the ground in the north up

into the s)y and then fell ba#)& Earth ?o#tor too) it and threw it tothe west where the earth and s)y were sewn together& -t rose into the

s)y and again slid ba#) to the earth& hen he threw it to the far south*but it slid ba#) again to the flat earth& hen at last he threw it to

the east& -t rose higher and higher in the s)y until it rea#hed the

highest point in the round blue #o/er and began to slide down on the

other side& %nd so the sun does e/en yet&

hen Earth ?o#tor poured more water into the dish and it be#ame i#e& >esang a magi# song* and threw the round ball of i#e to the north where

the earth and s)y are wo/en together& -t gleamed and shone* but not sobrightly as the sun& -t be#ame the moon* and it rose in the s)y* but

fell ba#) again* :ust as the sun had done& So he threw the ball to the

west* and then to the south* but it slid ba#) ea#h time to the earth&

hen he threw it to the east* and it rose to the highest point in thes)y.#o/er and began to slide down on the other side& %nd so it does e/en

to.day* following the sun&

But Earth ?o#tor saw that when the sun and moon were not in the s)y* all

was in)y dar)ness& So he sang a magi# song* and too) some water into his

mouth and blew it into the s)y* in a spray* to ma)e little stars& henhe too) his magi# #rystal and bro)e it into pie#es and threw them into

the s)y* to ma)e the larger stars& ,e5t he too) his wal)ing sti#) andpla#ed ashes on the end of it& hen he drew it a#ross the s)y to form

the Mil)y 3ay& So Earth ?o#tor made all the stars&

Spider6s Creation

Sia A,ew Me5i#o

-n the beginning* long* long ago* there was but one being in the lowerworld& his was the spider* Sussistinna)o& %t that time there were no

other inse#ts* no birds* animals* or any other li/ing #reature&

he spider drew a line of meal from north to south and then #rossed itwith another line running east and west& On ea#h side of the first line*

north of the se#ond* he pla#ed two small par#els& hey were pre#ious butno one )nows what was in them e5#ept Spider& hen he sat down near the

par#els and began to sing& he musi# was low and sweet and the twopar#els a##ompanied him* by sha)ing li)e rattles& hen two women

appeared* one from ea#h par#el&


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-n a short time people appeared and began wal)ing around& hen animals*

birds* and inse#ts appeared* and the spider #ontinued to sing until his

#reation was #omplete&

But there was no light* and as there were many people* they did not pass

about mu#h for fear of treading upon ea#h other& he two women first#reated were the mothers of all& One was named 9tset and she as the

mother of all -ndians& he other was ,ow.utset* and she was the motherof all other nations& 3hile it was still dar)* the spider di/ided the

people into #lans* saying to some* (;ou are of the Corn #lan* and youare the first of all&( o others he said* (;ou belong to the Coyote

#lan&( So he di/ided them into their #lans* the #lans of the Bear* theEagle* and other #lans&

%fter Spider had nearly #reated the earth* >a.arts* he thought it would

be well to ha/e rain to water it* so he #reated the Cloud +eople* the

Lightning +eople* the hunder +eople* and the =ainbow +eople* to wor)

for the people of >a.arts* the earth& >e di/ided this #reation into si5parts* and ea#h had its home in a spring in the heart of a great

mountain upon whose summit was a giant tree& One was in the spru#e treeon the Mountain of the ,orth2 another in the pine tree on the Mountain

of the 3est2 another in the oa) tree on the Mountain of the South2 and

another in the aspen tree on the Mountain of the East2 the fifth was on

the #edar tree on the Mountain of the 4enith2 and the last in an oa) onthe Mountain of the ,adir&

he spider di/ided the world into three parts$ >a.arts* the earth2

inia* the middle plain2 and >u.wa.)a* the upper plain& hen the spiderga/e to these +eople of the Clouds and to the rainbow* inia* the middle

plain&

,ow it was still dar)* but the people of >a.arts made houses forthemsel/es by digging in the ro#)s and the earth& hey #ould not build

houses as they do now* be#ause they #ould not see& -n a short time 9tset

and ,ow.utset tal)ed mu#h to ea#h other* saying*

(3e will ma)e light* that our people may see& 3e #annot tell the people

now* but to.morrow will be a good day and the day after to.morrow willbe a good day*( meaning that their thoughts were good& So they spo)e

with one tongue& hey said* (,ow all is #o/ered with dar)ness* but aftera while we will ha/e light&(

hen these two mothers* being inspired by Sussistinna)o* the spider*

made the sun from white shell* tur)is* red stone* and abalone shell&

%fter ma)ing the sun* they #arried him to the east and #amped there*

sin#e there were no houses& he ne5t morning they #limbed to the top ofa high mountain and dropped the sun down behind it& %fter a time he

began to as#end& 3hen the people saw the light they were happy&

3hen the sun was far off* his fa#e was blue2 as he #ame nearer* the fa#e

grew brighter& ;et they did not see the sun himself* but only a large

mas) whi#h #o/ered his whole body&

he people saw that the world was large and the #ountry beautiful& 3henthe two mothers returned to the /illage* they said to the people* (3e

are the mothers of all&(

he sun lighted the world during the day* but there was no light at


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night& So the two mothers #reated the moon from a slightly bla#) stone*many )inds of yellow stone* tur)is* and a red stone* that the world

might be lighted at night& But the moon tra/elled slowly and did not

always gi/e light& hen the two mothers #reated the Star +eople and made

their eyes of spar)ling white #rystal that they might twin)le andbrighten the world at night& 3hen the Star +eople li/ed in the lower

world they were gathered into beautiful groups2 they were not s#atteredabout as they are in the upper world&

he ang ail* the wolf2 abo/e by 3hite

Cap* the eagle2 below by Mole&

So when he was about to go forth into the world* he di/ided the earth

into si5 regions$ ,orth* the ?ire#tion of the Swept or Barren +lains23est* the ?ire#tion of the >ome of the 3aters2 South* the +la#e of the

Beautiful =ed2 East* the ?ire#tion of the >ome of ?ay2 upper regions*

the ?ire#tion of the >ome of the >igh2 lower regions* the ?ire#tion of

the >ome of the Low&

>ow Old Man %bo/e Created the 3orld

Shasti)a ACal&

Long* long ago* when the world was so new that e/en the stars were dar)*

it was /ery* /ery flat& Chareya* Old Man %bo/e* #ould not see through

the dar) to the new* flat earth& ,either #ould he step down to itbe#ause it was so far below him& 3ith a large stone he bored a hole in

the s)y& hen through the hole he pushed down masses of i#e and snow*

until a great pyramid rose from the plain& Old Man %bo/e #limbed downthrough the hole he had made in the s)y* stepping from #loud to #loud*

until he #ould put his foot on top the mass of i#e and snow& hen with

one long step he rea#hed the earth&

he sun shone through the hole in the s)y and began to melt the i#e andsnow& -t made holes in the i#e and snow& 3hen it was soft* Chareya bored

with his finger into the earth* here and there* and planted the firsttrees& Streams from the melting snow watered the new trees and made them

grow& hen he gathered the lea/es whi#h fell from the trees and blew

upon them& hey be#ame birds& >e too) a sti#) and bro)e it into pie#es&

Out of the small end he made fishes and pla#ed them in the mountainstreams& Of the middle of the sti#)* he made all the animals e5#ept the gri@@ly

bear& 0rom the big end of the sti#) #ame the gri@@ly bear* who was made master ofall&


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he Sear#h for the Middle and the >ardening of the 3orld

