, 1925-05-27
YELLOWSTONE HEAVEN
GATES ACCORDING TO
AN OLD INDIAN LEGEND

Canyon is told in a recent issue of
the Dearborn Independent. The
story follows:
Many ear 6 when the Tetons
were young-the lordly Tetons that
thrust their snow clad peaks. like
giant. jagged saw-teeth, into the
ever-changing blue of the sky-a
mighty herd of Bison roamed the
plains and mountain slopes of that
land of lakes and stream and for
ests hat is now the State of Wyo-
ming. Elk, antelope and moose,
bear, deer and mountain sheep
made their homes in the peaceful
valleys or among the romantic ma
jesty of the granite walls. And in
this sanctuary wilderness there lived
Ia mighty Indian people, the Nez
Perce. direct descendants of Kalo-
walo, God of the Sun
Shinumo, the greatest chieftan,
the strongest hunter, and the BRAY
est warrior. ruled his tribe with un-
erring wisdom, led them to the best
hunting grounds, gave just counsel
in their differences, and watched
NAAtii "a oAAd OoPtAs III AAA
numo, in turn was ruled and coun-
seled by the happiness in his heart;
for had he not, but two moon ago,
brought Lan-a-lol, the little moon
flower, to live with him, the Little
Moon Flower whose unrivaled beauty
was a source of never-ending joy?
The softly signing swish of the pine
branches swaying in the breeze was
music to the ears of Shinumo until
there came a time, in the Season
of the rains, when the wind of
Darkness blew down from the noun
tain tops and scattered before it the
smile of Lan-a-lol.
Day after day the sun came up,
making the peaks shift and glow,
crags take fire, walls darken, and
gray-green mesas. dimly seen, take
on the CLEAN of opalescent lakes.
but all was darkness in the sight of
Shinumo. No longer would he lead
the hunt for buffalo or mountain
sheep, the care of his people was
gone from his mind, and he thought
only of the absent Little Moon Flow
er. The mighty Nez Perce, deprived
of their leader, were drifting slow
tly toward dissolution when there
came, one day, Ta-vwoats, the God
of Life. Ta-vwoats sought out Shi-
numo and questioned him on the
matter of his changed attitude and,
upon learning the cause of his grief,
Offered to prove to him that the
Little Moon Flower was in a happ-
Ter land and that Shinumo mourned
uselessly. Ta-vwoats would take the
mighty chieftain over the road to
heaven and let him look upon her
there in her happiness.
That evening they started. In
the west the day was dying in a
pageantry of color. Above the range
lay a fleet of f~lame-winged clouds
like treasure argosies borne on the
crystal waves of a sea deeply, in
Tfinitely blue. The hush of early eve
ming rested like a brooding veil over
the stone-gray walls of the noun
tains.
Ta-vwoats and Shinumo walked
on, while above them the scarlet
glory began to fade into a fainter
saffron. Soon, in the west, the cloud
had faded to a somber gray. These
remained but a delicate line of pur-
est white. where all color had fled,
phantom tracey. All night they went
on and when morning came Ia
vwoats made a trail to lead the chief
to the happy land.
A great, twisting cash was cut
through the protecting mountains
and its sides were painted in hete-
rogeneous array with every color
of the universe-with living, re-
joicing colors that seemed to chant
in chorus. Shinumo watched the
work of Ta-vwoats he saw the
whole vista transformed as if the
life and light of centuries of sun
shine stored up in the rocks were
now being poured forth as from n
glorious fountain, flooding both
earth and sky. When the road was
made complete they travelled on and
came at last to a spot from which
Shinumo might look in upon his
Little Moon Flower. He saw that
the words of Ta-vwoats were true,
that she was in a happier land and
did not care to return to the slopes
and valleys of the Tetons. Shinumo
was at last content and willingly he
followed Ta-vwoats on the return
journey. When they had again pass
ed through the gorgeous gateway,
Ta-vwoats. lest the unworthy should
find this happy land, rolled through
the trail a wild surging river of
roaring gray that foamed in the
crooked. rugged gorges only to
sweep out free and unencumbered
farther on where the waters make
minnture lakes that merge ! shin