The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-04-22
TEOCHTL, THE RAVEN GOD
Battle of Mount St. Helena
Sitka Indian Legend of
the Tides.

was low tide, and he pointed to the
high water mark some Is feet up a
rock. 1t showed a difference that
suggested some tremendous power,
and knew that he had theory OF
his own 10 account for it. The Alas
ka Indians have easy theories about
everything. But i told him the
ssSan Franciscos," the Indian name
for all whites, attributed the rise
and fall of the waters to the moon.
Beautiful, he said, "but ours is
easier to believe.
Then he gave it.
In the beginning the world was
all water, and no living creature
could live, for those that were born
were drowned before they could
build a canoe. The water was as
furious and az hungry then as now
and much mightier in battle. But
one day, after a rain, Teochtl, the
black raven that is god, came flying
across the waters, and he was full
of the spirit of war. He was gong
to engage the waters in hand to
hand conflict. He had been seeking
a chance for many, many winters,
more than there have been since
that day, but he could not ind
foothoid.
This day, however, the light OF
the sun shone deep into the waters,
and Teochtl, piercing into the cold
shadows under the waves with his
alt seeing eye, spied the white top OF
Mount St. Elias. That was his
chance. That was the battle-ground
he had been looking for since the
world began.
Now, Teochtl is no swimmer. he
would be able to swim If he needed
the power, but it is too easy and TOO
common. He never gave himself the
trouble to learn to swim either ike
a goose or an iceberg. Teochtl can
dive when it is necessary, when ne
, has world to conquer. So the great
raven circled about the top OF Mount
ST. Elias till the waters perceived
, his purpose and began leaplng up al
him. But no waters can ny Ike
Teochtl. and every time they rose
at him he laughed, Cav, cav,
and down they fell, sinking almost
l &l1ar- ha6 risen
That was just what the willy raven
expected. And he challenged the
D waters till they, enraged, sprang al
T his tail, and clinging to it were lit
!, ed high in tie sky. Then they tel
5 back exhausted, slid down the noun
tain side and almost exposed th'
peak of Mount ST. Elias. Itwas neal
i, enough for Teochtl. The brave goo
. dived to the top of the peak, mad'
fast with his feet, and, grappllns
/ with the waters, pushed them of tn
q summit.
Then began the battle of the ages
Teochtl, the mighty wrestler, Gluten
ed the waters in his deadly grip an
showed them down the mountain
J. side. When he took breath, the wa
!, ters forced him back up toward IN
z. neak. and down he bore them agar
IS and again. Sometimes he was a
d most tired out and the waters a
is most regained their lost ground
Teochtl fought on, however, neye
giving up. He uncovered the whl'
cans that summer, and the ne1
III summer he got half way down tn
" mountain side. The waters neve
~ gave up either, and though eac
CT time Teochtl wrestled with all n
ne might he threw the waters fartht
down the mountain, they each TIN
carried him back part of the way.
co So it went on for thousands
lit wears and the waters rose and fe
ed stor7ning, freezing, flowing al
he grinding, but Teochtl, the god OF Il
to land and the air, gradually wore Il
waters out. They were driven
the great white mountain, then {
the smaller mountains. then on u
OF islands and then off the mainlan
IS and Teochtl had all the space
III needed for man and trees, bears a.
'er deer and birds, and he created ms
M and the animals, planted the tre
and made the land beautiful and fl
But the commoticn of that bait
,a.sod The waters new