4uni A,ew Me5i#o

%s it was with the first men and #reatures* so it was with the world& -twas young and unripe& Earth7ua)es shoo) the world and rent it& ?emons

and monsters of the under.world fled forth& Creatures be#ame fier#e*beasts of prey* and others turned timid* be#oming their 7uarry&

3ret#hedness and hunger abounded and bla#) magi#& 0ear was e/erywhereamong them* so the people* in dread of their pre#ious possessions*

be#ame wanderers* li/ing on the seeds of grass* eaters of dead and slain things&;et* guided by the Belo/ed wain* they sought in the light and

under the pathway of the Sun* the Middle of the world* o/er whi#h alonethey #ould find the earth at restA1&

3hen the tremblings grew still for a time* the people paused at the

0irst of Sitting +la#es& ;et they were still poor and defen#eless and

uns)illed* and the world still moist and unstable& ?emons and monsters

fled from the earth in times of sha)ing* and threatened wanderers&

hen the wo too) #ounsel of ea#h other& he Elder said the earth mustbe made more stable for men and the /alleys where their #hildren rested&

-f they sent down their fire bolts of thunder* aimed to all the four

regions* the earth would hea/e up and down* fire would* bel#h o/er the

world and burn it* floods of hot water would sweep o/er it* smo)e wouldbla#)en the daylight* but the earth would at last be safer for men&

So the Belo/ed wain let fly the thunderbolts&

he mountains shoo) and trembled* the plains #ra#)ed and #ra#)led under

the floods and fires* and the hollow pla#es* the only refuge of men and

#reatures* grew bla#) and awful& %t last thi#) rain fell* putting out

the fires& hen water flooded the world* #utting deep trails through themountains* and burying or un#o/ering the bodies of things and beings&

3here they huddled together and were blasted thus* their blood gushed

forth and flowed deeply* here in ri/ers* there in floods* for giganti#were they& But the blood was #harred and blistered and bla#)ened by the

fires into the bla#) ro#)s of the lower mesasA!& here were /ast plains

of dust* ashes* and #inders* reddened li)e the mud of the hearth pla#e&;et many pla#es behind and between the mountain terra#es were unharmed

by the fires* and e/en then green grew the trees and grasses and e/enflowers bloomed& hen the earth be#ame more stable* and drier* and its

lone pla#es less fearsome sin#e monsters of prey were #hanged to ro#)&

But e/er and again the earth trembled and the people were troubled&

(Let us again see) the Middle*( they said& So they tra/elled fareastward to their se#ond stopping pla#e* the +la#e of Bare Mountains&

%gain the world rumbled* and they tra/elled into a #ountry to a pla#e

#alled 3here.tree.boles.stand.in.the.midst.of.waters& here they

remained long* saying* (his is the Middle&( hey built homes there& %t

times they met people who had gone before* and thus they learned war&%nd many strange things happened there* as told in spee#hes of the

an#ient tal)&

hen when the earth groaned again* the wain bade them go forth* andthey murmured& Many refused and perished miserably in their own homes*

as do rats in falling trees* or flies in forbidden food&


12/63

But the greater number went forward until they #ame to

Steam.mist.in.the.midst.of.waters& %nd they saw the smo)e of men6s

hearth fires and many houses s#attered o/er the hills before them& 3hen

they #ame nearer* they #hallenged the people rudely* demanding who theywere and why there* for in their last standing.pla#e they had had tou#h

of war&

(3e are the +eople of the Seed*( said the men of the hearth.fires* (bornelder brothers of ye* and led of the gods&(

(,o*( said our fathers* (we are led of the gods and we are the Seed

+eople & & & (

Long li/ed the people in the town on the sunrise slope of the mountainsof Kahluelawan* until the earth began to groan warningly again& Loath

were they to lea/e the pla#e of the Ka)a and the la)e of their dead& But

the rumbling grew louder and the wain Belo/ed #alled* and all together

they :ourneyed eastward* see)ing on#e more the +la#e of the Middle& Butthey grumbled amongst themsel/es* so when they #ame to a pla#e of great

promise* they said* (Let us stay here& +erhaps it may be the +la#e ofthe Middle&(

So they built houses there* larger and stronger than e/er before* and

more perfe#t* for they were strong in numbers and wiser* though yetunperfe#ted as men& hey #alled the pla#e (he +la#e of Sa#red

Stealing&(

Long they dwelt there* happily* but growing wiser and stronger* so that*with their tails and dressed in the s)ins of animals* they saw they were

rude and ugly&

-n #hase or in war* they were at a disad/antage* for they met oldernations of men with whom they fought& ,o longer they feared the gods and

monsters* but only their own )ind& So therefore the gods #alled a

#oun#il&

Changed shall ye be* oh our #hildren* (#ried the wain&( ;e shall wal)

straight in the pathways* #lothed in garments* and without tails* thatye may sit more straight in #oun#il* and without webs to your feet* or

talons on your hands&(

So the people were arranged in pro#ession li)e dan#ers& %nd the wainwith their weapons and fires of lightning shored off the forelo#)s

hanging down o/er their fa#es* se/ered the talons* and slitted the

webbed fingers and toes& Sore was the wounding and loud #ried the

foolish* when lastly the people were arranged in pro#ession for thera@ing of their tails&

But those who stood at the end of the line* shrin)ing farther and

farther* fled in their terror* #limbing trees and high pla#es* with loud

#hatter& 3andering far* sleeping e/er in tree tops* in the far.away

Summerland* they are sometimes seen of far.wal)ers* long of tail andlong handed* li)e wi@ened men.#hildren&

But the people grew in strength* and be#ame more perfe#t* and more than

e/er went to war& hey grew /ain& hey had rea#hed the +la#e of theMiddle& hey said* (Let us not wearily wander forth again e/en though

the earth tremble and the wain bid us forth&(


13/63

%nd e/en as they spo)e* the mountain trembled and shoo)* though

far.sounding&

But as the people #hanged* #hanged also were the wain* small andmisshapen* hard.fa/ored and unyielding of will* strong of spirit* e/il

and bad& hey taught the people to war* and led them far to theeastward&

%t last the people neared* in the midst of the plains to the eastward*

great towns built in the heights& e has si5 legs* all /ery long& +erhaps he #anfeel with them to the uttermost of the si5 regions* and point out the

/ery Middle&(

So 3ater.s)ate was summoned& But lo -t was the Sun.father in hisli)eness whi#h appeared& %nd he lifted himself to the @enith and

e5tended his fingerfeet to all the si5 regions* so that they tou#hed the

north* the great waters2 the west* and the south* and the east* the

great waters2 and to the northeast the waters abo/e& and to thesouthwest the waters below& But to the north his finger foot grew #old*

so he drew it in& hen gradually he settled down upon the earth andsaid* (3here my heart rests* mar) a spot* and build a town of the

Mid.most* for there shall be the Mid.most +la#e of the Earth.mother&(

%nd his heart rested o/er the middle of the plain and /alley of 4uni&%nd when he drew in his finger.legs* lo there were the trail.roads

leading out and in li)e stays of a spider6s nest* into and from themid.most pla#e he had #o/ered&

>ere be#ause of their good fortune in finding the stable Middle* the

priest father #alled the town the %biding.pla#e.of.happy.fortune&


14/63

A1 he earth was flat and round* li)e a plate&

A! La/a&

Origin of Light

aw) and Coyote thought a long time about the dar)ness& hen Coyote felt

his way into a swamp and found a large number of dry tule reeds& >e madea ball of them& >e ga/e the ball to >aw)* with some flints* and >aw)

flew up into the s)y* where he tou#hed off the tule reeds and sent the

bundle whirling around the world& But still the nights were dar)* so

Coyote made another bundle of tule reeds* and >aw) flew into the airwith them* and tou#hed them off with the flints& But these reeds were

damp and did not burn so well& hat is why the moon does not gi/e somu#h light as the sun&

