Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-03-19
SUPERSTITIOUS 10.
CURIOUS LEGENDS OF THE FAR
NORTHWESTERN TRIBES.

ON In Legends of British Columbian
Tribes of Aborigines.
Among the northern coast tribes of
British Columbia the raven plays an
important part. He is the benefactor of
man and by some tribes is considered
the deity himself. One of his adventures
was stealing the sun from the chief who
kept it from man in little box, togeth-
er with the moon and daylight. In one
tribe he created salmon. Another legend
makes him the grandson of the deity,
his father having left earth for a visit
TO heaven and there married the chiefs
daughter.
Another series of traditions refers to
the sun, and in q class of these the mink
is considered the son of the sun. These
legends are told by the Bliqula and
Klivakuetl tribes of British Columbia.
In this story you will notice the remark
able resemblance to the Greek Phaethon.
Once upon time the mink played grace
hoops with the ducks, and the mink
won. Then they shot arrows at stick,
and the mink proved the best marks
man. Then all the ducks abused him
and maltreated him and finally broke
his bow and said 1--WE do not care to
play any longer with you. You do not
even know where your father is. Stung
by this taunt, mink fastened to his
mother. She told him his father was III
the sky it was he who carried the sun
every day Mink determined to visi5
him, and with his new bow shot an ar
row into The sky. The arrow stuck III
the sky, a second arrow hit the notch Of
the first and finally chain was formed
reaching from the sky to the earth Up
this ladder mink climbed and arrived at
his fathers abode. His father was glad
to see him and permitted him to carry
the sun in his stead for one day. He
must ascend slowly behind the noun
tains and not 60 fast lest the earth
should burn. Equipping himself with
his fathers blanket and nose ornament,
mink set out.
All went well till Just before noon.
Mink became inpatient at his slow
progress, began to run, and to kick aside
the clouds which INSTRUCTED his path.
He set fire to earth, and men, in order to
escape the fearful flames, jumped into
the ocean. Part of them We're trans
formed into animals, part into real men
(they had been half man and half ami
mails before). Poor mink was thrown
from heaven into the sea below, but
was rescued and carried home.
The legend of the visit to heaven oc-
ours in many of the tribes but with
other animals than the mink. Many
stories told of the raven are also told
of mink. He, too, obtained fire for his
tribe, obtaining it from the ghosts who
had it in their possession. Mink stole
the infant child of the chief of the
ghosts and would not give it up till the
firebrand was given him.
Farther south. along the coast, the
sun becomes more important mytho-
logical figure. 1t is said the Salish of
the interior burn food, blankets and
other property as an offering to the sun.
Some of the important legends refer to
the murder of the sun, and to the origin
of the new sun and moon From the
language and from the legends it APP
pears that many of the coast tribes con-
sidered the moon and sun as the same
person, or at least as two brothers. One
story runs: A long time ago there was
a man named Momhanate, who was
blind. As he was unable to endure the
heat of the sun, vent fishing during
the night. When The day began to
dawn, his wife would go down to 3
beach and call him home before sun
rose. One day, however, his wife slept
too long, and it was already daylight
when she awoke. She called to her hus-
band to return. as quickly as possible,
but before he reached the shore he had
melted. Then the sons determined to
avenge their father's death. They made
a chain Of arrows and climbed mp They
killed the sun with their arrows, and
then thought What shall we do next?'
The older one said, Let us be the sun,
and he asked the brother where he
wanted to 60. The latter answered, L
will go to the night; yen go to the day.
And so they did. The younger brother
became the moon, the elder the sun. .
As the salmon is the great staple of
subsistence from the Sacramento river
northward, so with it are connected the
greatest number of superstitions. Messrs.
Lewis and Clark, mentioning the cap
ture of the first salmon at The Dalles in
1907, an occasion of great rejoicing,
state that in order to hasten their arriy-
al the Indians, according to custom,
dressed the fish and cut it into small
pieces. one Of which was given to each
child in the village. At the mouth Of
the Columbia the first salmon could be
eaten only by the medicine men. The
taking of the first fish Of the season was
everywhere the occasion Of a feast The
salmon dance was performed, and the
anticipations of plenty lightened every
heart. The earlier fish could not be OBJ
tanned at any price by white man I'M
less it We're first cooked, lest he should
open it with a knife instead of a stone
Or cut it crosswise. The heart was al
ways roasted and eaten lest a dog should
eat ii and no more salmon would be