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salmon goes to war
In the days when the Inland Empire was peopled by animals,
birds, reptiles and fish - before human beings had been
thought of - the banks of the Spokane River were the scene of
a battle between the denizens of the water and the land.
Two beautiful maidens were the cause of the war. Both the land and
the water people desired to have the maidens married into their
respective ranks. Open hostilities were declared, and a short
time later the maidens disappeared. At the same time Old Man
Wolf and his family disappeared.
Mud Turtle led the first charge
of the water people. The land people grew tired of watching his
slow progress, and soon he was among them destroying them
right and left. Bald Eagle finally shot an arrow between his
shells, killing him. Long Jump, the frog, struck down many of
the animal people before being killed. Salmon was then chosen.
His armor of scales deflected the arrows and he made long leaps,
inflicting great damage with his wicked tail and strong jaws.
Finally, a flight of arrows fired from behind found their way
under his scales, and he was killed.
Mrs. Mouse, the salmon's
cousin, had a dam across the river. She and her children rescued
the bodies from the war as they floated down the river. When
Salmon's body drifted down, the mice dragged it carefully from
the river. She bound his wounds and made a little sweat house.
Mrs. Mouse's power was great, and Salmon lived again.
Rattlesnake had betrayed Salmon and told how he could be killed.
He was worried and went to the rocky country near Long Lake
where he lives today. Salmon fought and defeated Rattlesnake and
placed a curse on him and his family. This is why they always
crawl in the dust and dirt and why they are hated and will be as
long as the mountains stand and the rivers run.
Salmon built a sweat house and danced and sang. Finally, he
knew who had taken the girls - the Wolf! Salmon defeated the
Wolf and sent the girls back to their families. And so ended the
tragic war between the water people and the land people.
It has never been resumed.
(Inland Northwest - Spokane)
from the SPOKANE DAILY CHRONICLE,
May 2, 1929 and May 3, 1929, pg. 34.
Reprinted in Children of the Sun - A History of the Spokane Indians
by David C. Wynecoop, Wellpinit, Washington © 1969
Last Updated
December 23, 2004
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