+o)oh* the Old Man+ai 9te Anear Kern =i/er* Cal&

+o)oh* Old Man* they say* #reated the world& +o)oh had many thoughts& >e

had many blan)ets in whi#h he #arried around gifts for men& >e #reatede/ery tribe out of the soil where they used to li/e& hat is why an

-ndian wants to li/e and die in his nati/e pla#e& >e was made of the

same soil& +o)oh did not wish men to wander and tra/el* but to remain in

their birthpla#e&

Long ago* Sun was a man* and was bad& Moon was good& Sun had a 7ui/er

full of arrows* and they are deadly& Sun wishes to )ill all things&

Sun has two daughters Aenus and Mer#ury and twenty men )ill them2 but

after fifty days* they return to life again&

=ainbow is the sister of +o)oh* and her breast is #o/ered with flowers&

Lightning stri)es the ground and fills the flint with fire& hat is theorigin of fire& Some say the bea/er brought fire from the east* hauling

it on his broad* flat tail& hat is why the bea/er6s tail has no hair on

it* e/en to this day& -t was burned off&

here are many worlds& Some ha/e passed and some are still to #ome& -n

one world the -ndians all #reep2 in another they all wal)2 in anotherthey all fly& +erhaps in a world to #ome* -ndians may wal) on four legs2

or they may #rawl li)e sna)es2 or they may swim in the water li)e fish&

hunder and Lightning

Maidu Anear Sa#ramento alley* Cal&


15/63

Lightning is e #alled a #oun#il of all the animals& he animals sat in

a #ir#le* :ust as the -ndians do* with Lion at the head* in an openspa#e in the forest& On Lion6s right was e wanted man also to be

well #o/ered with hair* with fangs in his #laws* and /ery strong teeth&

e said it was ridi#ulous for any one to ha/e su#h

a /oi#e as Lion* be#ause when he roared he frightened away the /ery prey

for whi#h he was sear#hing& But he said man should ha/e /ery greatstrength2 that he should mo/e silently* but /ery swiftly2 and he should

be able to sei@e his prey without noise&

Bu#) said man would loo) foolish without antlers& %nd a terrible /oi#ewas absurd* but man should ha/e ears li)e a spider6s web* and eyes li)e

fire&

Mountain Sheep said the bran#hing antlers would bother man if he got#aught in a thi#)et& -f man had horns rolled up* so that they were li)e

a stone on ea#h side of his head* it would gi/e his head weight enough

to butt /ery hard&

3hen it #ame Coyote6s turn* he said the other animals were foolish

be#ause they ea#h wanted man to be :ust li)e themsel/es& Coyote was surehe #ould ma)e a man who would loo) better than Coyote himself* or any

other animal& Of #ourse he would ha/e to ha/e four legs* with fi/efingers& Man should ha/e a strong /oi#e* but he need not roar all the

time with it& %nd he should ha/e feet nearly li)e


16/63

burned out by flying too near the sun& But without eyes* he #ould burrowin the soft* #ool earth where he #ould be happy&

Mouse said man needed eyes so he #ould see what he was eating& %nd

nobody wanted to burrow in the damp earth& So the #oun#il bro)e up in a7uarrel&

hen e/ery animal set to wor) to ma)e a man a##ording to his own ideas&

Ea#h one too) a lump of earth and modelled it :ust li)e himself& %ll butCoyote* for Coyote began to ma)e the )ind of man he had tal)ed of in the

#oun#il&

-t was late when the animals stopped wor) and fell asleep& %ll butCoyote* for Coyote was the #unningest of all the animals* and he stayed

awa)e until he had finished his model& >e wor)ed hard all night& 3henthe other animals were fast asleep he threw water on the lumps of earth*

and so spoiled the models of the other animals& But in the morning he

finished his own* and ga/e it life long before the others #ould finish

theirs& hus man was made by Coyote&

he 0irst Man %nd 3oman

,ishinam Anear Bear =i/er* Cal&

he first man #reated by Coyote was #alled %i)ut& >is wife was ;ototowi&But the woman grew si#) and died& %i)ut dug a gra/e for her #lose beside

his #amp fire* for the ,ishinam did not burn their dead then& %ll thelight was gone from his life& >e wanted to die* so that he #ould follow

;ototowi* and he fell into a deep sleep&

here was a rumbling sound and the spirit of ;ototowi arose from the

earth and stood beside him& >e would ha/e spo)en to her* but she forbade

him* for when an -ndian spea)s to a ghost he dies& hen she turned awayand set out for the dan#e.house of ghosts& %i)ut followed her& ogether

they :ourneyed through a great* dar) #ountry* until they #ame to a ri/er

whi#h separated them from the ere the woman started off alone* but when %i)ut stret#hed

out his arms* she returned& hen she started again o/er the bridge ofthread& %nd %i)ut spo)e to her* so that he died& hus together they

:ourneyed to the Spirit.land&

Old Man %bo/e and the


17/63

Soon


18/63

before him& he people began to in#rease in numbers* :ust as they haddone before* but Elder Brother shortened their li/es* so the earth did

not be#ome so #rowded& But Elder Brother did not li)e the people #reated

by Earth ?o#tor* so he planned to destroy them again& So Elder Brother

planned to #reate a magi# baby& & & &

he s#reams of the baby shoo) the earth& hey #ould be heard for a greatdistan#e& hen Earth ?o#tor #alled all the people together* and told

them there would be a great flood& >e sang a magi# song and then bored ahole through the flat earth.plain through to the other side& Some of the

people went into the hole to es#ape the flood that was #oming* but not/ery many got through& Some of the people as)ed Elder Brother to help

them* but he did not answer& Only Coyote he answered& >e told Coyote tofind a big log and sit on it* so that he would float on the surfa#e of

the water with the driftwood& Elder Brother got into a big olla whi#h hehad made* and #losed it tight& So he rolled along on the ground under

the olla& >e sang a magi# song as he #limbed into his olla&

% young man went to the pla#e where the baby was s#reaming& -ts tearswere a great torrent whi#h #ut gorges in the earth before it& he water

was rising all o/er the earth& >e bent o/er the #hild to pi#) it up* andimmediately both be#ame birds and flew abo/e the flood& Only fi/e birds

were sa/ed from the flood& One was a fli#)er and one a /ulture& hey

#lung by their bea)s to the s)y to )eep themsel/es abo/e the waters* but

the tail of the fli#)er was washed by the wa/es and that is why it isstiff to this day& %t last a god too) pity on them and ga/e them power

to ma)e (nests of down( from their own breasts on whi#h they floated onthe water& One of these birds was the /ipisimal* and if any one in:ures

it to this day* the flood may #ome again&

,ow South ?o#tor #alled his people to him and told them that a flood was

#oming& >e sang a magi# song and he bored a hole in the ground with a

#ane so that people might go through to the other side& Others he sentto Earth ?o#tor* but Earth ?o#tor told them they were too late& So they

sent the people to the top of a high mountain #alled Croo)ed Mountain&

South ?o#tor sang a magi# song and tra#ed his #ane around the mountain*but that held ba#) the waters only for a short time& 0our times he sang

and tra#ed a line around the mountain* yet the flood rose again ea#h

time& here was only one thing more to do&

>e held his magi# #rystals in his left hand and sang a song& hen hestru#) it with his #ane& % thunder peal rang through the mountains& >e

threw his staff into the water and it #ra#)ed with a loud noise&urning* he saw a dog near him& >e said* (>ow high is the tideF( he dog

said* (-t is /ery near the top&( >e loo)ed at the people as he said it&

3hen they heard his /oi#e they all turned to stone& hey stood :ust as

they were* and they are there to this day in groups$ some of the mental)ing* some of the women #oo)ing* and some #rying&

