Origin of the Chilkat Blanket:
Animal people separated into tribes. Take off their animal skins and become people. Women traveling together and one falls into the footprints of a bear. Got startled and got left behind. She was being followed by a young man who asked for her hand in marriage. She said yes? Lover was of the bear tribe. Wants to leave but is kept against her will. Spirit killed the bear for her, and she married the sea spirit. Once again became unhappy. Was permitted to go back to earth with her son at the cost of a woven blanket. Raven taught the others how to weave.
Animal people separated into tribes. Take off their animal skins and become people. Women traveling together and one falls into the footprints of a bear. Got startled and got left behind. She was being followed by a young man who asked for her hand in marriage. She said yes? Lover was of the bear tribe. Wants to leave but is kept against her will. Spirit killed the bear for her, and she married the sea spirit. Once again became unhappy. Was permitted to go back to earth with her son at the cost of a woven blanket. Raven taught the others how to weave.
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| Image Information: Sly fox. Source: Flickr |
Two men fighting over a single woman. One got her and the other tried to steal her away. They both puller her so hard in two directions that she was ripped in two pieces. Both men took their half and carved the other half out of wood—and such there were two women now. Women of north skillful with their hands, women of the south good dancers.
Origin of the Winds:
Couple with no children. Carved a boy doll from the wood of a piece of a tree. Wife made it clothes. Gave it dishes. Fed and watered it. Doll came alive and left them. Walked until he came to the edge of the earth—where it meets the sky. Cut a hole in the world. Another world lay behind it. Did this again and again in different areas of the world. Created the climates. Then he went home.
Couple with no children. Carved a boy doll from the wood of a piece of a tree. Wife made it clothes. Gave it dishes. Fed and watered it. Doll came alive and left them. Walked until he came to the edge of the earth—where it meets the sky. Cut a hole in the world. Another world lay behind it. Did this again and again in different areas of the world. Created the climates. Then he went home.
The Land of the Dead:
Death and sleep different? Do not sleep. You are dead. Some larger entity called The Grandfather. Led the poor dead/asleep girl to her grandmother. The last person who you think of before death hurries away to show the road to the new shade. All thoughts are heard in the shade.
Death and sleep different? Do not sleep. You are dead. Some larger entity called The Grandfather. Led the poor dead/asleep girl to her grandmother. The last person who you think of before death hurries away to show the road to the new shade. All thoughts are heard in the shade.
The Ghost Land:
Another young woman died. Too sad to sleep. Walked the death trail. Eating something in dreamland means you can never go back to the real world. Wife tells him not to stay long. She came back with him but only as a shadow. Eventually he died and they went to the dream world together.
Another young woman died. Too sad to sleep. Walked the death trail. Eating something in dreamland means you can never go back to the real world. Wife tells him not to stay long. She came back with him but only as a shadow. Eventually he died and they went to the dream world together.
The Lost Light:
Sun disappeared while people were dancing. Too dark for people to take care of themselves. Men told the women to make them many clothes for a long journey. Found out there is a lady far away who is keeping both the sun and the moon in her house. Got the sun back as well as the warmth back to the world.
Sun disappeared while people were dancing. Too dark for people to take care of themselves. Men told the women to make them many clothes for a long journey. Found out there is a lady far away who is keeping both the sun and the moon in her house. Got the sun back as well as the warmth back to the world.
The Boy in the Moon:
Lazy boy who fell in love with a girl. Girl found a ladder into the sky. Boy followed after her. She became the sun and the boy became the moon. The moon is always too far behind the sun.
Lazy boy who fell in love with a girl. Girl found a ladder into the sky. Boy followed after her. She became the sun and the boy became the moon. The moon is always too far behind the sun.
Cradle Song:
Sounds like a song a mother would sing to her child before bedtime. Mixes the history and cultural stories with sounds of love. And the father comes safely home bearing sustenance.
Sounds like a song a mother would sing to her child before bedtime. Mixes the history and cultural stories with sounds of love. And the father comes safely home bearing sustenance.
The Wolves and the Deer:
Wolves feasted on the deer chiefs. Deer revealed themselves to not have any teeth and the wolves took advantage of that fact and ate them. And that is why deer are afraid of wolves.
Wolves feasted on the deer chiefs. Deer revealed themselves to not have any teeth and the wolves took advantage of that fact and ate them. And that is why deer are afraid of wolves.
The Last of the Thunderbirds:
Only two left. Lived together in a nest hidden away. Hunter killed a nest full of young thunderbirds.
Only two left. Lived together in a nest hidden away. Hunter killed a nest full of young thunderbirds.
Origin of the Killer Whale Crest:
Man abandoned in the sea. Whittled himself two whales out of bark. Tried to make the whales have spirit. Kept turning back into wood before they could help him. Killed his brother in laws by controlling the whales. That was the first and last time the killer whales killed and became canoe spirits.
Man abandoned in the sea. Whittled himself two whales out of bark. Tried to make the whales have spirit. Kept turning back into wood before they could help him. Killed his brother in laws by controlling the whales. That was the first and last time the killer whales killed and became canoe spirits.
The Discontented Grass Plant:
Women weave grass into baskets. The grass has feelings and does not wish to become a basket. He saw that herbs lived a peaceful life and wished to be one. Lived peacefully until one day women came to dig up herbs. Grass was frightened again and wished to be a creeping plant. He became it and all was fine until the women came back for creeping plant. Kept changing what he was because he was afraid. Eventually became a man. Lived many days, but was lonely. Met his brother, fought and permanently became a wolverine and never was with man again.
Women weave grass into baskets. The grass has feelings and does not wish to become a basket. He saw that herbs lived a peaceful life and wished to be one. Lived peacefully until one day women came to dig up herbs. Grass was frightened again and wished to be a creeping plant. He became it and all was fine until the women came back for creeping plant. Kept changing what he was because he was afraid. Eventually became a man. Lived many days, but was lonely. Met his brother, fought and permanently became a wolverine and never was with man again.
Tricks of the Fox:
Fox strong arms an eagle to sacrifice her young for the safety of the others. Eagle becomes enraged that the fox tricked him. Captured the fox and left him alone on an island. Met lots of sea animals. Used his cunning to get back to shore. (Counting all the animals in the sea)
Fox strong arms an eagle to sacrifice her young for the safety of the others. Eagle becomes enraged that the fox tricked him. Captured the fox and left him alone on an island. Met lots of sea animals. Used his cunning to get back to shore. (Counting all the animals in the sea)
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