Tags: YouTube,"NEW" HS+ English and Contemporary World Problems and Environmental Science,"Pre Converted" HS+ English and Contemporary World Problems and Environmental Science,HS+ Eng\CWP - Test Course Description: The Legend of Salmon Woman and Her Children
Featuring images of the Salmon Woman Totem, carved by the Lummi House of Tears, 1997 (Bellingham, WA)
*As told by “Cha-das-ska-dum, Which-ta-lum” of the Lhaq’ te mish nation
A long time ago, after the Big Flood, the people could not yet hunt and were starving in their village at the mouth of the river. In desperation, the Chief sent his son, Raven, out into the Big Water to find food. Raven became lost in the fog and almost died of starvation and exhaustion. Salmon Woman heard him singing his death song, took pity on him, and saved him by feeding him her children, the salmon. She then had her children jump through the water and led him back to his village at the mouth of the river. The people threw a large feast to honor the Salmon Woman, who became Raven’s wife. She told the people that her children, the salmon, were her gift to them. They could have as many as they wanted, but they must promise to never take them from their spawning beds.
Each year the salmon came to the village as promised and the people caught all they wanted before the salmon went upstream to the spawning beds. Each year the salmon returned to their mother’s house in the Big Water. The people were happy and prospered.
As time went by the animals had multiplied and the people were able to hunt for food. But while Raven was away on a hunt, Bear broke the promise to Salmon Woman. He went up to the spawning beds to catch salmon thinking no one would ever know. But, as Bear touched each salmon, all of its kind rolled over and died and drifted down stream filling the river with dead salmon. Raven returned from the hunt, to great crying and wailing in the village. Salmon Woman was very angry and threatened to take all her children and leave.
Raven rushed up stream to the spawning beds and caught Bear just as he was reaching to catch the Steelhead. Raven took black-powder from his medicine pouch and threw it on his brother turning him into a black bear. He told him he could never return to the village or he would be killed for food and that he must walk on all fours and fish only in the spawning beds. This appeased Salmon Woman, but from that day forward to protect her children she only let one species of salmon in the river at a time. To this day the Steelhead is the only one who returns to the ocean after he spawns.
To honor Salmon Woman and remind the people to always respect and protect her children, Raven ordered that a big feast and ceremony be held each year in gratitude for her generous gift. The people of this land will always live in plenty and be happy as long as they protect the children of Salmon Woman.
[Produced by Echoes Bellingham, as part of the Easter Walk through downtown Bellingham on the Salmon Trail. We are grateful to the Coast Salish tribes who share this story and this land with us.] Views: 60 Category: "Pre Converted" HS+ English and Contemporary World Problems and Environmental Science YouTube URL: https://youtu.be/OOHIHXnUh2E Embed This Movie (Minimal Player - Recommended):