But Earth ?o#tor es#aped by en#losing himself in his reed staff* whi#h

floated upon the water& Elder Brother rolled along in his olla until he

#ame near the mouth of the Colorado =i/er& he olla is now #alled Bla#)

Mountain& %fter the flood he #ame out and /isited all parts of the land&

3hen he met Coyote and Earth ?o#tor* ea#h #laimed to ha/e been the firstto appear after the flood* but at last they admitted Elder Brother was

the first* so he be#ame ruler of the world&


19/63

he Birds and the 0lood+ima A%ri@ona

On#e upon a time* when all the earth was flooded* two birds were hanging

abo/e the water& hey were #linging to the s)y with their bea)s& helarger bird was gray with a long tail and bea)* but the smaller one was

the tiny bird that builds a nest shaped li)e an olla* with only a /erysmall opening at the top& he birds were tired and frightened& he

larger one #ried and #ried* but the little bird held on tight and said*(?on6t #ry& - 6m littler than you are* but - 6m /ery bra/e&(

Legend of the 0lood%sho#himi ACoast -ndians* Cal&

Long ago there was a great flood whi#h destroyed all the people in the

world& Only Coyote was sa/ed& 3hen the waters subsided* the earth was

empty& Coyote thought about it a long time&

hen Coyote #olle#ted a great bundle of tail feathers from owls* haw)s*

eagles* and bu@@ards& >e :ourneyed o/er the whole earth and #arefullylo#ated the site of ea#h -ndian /illage& 3here the tepees had stood* he

planted a feather in the ground and s#raped up the dirt around it& he

feathers sprouted li)e trees* and grew up and bran#hed& %t last they

turned into men and women& So the world was inhabited with people again&

he e loo)ed to the north&

(3here is the road to the westF 3here is the road to the eastF 3here is

the road to the southF( >e loo)ed in ea#h dire#tion& >e said* (- see thewaters are e/erywhere&(

%ll of the medi#ine men sang four days and four nights* but still the

waters #ontinued to rise&

hen Spider pla#ed a huge reed upon the top of the mesa& >e said* (My

people will pass up through this to the world abo/e&(

9tset led the way* #arrying a sa#) in whi#h were many of the Star

people& he medi#ine men followed* #arrying sa#red things in sa#redblan)ets on their ba#)s& hen #ame the people* and the animals* and the

sna)es* and birds& he tur)ey was far behind and the foam of the water

rose and rea#hed the tip ends of his feathers& ;ou may )now that is true

be#ause e/en to this day they bear the mar) of the waters&

3hen they rea#hed the top of the great reed* the earth whi#h formed thefloor of the world abo/e* barred their way& 9tset #alled to Lo#ust*

(Man* #ome here&( Lo#ust went to her& She said* (;ou )now best how topass through the earth&


20/63

(ery well* mother*( said Lo#ust& (- thin) - #an ma)e a way&(

>e began wor)ing with his feet and after a while he passed through the

earthy floor* entering the upper world& %s soon as he saw it* he said to

9tset* (-t is good abo/e&(

9tset #alled Badger* and said* (Ma)e a door for us& Si)a* the Lo#ust hasmade one* but it is /ery small&(

(ery well* mother* - will*( said Badger&

%fter mu#h wor) he passed into the world abo/e* and said*

(Mother* - ha/e opened the way&( Badger also said* (0ather.mother* the

world abo/e is good&(

9tset then #alled ?eer& She said* (;ou go through first& -f you #an get

your head through* others may pass&(

he deer returned saying* (0ather* it is all right& - passed without

trouble&(

9tset #alled El)& She said* (;ou pass through& -f you #an get your head

and horns through the door* all may pass&(

El) returned saying* (0ather* it is good& - passed without trouble&(

hen 9tset told the buffalo to try* and he returned saying*

(0ather.mother* the door is good& - passed without trouble&(

9tset #alled the s#arab beetle and ga/e him the sa#) of stars* telling

him to pass out first with them& S#arab did not )now what the sa#)

#ontained* but he was /ery small and grew tired #arrying it& >e wonderedwhat #ould be in the sa#)& %fter entering the new world he was so tired

he laid down the sa#) and peeped into it& >e #ut only a tiny hole* but

at on#e the Star +eople flew out and filled the hea/ens e/erywhere&

hen 9tset and all the people #ame* and after ur)ey passed* the door

was #losed with a great ro#) so that the waters from below #ould notfollow them&

hen 9tset loo)ed for the sa#) with the Star +eople& She found it nearly

empty and #ould not tell where the stars had gone& he little beetle satby* /ery mu#h frightened and /ery sad& But 9tset was angry and said*

(;ou are bad and disobedient& 0rom this time forth* you shall be blind&(

hat is the reason the s#arabaeus has no eyes* so the old ones say&

But the little fellow had sa/ed a few of the stars by grasping the sa#)

and holding it fast& 9tset pla#ed these in the hea/ens& -n one group shepla#ed se/en . the great bear& -n another* three& -n another group she

pla#ed the +leiades* and threw the others far off into the s)y&

he 0lood and the heft of 0ire

olowa A?el ,orte Co&* Cal&

%long time ago there #ame a great rain& -t lasted a long time and thewater )ept rising till all the /alleys were submerged* and the -ndian

tribes fled to the high lands& But the water rose* and though the


21/63

-ndians fled to the highest point* all were swept away and drowned.allbut one man and one woman& hey rea#hed the /ery highest pea) and were

sa/ed& hese two -ndians ate the fish from the waters around them&

hen the waters subsided& %ll the game was gone* and all the animals&But the #hildren of these two -ndians* when they died* be#ame the

spirits of deer and bear and inse#ts* and so the animals and inse#ts#ame ba#) to the earth again&

he -ndians had no fire& he flood had put out all the fires in the

world& hey loo)ed at the moon and wished they #ould se#ure fire fromit& hen the Spider -ndians and the Sna)e -ndians formed a plan to steal

fire& he Spiders wo/e a /ery light balloon* and fastened it by a longrope to the earth& hen they #limbed into the balloon and started for

the moon& But the -ndians of the Moon were suspi#ious of the Earth-ndians& he Spiders said* (3e #ame to gamble&( he Moon -ndians were

mu#h pleased and all the Spider -ndians began to gamble with them& hey

sat by the fire&

hen the Sna)e -ndians sent a man to #limb up the long rope from the

earth to the moon& >e #limbed the rope* and darted through the firebefore the Moon -ndians understood what he had done& hen he slid down

the rope to earth again& %s soon as he tou#hed the earth he tra/elled

o/er the ro#)s* the trees* and the dry sti#)s lying upon the ground*

gi/ing fire to ea#h& E/erything he tou#hed #ontained fire& So the worldbe#ame bright again* as it was before the flood&

3hen the Spider -ndians #ame down to earth again* they were immediately

put to death* for the tribes were afraid the Moon -ndians might wantre/enge&

Legend of the 0lood in Sa#ramento alleyMaidu Anear Sa#ramento alley* Cal&

Long* long ago the -ndians li/ing in Sa#ramento alley were happy&Suddenly there #ame the swift sound of rushing waters* and the /alley

be#ame li)e Big 3aters* whi#h no man #an measure& he -ndians fled* but

many slept beneath the wa/es& %lso the frogs and the salmon pursued themand they ate many -ndians& Only two who fled into the foothills es#aped&

o these two* ow did this deep water #o/er the

plains of the worldF

%t the end of nine sleeps he was #hanged& >e was not li)e himself& ,oarrow #ould wound him& >e was li)e


