The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1886-10-15
Ths 9sluatrat.
CURIOUS rsDsAs EnsEsD


Pile unlettered and without the ap-
pliances W. have TO hakd down TO
posierlly their history. we must not
be surprised II errors, or what APP
pears 10 be such, should have crept
into their traditions. We find that
all the Information they have regard
Ing the past has been handed down
from one generation 70 another,
through their tamanamus (madlcine)
men. Aud as they put the utmost
reliance upon their statements, why
should we not The following Ii
the history OF the Nlsqually tribe as
it Is told by one Of them who knew
the legends aud traditions OF this
dusky people /;
| A great many years ago-so many
that man cannot ennmerate tham--
tue tribe became 50 numerous that
they ate up all the game aud flsb, and
tnen they became cannlbsls. After
time hey became wors than wild
anlmals, SO much 30 that tho Great
| ISplrlt sent great rain which H0oded
tue whule country, and all living
things were drowned, excepting one
squaw aud dog, who both happen
o. 20 be on the hsad-waters Of lhs
Nisqually river, and they seeing the
waters rising rapidly, fed 10 Mount
Tacoma and remained on It's summit
unsil the waters sub4ided. From
the squaw and the dog sprang the
present Nisquaily Indians. With the
destruction Of all things on earth was
lost the use Of al arms, tools AM FIRE.
The progeny Of the squaw and dog
walked upon all fours,and dug camas,
fern and other roots with their hands.
They lived Ia holes Ia the earth.
They knew nothing about clothing
and they suffered much from expos
uFe In their naked condition. TIE.
nearly all Became diseased or deform-
ed, aud TO make matters worse, .
large bear OF enormous proportions
came up from the South, aud when
he cast his eyes upon an Iudlan 4 NJ
Indlan lost oil power Of locomotlua
and became an easy prey 10 the raw
enous beast. As the I1diAns had no
arms, aud knew nothing about tains.
namus, the Indians were entirely de-
fsnceless, and the bear was abuu, TO
dspopuIlle the country. The Great
Spirit seeing their deplorable condi.
ton and taking pity upon them, ssst
over the mountains from the East i
great tan snamns man, or savi1r,
whose countenance was as the sun
and his voice as the thunder, aud he
Vas armed with bpw, arrows and
spear. His frst act was to assemble
the pc aple together aud ask them
Why they snnoyed their dreat Fath-
or with ~ nuh weeping, aud they
answered that Il was un aecunt OF
the beast from which npna could -.
caps He the" taught them u the
existence Of two great spirits--ooe II
good and one evil. He taught them
how 10 make white aud black ,ams
namus, aud likewise hog u walk
erect He then returned 10 the
MOUNTAINS for one moon 20 talk 4, the
Great r tner.
| On his return lie again called the
people together and held big poti-cb,
giving the Indians what appeared 10
them at that time great curioslties.
To the sonng men he gave bows and
arrows, likewise spears, and taught
them how 10 make and use them.
To tie old men he gave shoes, with
the proper instructions for their man.
ufacture, likewise how 10 make fish-
hooks and how to use them. To the
old women he gave camas sticks,
baskets made Of cedar bark and sea.
weed and showed them how 10 make
them, and explained their use and
purposes /; likewise how TO make fire
and Its use ; taught them how TO
cook and how to carry burdens by the
use of strap across the head. In
fact, taught them aIl kinds OF work
that was calculated TO make women
useful to her lord and master man.
| The young women he taught to sing
and 10 adorn their persons with paint
and to wear a girdle made OF the in-
ner bark Of cedar, reaching from he
waist to the knee.
The next thing done by the great
tamanamus was TO erect large aud
strong building. with but one open
Ing or door 10 the same. He then
gathered all the disease, deformi,y
and crime, placed it in the house
and secured the doors. Then he ap.
pointed a certain fa,nlly 10 take
charge Of the house, aud said family
and its descendants we're ever re-.
main In charge oft. He gave strlct