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 |  | Monday November 23, 2009 3:08 AM |
 | | Native American Myths and Legends | |
Why rivers flow but one way
Long ago, before the world changed, all the animal people came
together for a big meeting. Eagle was the headman of the gathering.
He lived up high, in the top of a tall tree. Whenever the people
wanted to decide anything important, they called up to him as he
sat in the tree, and he gave them his opinion.
Each of the animal people at the meeting had a chance to say what
he thought. Even Raven and Mink, who were slaves, told the others
what they believed should be done. Raven's opinion was so good that
he became known as a wise man.
For a long time the people argued about the direction in which
the rivers should flow. Should they flow up or down, or both up
and down? All but Raven thought that one side of all rivers should
run up the mountains and the other side should run down. All the
rivers should go up as far as the falls, they said, and then
should turn round and come back.
"What do you think of our plan?" they called up to Eagle.
"I agree with you," answered Eagle. "If the rivers go both ways,
the new people who are to come will have an easy time. It will
not be hard to go upstream, and it will not be hard to go downstream.
What does Raven think ?"
"I don't agree with you," replied Raven. "If the rivers turn round
at the falls, salmon will have no chance to stop. They will go up
as far as the falls, and then they will come right back again.
Where will they spawn:' And how will the new people catch them'
I think that all rivers should flow but one way."
"Raven is right," agreed Mink. "The people will have a very hard
time catching salmon if the rivers run both ways."
"I think the rivers should go but one way," repeated Raven. "And I
think that at all the bends in the streams there should be little
eddies.
[ incomplete...]
(Inland Northwest - East Side)
The animal People helped in the planning and the arranging of the
ancient world. Tribes on the east side of Puget Sound told the
first of these two stories; the Quinault on the Washington
coast told the second one.
from
Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest
, edited by Ella E. Clark,
University of California Press, 1953
Last Updated
December 23, 2004
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