22/63

% great many hundred snows ago* Kareya* sitting on the Sa#red Stool*#reated the world& 0irst* he made the fishes in the Big 3ater* then the

animals on the green land* and last of all* Man But at first the

animals were all ali)e in power& ,o one )new whi#h animals should be

food for others* and whi#h should be food for man& hen Kareya orderedthem all to meet in one pla#e* that Man might gi/e ea#h his ran) and his

power& So the animals all met together one e/ening* when the sun wasset* to wait o/ernight for the #oming of Man on the ne5t morning& Kareya

also #ommanded Man to ma)e bows and arrows* as many as there wereanimals* and to gi/e the longest one to the animal whi#h was to ha/e the

most power* and the shortest to the one whi#h should ha/e least power&So he did* and after nine sleeps his wor) was ended* and the bows and

arrows whi#h he had made were /ery many&

,ow the animals* being all together* went to sleep* so they might beready to meet Man on the ne5t morning& But Coyote was e5#eedingly

#unning . he was #unning abo/e all the beasts& Coyote wanted the longest

bow and the greatest power* so he #ould ha/e all the other animals for

his meat& >e de#ided to stay awa)e all night* so that he would be firstto meet Man in the morning& So he laughed to himself and stret#hed his

nose out on his paw and pretended to sleep& %bout midnight he began tobe sleepy& >e had to wal) around the #amp and s#rat#h his eyes to )eep

them open& >e grew more sleepy* so that he had to s)ip and :ump about to

)eep awa)e& But he made so mu#h noise* he awa)ened some of the other

animals& 3hen the morning star #ame up* he was too sleepy to )eep hiseyes open any longer& So he too) two little sti#)s* and sharpened them

at the ends* and propped open his eyelids& hen he felt safe& >e wat#hedthe morning star* with his nose stret#hed along his paws* and fell

asleep& he sharp sti#)s pinned his eyelids fast together&

he morning star rose rapidly into the s)y& he birds began to sing& he

animals wo)e up and stret#hed themsel/es* but still Coyote lay fast

asleep& 3hen the sun rose* the animals went to meet Man& >e ga/e thelongest bow to Cougar* so he had greatest power2 the se#ond longest he

ga/e to Bear2 others he ga/e to the other animals* gi/ing all but the

last to 0rog& But the shortest one was left& Man #ried out* (3hat animalha/e - missedF( hen the animals began to loo) about and found Coyote

fast asleep* with his eyelids pinned together& %ll the animals began to

laugh* and they :umped upon Coyote and dan#ed upon him& hen they ledhim to Man* still blinded* and Man pulled out the sharp sti#)s and ga/e

him the shortest bow of all& -t would hardly shoot an arrow farther thana foot& %ll the animals laughed&

But Man too) pity on Coyote* be#ause he was now wea)er e/en than 0rog&

So at his re7uest* Kareya ga/e him #unning* ten times more than before*

so that he was #unning abo/e all the animals of the wood& herefore

Coyote was friendly to Man and his #hildren* and did many things forthem&

Coyote and Sun

+ai 9te Anear Kern =i/er* Cal&

%long time ago* Coyote wanted to go to the sun& >e as)ed +o)oh* Old Man*

to show him the trail& Coyote went straight out on this trail and hetra/elled it all day& But Sun went round so that Coyote #ame ba#) at

night to the pla#e from whi#h he started in the morning&

he ne5t morning* Coyote as)ed +o)oh to show him the trail& +o)oh showed


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him* and Coyote tra/elled all day and #ame ba#) at night to the samepla#e again&

But the third day* Coyote started early and went out on the trail to the

edge of the world and sat down on the hole where the sun #ame up& 3hilewaiting for the sun he pointed with his bow and arrow at different

pla#es and pretended to shoot& >e also pretended not to see the sun&3hen Sun #ame up* he told Coyote to get out of his way& Coyote told him

to go around2 that it was his trail& But Sun #ame up under him and hehad to hit#h forward a little& %fter Sun #ame up a little farther* it

began to get hot on Coyote6s shoulder* so he spit on his paw and rubbedhis shoulder& hen he wanted to ride up with the sun& Sun said* (Oh* no(2

but Coyote insisted& So Coyote #limbed up on Sun* and Sun started up thetrail in the s)y& he trail was mar)ed off into steps li)e a ladder& %s

Sun went up he #ounted (one* two* three*( and so on& By and by Coyotebe#ame /ery thirsty* and he as)ed Sun for a drin) of water& Sun ga/e him

an a#orn.#up full& Coyote as)ed him why he had no more& %bout noontime*

Coyote be#ame /ery impatient& -t was /ery hot& Sun told him to shut his

eyes& Coyote shut them* but opened them again& >e )ept opening andshutting them all the afternoon& %t night* when Sun #ame down* Coyote

too) hold of a tree& hen he #lambered off Sun and #limbed down to theearth&

he Course of the SunSia A,ew Me5i#o

Sussistinna)o* the spider* said to the sun* (My son* you will as#end and

pass o/er the world abo/e& ;ou will go from north to south& =eturn andtell me what you thin) of it&(

he sun said* on his return* (Mother* - did as you bade me* and - did

not li)e the road&(

Spider told him to as#end and pass o/er the world from west to the east&

On his return* the sun said*

(-t may be good for some* mother* but - did not li)e it&(

Spider said* (;ou will again as#end and pass o/er the straight road from

the east to the west& =eturn and tell me what you thin) of it&(

hat night the sun said* (- am mu#h #ontented& - li)e that road mu#h&(

Sussistinna)o said* (My son* you will as#end ea#h day and pass o/er the

world from east to west&(

9pon ea#h day6s :ourney the sun stops midway from the east to the #entre

of the world to eat his brea)fast& -n the #entre he stops to eat hisdinner& >alfway from the #entre to the west he stops to eat his supper&

>e ne/er fails to eat these three meals ea#h day* and always stops at

the same points&

he sun wears a shirt of dressed deers)in* with leggings of the same

rea#hing to his thighs& he shirt and leggings are fringed& >ismo##asins are also of deers)in and embroidered in yellow* red* and

tur)is beads& >e wears a )ilt of deers)in* ha/ing a sna)e painted uponit& >e #arries a bow and arrows* the 7ui/er being of #ougar s)in*

hanging o/er his shoulder* and he holds his bow in his left hand and an


24/63

arrow in his right& >e always wears the mas) whi#h prote#ts him from thesight of the people of >a.arts&

%t the top of the mas) is an eagle plume with parrot plumes2 an eagle

plume is at ea#h side* and one at the bottom of the mas)& he hairaround the head and fa#e is red li)e fire* and when it mo/es and sha)es

people #annot loo) #losely at the mas)& -t is not intended that theyshould obser/e #losely* else they would )now that instead of seeing the

sun they see only his mas)&

he moon #ame to the upper world with the sun and he also wears a mas)&

Ea#h night the sun passes by the house of Sussistinna)o* the spider* whoas)s him* (>ow are my #hildren abo/eF >ow many ha/e died to.dayF >ow

many ha/e been born to.dayF( he sun lingers only long enough to answerhis 7uestions& >e then passes on to his house in the east&

he 0o5es and the Sun;uro) Anear Klamath =i/er* Cal&

On#e upon a time* the 0o5es were angry with Sun& hey held a #oun#il

about the matter& hen twel/e 0o5es were sele#ted . twel/e of the

bra/est to #at#h Sun and tie him down& hey made ropes of sinew2 then

the twel/e wat#hed until the Sun* as he followed the downward trail inthe s)y* tou#hed the top of a #ertain hill& hen the 0o5es #aught Sun*

and tied him fast to the hill& But the -ndians saw them* and they )illedthe 0o5es with arrows& hen they #ut the sinews& But the Sun had burned

a great hole in the ground& he -ndians )now the story is true* be#ausethey #an see the hole whi#h Sun burned&

he heft of 0ireKaro) Anear Klamath =i/er* Cal&

here was no fire on earth and the Karo)s were #old and miserable& 0araway to the east* hidden in a treasure bo5* was fire whi#h Kareya had

made and gi/en to two old hags* lest the Karo)s should steal it& So

Coyote de#ided to steal fire for the -ndians&

Coyote #alled a great #oun#il of the animals& %fter the #oun#il hestationed a line from the land of the Karo)s to the distant land where

the fire was )ept& Lion was nearest the 0ire Land* and 0rog was nearestthe Karo) land& Lion was strongest and 0rog was wea)est* and the other

animals too) their pla#es* a##ording to the power gi/en them by Man&

hen Coyote too) an -ndian with him and went to the hill top* but he hidthe -ndian under the hill& Coyote went to the tepee of the hags& >e

said* (e stret#hed his

nose out along his forepaws and pretended to go to sleep* but he )eptthe #orner of one eye open wat#hing& So he spent all night wat#hing and

thin)ing* but he had no #han#e to get a pie#e of the fire&

he ne5t morning Coyote held a #oun#il with the -ndian& >e told him whenhe* Coyote* was within the tepee* to atta#) it& hen Coyote went ba#) to

the fire& he hags let him in again& >e was only a Coyote& But Coyote


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stood #lose by the #as)et of fire& he -ndian made a dash at the tepee&he hags rushed out after him* and Coyote sei@ed a fire brand in his

teeth and flew o/er the ground& he hags saw the spar)s flying and ga/e

#hase& But Coyote rea#hed Lion* who ran with it to e spat out the fire into the dry wood* and that is why thereis fire in dry wood e/en to.day& 3hen an -ndian rubs two pie#es

together* the fire #omes out&

he heft of 0ire

Sia A,ew Me5i#o

%long* long time ago* the people be#ame tired of feeding on grass* li)edeer and wild animals* and they tal)ed together how fire might be found&

he i.amoni said* (Coyote is the best man to steal fire from the world

below*( so he sent for Coyote&

3hen Coyote #ame* the i.amoni said* (he people wish for fire& 3e are

tired of feeding on grass& ;ou must go to the world below and bring thefire&(

Coyote said* (-t is well* father& - will go&(

So Coyote slipped stealthily to the house of Sussistinna)o& -t was the

middle of the night& Sna)e* who guarded the first door* was asleep* andhe slipped 7ui#)ly and 7uietly by& Cougar* who guarded the se#ond door*

was asleep* and Coyote slipped by& Bear* who guarded the third door* was

also sleeping& %t the fourth door* Coyote found the guardian of the fireasleep& Slipping through into the room of Sussistinna)o* he found him

also sleeping&

Coyote 7ui#)ly lighted the #edar brand whi#h was atta#hed to his tail

and hurried out& Spider awo)e* :ust enough to )now some one was lea/ingthe room& (3ho is thereF( he #ried& hen he #alled* (Some one has been

here&( But before he #ould wa)en the sleeping Bear and Cougar and Sna)e*Coyote had almost rea#hed the upper world&

he Earth.>ardening %fter the 0loodSia A,ew Me5i#o

%fter the flood* the Sia returned to >a.arts* the earth& hey #ame

through an opening in the far north& %fter they had remained at their

first /illage a year* they wished to pass on* but the earth was /ery

moist and 9tset was pu@@led how to harden it&

9tset #alled Cougar& She said* (>a/e you any medi#ine to harden the roadso that we may pass o/er itF( Cougar replied* (- will try* mother&( But

after going a short distan#e o/er the road* he san) to his shoulders inthe wet earth& >e returned mu#h afraid and told 9tset that he #ould go

no farther&


26/63

hen she sent for Bear& She said* (>a/e you any medi#ine to harden the

roadF( Bear started out* but he san) to his shoulders* and returned

saying* (- #an do nothing&(

hen 9tset #alled Badger* and he tried& She #alled Shrew* and he failed&

She #alled 3olf* and he failed&

hen 9tset returned to the lower world and as)ed Sussistinna)o what she#ould do to harden the earth so that her people might tra/el o/er it& >e

as)ed* (>a/e you no medi#ine to ma)e the earth firmF >a/e you as)edCougar and 3olf* Bear and Badger and 3olf to use their medi#ines to

harden the earthF(

9tset said* (- ha/e tried all these&(

hen Sussistinna)o said* (Others will understand&( >e told her to ha/e a

woman of the Kapina Aspider #lan try to harden the earth&

3hen the woman arri/ed* 9tset said* (My mother* Sussistinna)o tells me

the Kapina so#iety understand how to harden the earth&(

he woman said* (- do not )now how to ma)e the earth hard&(

hree times 9tset as)ed the woman about hardening the earth* and threetimes the woman said* (- do not )now&( he fourth time the woman said*

(3ell* - guess - )now& - will try&(

So she #alled together the members of the Spider so#iety* the Kapina*and said*

(Our mother* Sussistinna)o* bids us wor) for her and harden the earth so

that the people may pass o/er it&( he spider woman first made a road offine #otton whi#h she produ#ed from her own body* and suspended it a few

feet abo/e the earth& hen she told the people they #ould tra/el on

that& But the people were afraid to trust themsel/es to su#h a frailroad&

hen 9tset said* (- wish a man and not a woman of the Spider so#iety towor) for me&(

hen he #ame& >e threw out a #harm of wood* latti#ed so it #ould be

e5panded or #ontra#ted& 3hen it was e5tended it rea#hed to the middle ofthe earth& >e threw it to the south* to the east* and to the west2 then

he threw it toward the people in the north&

So the earth was made firm that the people might tra/el upon it&

Soon after 9tset said* (- will soon lea/e you& - will* return to thehome from whi#h - #ame&(

hen she sele#ted a man of the Corn #lan& She said to him* (;ou will be

)nown as i.amoni Aar#h.ruler& ;ou will be to my people as myself& ;ouwill pass with them o/er the straight road& - gi/e to you all my wisdom*

my thoughts* my heart* and all& - fill your mind with my mind&(

>e replied$ (-t is well* mother& - will do as you say&(


27/63

he Origins of the otems and of ,ames4uni A,ew Me5i#o

,ow the wain Belo/ed and the priest.fathers gathered in #oun#il for the

naming and sele#tion of man.groups and #reature.)inds* and things& Sothey #alled the people of the southern spa#e the Children of Summer* and

those who lo/ed the sun most be#ame the Sun people& Others who lo/ed thewater be#ame the oad people* or urtle people* or 0rog people& Others

lo/ed the seeds of the earth and be#ame the Seed people* or the peopleof the 0irst.growing grass* or of the oba##o& hose who lo/ed warmth

were the 0ire or Badger people& %##ording to their natures they #hosetheir totems&

%nd so also did the +eople of 3inter* or the +eople of the ,orth& Some

were )nown as the Bear people* or the Coyote people* or ?eer people2others as the Crane people* ur)ey people* or opi A%ri@ona

%fter the >opi had been taught to build stone houses* they too)separate ways& My people were the Sna)e people& hey li/ed in sna)e

s)ins* ea#h family o##upying a separate sna)e s)in bag& %ll were hung onthe end of a rainbow whi#h swung around until the end tou#hed ,a/a:o

Mountain& hen the bags dropped from it& 3here/er a bag dropped* therewas their house& %fter they arranged their bags they #ame out from them

as men and women* and they then built a stone house whi#h had fi/e

sides& hen a brilliant star arose in the southeast& -t would shine for

a while and disappear&

he old men said* (6Beneath that star there must be people&( hey

de#ided to tra/el to it& hey #ut a staff and set it in the ground andwat#hed until the star rea#hed its top& hen they started and tra/elled

as long as the star shone& 3hen it disappeared they halted& But the star

did not shine e/ery night& Sometimes many years passed before itappeared again& 3hen this o##urred* the people built houses during their

halt& hey built round houses and s7uare houses* and all the ruinsbetween here and ,a/a:o Mountain mar) the pla#es where our people li/ed&

hey waited until the star #ame to the top of the staff again* but whenthey mo/ed on* many people remained in those houses&

3hen our people rea#hed 3aipho Aa spring a few miles from 3alpi the

star /anished& -t has ne/er been seen sin#e& hey built a house there*but Masauwu* the


28/63

built a house and li/ed there&

%gain when the old men assembled two demons #ame among them* but the old

men too) the great Baho and #hased them away&

Other >opi A>opituh #ame into this #ountry from time to time and old

people said* (Build here*( or (Build there*( and portioned the landamong the new#omers&

he Migration of the 3ater +eople3alpi A%ri@ona

-n the long ago* the Sna)e* >orn* and Eagle people li/ed here Ain

usayan but their #orn grew only a span high and when they sang forrain* the Cloud god sent only a thin mist& My people li/ed then in the

distant +a.lat Kwa.bi in the South& here was a /ery bad old man there&

3hen he met any one he would spit in their fa#es& & & & >e did all

manner of e/il& Baholihonga got angry at this and turned the worldupside down& 3ater spouted up through the )i/as and through the fire

pla#es in the houses& he earth was rent in great #hasms* and water#o/ered e/erything e5#ept one narrow ridge of mud& %#ross this the

Serpent.god told all the people to tra/el& %s they :ourneyed a#ross* the

feet of the bad slipped and they fell into the dar) water& he good

people* after many days* rea#hed dry land&

3hile the water was rising around the /illage* the old people got on topof the houses& hey thought they #ould not struggle a#ross with the

younger people& But Baholihonga #lothed them with the s)ins of tur)eys&hey spread their wings out and floated in the air :ust abo/e the

surfa#e of the water* and in this way they got a#ross& here were sa/ed

of us* the 3ater people* the Corn people* the Li@ard* >orned.toad* and

Sand peoples* two families of =abbit* and the oba##o people& he tur)eytail dragged in the water& hat is why there is white on the tur)ey6s

tail now& his is also the reason why old people use tur)ey.feathers at

the religious #eremonies&

Coyote and the Mes7uite Beans+ima A%ri@ona

%fter the waters of the flood had gone down* Elder Brother said to

Coyote* (?o not tou#h that bla#) bug2 and do not eat the mes7uite beans&-t is dangerous to harm anything that #ame safe through the flood&(

So Coyote went on* but presently he #ame to the bla#) bug& >e stopped

and ate it up& hen he went on to the mes7uite beans& >e stopped andloo)ed at them a while* and then said* (- will :ust taste one and that

will be all&( But he stood there and ate and ate until he had eaten themall up& %nd the bug and the beans swelled up in his stoma#h and )illed

him&

Origin of the Sierra ,e/adas and Coast =ange

;o)uts Anear 0resno* Cal&

On#e there was a time when there was nothing in the world but water&%bout the pla#e where ulare La)e is now* there was a pole standing far

up out of the water* and on this pole per#hed >aw) and Crow& 0irst >aw)


29/63

would sit on the pole a while* then Crow would )no#) him off and sit onit himself& hus they sat on the top of the pole abo/e the water for

many ages& %t last they #reated the birds whi#h prey on fish& hey

#reated Kingfisher* Eagle* +eli#an* and others& hey #reated also ?u#)&

?u#) was /ery small but she di/ed to the bottom of the water* too) abea)ful of mud* and then died in #oming to the top of the water& ?u#)

lay dead floating on the water& hen >aw) and Crow too) the mud from?u#)6s bea)* and began ma)ing the mountains&

hey began at the pla#e now )nown as a.hi.#ha.pa +ass* and >aw) made

the east range& Crow made the west one& hey pushed the mud down hardinto the water and then piled it high& hey wor)ed toward the north& %t

last >aw) and Crow met at Mount Shasta& hen their wor) was done& Butwhen they loo)ed at their mountains* Crow6s range was mu#h larger than

>aw)6s&

>aw) said to Crow* (>ow did this happen* you ras#alF ;ou ha/e been

stealing earth from my bill& hat is why your mountains are the

biggest&( Crow laughed&

hen >aw) #hewed some -ndian toba##o& hat made him wise& %t on#e hetoo) hold of the mountains and turned them around almost in a #ir#le& >e

put his range where Crow6s had been& hat is why the Sierra ,e/ada =ange

is larger than the Coast =ange&

;osemite alleyAE5planatory AG

Mr& Stephen +owers #laims that there is no su#h word in the Miwo)

language as ;osemite& he /alley has always been )nown to them* and is

to this day* when spea)ing among themsel/es* as %.wa6.ni& his* it is

true* is only the name of one of the an#ient /illages whi#h it#ontained2 but by prominen#e it ga/e its name to the /alley* and in

a##ordan#e with -ndian usage almost e/erywhere* to the inhabitants of

the same& he word ;osemite is simply a /ery beautiful and sonorous#orruption of the word for gri@@ly bear& On the Stanislaus and north of

it* the word is [email protected] at Little


30/63

sharp needle* with a smaller one at its base* :ust east of Cathedral=o#)& & & & he sa/ages & & & imagined here a s7uirrel nibbling at the

base of an a#orn granary&

(Loi6.a* Sentinel =o#)&

(Sa)6.)a.du.eh* Sentinel ?ome&

(Cho6.lo) Athe fall* ;osemite 0all& his is the generi# word for 6fall&6

(Ma6.ta Athe #anon* -ndian #anon& % generi# word* in e5plaining whi#hthe -ndians hold up both hands to denote perpendi#ular walls&

(>am6.mo.)o Ausually #ontra#ted to >am6.moa)* & & & bro)en debris lying

at the foot of the walls&

([email protected] La6.wa.tuh Agri@@ly bear s)in* un6.ta Athe eye* 3at#hing Eye&

(%.wai6.a Aa la)e* Mirror La)e&

(Sa.wah6 Aa gap* a name o##urring fre7uently&

(3a.ha6.)a* a /illage whi#h stood at the base of hree Brothers2 alsothe ro#) itself& his was the westernmost /illage in the /alley&

(here were nine /illages in ;osemite alley and & & & formerly others

e5tending as far down as the Bridal eil 0all* whi#h were destroyed inwars that o##urred before the whites #ame&(

AG he e5planation gi/en abo/e is that made by Mr& Stephen +owers* in

ol& G* 9& S&


31/63

lifted them up beyond the sight of their tribe* who loo)ed for theme/erywhere&

he ro#) grew until the boys were lifted high into the hea/en* e/en far

up abo/e the blue s)y* until they s#raped their fa#es against the moon&%nd still* year after year* among the #louds they slept&

hen there was held a great #oun#il of all the animals to bring the boys

down from the top of the great ro#)& E/ery animal leaped as high as he#ould up the fa#e of the ro#)y wall& Mouse #ould only :ump as high as

one6s hand2 =at* twi#e as high& hen =a##oon tried2 he #ould :ump alittle farther& One after another of the animals tried* and er husband followed with a rude staff and a light roll of s)ins

on his ba#)& hey were thirsty after their long :ourney a#ross the

mountains& hey hurried forward to drin) of the waters* and the womanwas still in ad/an#e when she rea#hed La)e %waia& hen she dipped up the

water in her bas)et and dran) of it& She dran) up all the water& he

la)e was dry before her husband rea#hed it& %nd be#ause the woman dran)all the water* there #ame a drought& he earth dried tip& here was no

grass* nor any green thing&

But the man was angry be#ause he had no water to drin)& >e beat the

woman with his staff and she fled* but he followed and beat her e/enmore& hen the woman wept& -n her anger she turned and flung her bas)et

at the man& %nd e/en then they were #hanged into stone& he woman6sbas)et lies upturned beside the man& he woman6s fa#e is tear.stained*

with long dar) lines trailing down&

South ?ome is the woman and ,orth ?ome is the husband& he -ndian woman#uts her hair straight a#ross the forehead* and allows the sides to drop

along her #hee)s* forming a s7uare fa#e&

>istori# radition of the 9pper uolumne

;osemite alley

A%s gi/en by Mr& Stephen +owers* 1HII&A

here is a la)e.li)e e5pansion of the 9pper uolumne some four mileslong and from a half mile to a mile wide* dire#tly north of >at#hat#hie

alley Aerroneously spelled >et#h >et#hy& -t appears to ha/e no name


32/63

among %meri#ans* but the -ndians #all it .wai.a.nuh* whi#h ismanifestly a diale#ti# /ariation of a.wai6.a* the generi# word for

(la)e&( ,at& S#ree#h* a /eteran mountaineer and hunter* states that he

/isited this region in 1H* and at that time there was a /alley along

the ri/er ha/ing the same dimensions that this la)e now has& %gain* in1H* he happened to pass that way and dis#o/ered that the la)e had been

formed as it now e5ists& >e was at a loss to a##ount for its origin2 butsubse7uently he a#7uired the Miwo) language as spo)en at Little


33/63

the hunt* or from war* to shout to him&(

he mother answered$ (-n the morning* loo) toward the sunrise and you

will see a white Cloud standing upright& >e is your father&(

(Can we /isit our fatherF( they as)ed&

(;es*( said their mother& ;ou may /isit him* but you must ma)e the

:ourney without stopping& 0irst you will rea#h 3ind* who is yourfather6s eldest brother& Behind him you will find your father&(

he boys tra/elled four days and #ame to the house of 3ind&

(%re you our fatherF( they as)ed&

(,o* - am your 9n#le*(answered 3ind&( ;our father li/es in the ne5t

house& e said* (e will tell you something&( But 3ind sent them ba#) to

Cloud again& hus the boys were dri/en away from ea#h house four times&

hen Cloud said to them* (+ro/e to me you are my sons& -f you are* you

#an do what - do&(

he younger boy sent #hain lightning a#ross the s)y with sharp*

#ra#)ling thunder& he elder boy sent the heat lightning with itsdistant rumble of thunder&

(;ou are my #hildren*( said Cloud& (;ou ha/e power li)e mine&(

But again he tested them& >e too) them to a house near by where a flood

of rain had drowned the people& (-f - they are my sons*( he said* (theywill not be harmed&(

hen Cloud sent the rain and the storm& he water rose higher andhigher* but the two boys were not harmed& he water #ould not drown

them& hen Cloud too) them to his home and there they stayed a long*

long time&

But after a long time* the boys wished to see their mother again& henCloud made them some bows and arrows differing from any they had e/er

seen* and sent them to their mother& >e told them he would wat#h o/erthem as they tra/elled but they must spea) to no one they met on their

way&

So the boys tra/elled to the setting sun& 0irst they met =a/en& heyremembered their father6s #ommand and turned aside so as not to meet

him& hen they met =oadrunner* and turned aside to a/oid him& ,e5t #ame>aw) and Eagle&

Eagle said* (Let6s s#are those boys&( So he swooped down o/er their

heads until they #ried from fright&

(3e were :ust teasing you*( said Eagle& (3e will not do you any harm&(hen Eagle flew on&

,e5t they met Coyote& hey tried to a/oid him* but Coyote ran around and

put himself in their way& Cloud was wat#hing and he sent down thunder


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and lightning& %nd the boys sent out their magi# thunder and lightningalso* until Coyote was frightened and ran away&

,ow this happened on the mountain top* and one boy was standing on ea#h

side of the trail& %fter Coyote ran away* they were #hanged into mes#al. the /ery largest mes#al e/er )nown& he pla#e was near u#son& his is

the reason why mes#al grows on the mountains* and why thunder andlightning go from pla#e to pla#e . be#ause the #hildren did& hat is why

it rains when we gather mes#al&

he Cloud +eople

Sia A,ew Me5i#o

,ow all the Cloud +eople* the Lightning +eople* the hunder and =ainbow+eoples followed the Sia into the upper world& But all the people of

inia* the middle world* did not lea/e the lower world& Only a portion

were sent by the Spider to wor) for the people of the upper world& he

Cloud +eople are so many that* although the demands of the earth peopleare so great* there are always many passing about o/er inia for

pleasure& hese Cloud +eople ride on wheels* small wheels being used bythe little Cloud #hildren and large wheels by the older ones& A

he Cloud +eople )eep always behind their mas)s& he shape of the mas)

depends upon the number of the people and the wor) being done& he>enati are the floating white #louds behind whi#h the Cloud +eople pass

for pleasure& he >eash are #louds li)e the plains and behind these theCloud +eople are laboring to water the earth& 3ater is brought by the

Cloud +eople* from the springs at the base of the mountains* in gourdsand :ugs and /ases by the men* women* and #hildren& hey rise from the

springs and pass through the trun) of the tree to its top* whi#h rea#hes

inia& hey pass on to the point to be sprin)led&

he priest of the Cloud +eople is abo/e e/en the priests of the hunder*

Lightning* and =ainbow +eoples& he Cloud +eople ha/e #eremonials* :ust

li)e those of the Sia& On the altars of the Sia may be seen figuresarranged :ust as the Cloud +eople sit in their #eremonials&

3hen a priest of the Cloud +eople wishes assistan#e from the hunder andLightning +eoples* he notifies their priests* but )eeps a super/ision of

all things himself&

hen the Lightning +eople shoot their arrows to ma)e it rain the harder&he smaller flashes #ome from the bows of the #hildren& he hunder

+eople ha/e human forms* with wings of )ni/es* and by flapping these

wings they ma)e a great noise& hus they frighten the Cloud and

Lightning +eople into wor)ing the harder&

he =ainbow +eople were #reated to wor) in inia to ma)e it morebeautiful for the people of >a.arts* the earth* to loo) upon& he elders

ma)e the beautiful rainbows* but the #hildren assist& he Sia ha/e no

idea of what or how these bows are made& hey do )now* howe/er* that war

heroes always tra/el upon the rainbows&

A he -ndians say the %meri#ans also ride wheels* therefore they mustha/e )nown about the Cloud +eople&

=ain Song


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Sia A,ew Me5i#o

3e* the an#ient ones* as#ended from the middle of the world below*

through the door of the entran#e to the lower world* we hold our songs

to the Cloud* Lightning* and hunder +eoples as we hold our own hearts&Our medi#ine is pre#ious&

A%ddressing the people of inia$

3e entreat you to

Documents

Myths and Legends of California and the old Southwest.odt