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The book is a collection of legends and stories from the Squamish Indian tribe and other Native American tribes. The stories are rooted in the culture and traditions of the tribes and often feature supernatural elements, such as transformations, magic, and spirits. The legends are used to teach moral lessons, explain natural phenomena, and honor the bravery and selflessness of ancestors. The book includes stories about the creation of landmarks, the power of nature, and the importance of kindness, generosity, and respect for tradition. Some of the stories are allegorical, using mythical creatures and events to convey messages about the dangers of greed, the importance of family, and the need to balance individual desires with the greater good. The book also touches on the history of the tribes, including their interactions with European colonizers and the impact of these interactions on their culture and way of life. Overall, the book is a tribute to the rich cultural heritage of the Squamish Indian tribe and other Native American communities, and it offers a unique glimpse into their traditions, values, and beliefs.
The chapter tells the story of "The Siwash Rock," a legendary rock formation located at the entrance to the Narrows in Vancouver. According to the legend, the rock was once a handsome young chief who was transformed into stone by the Sagalie Tyee, the Coast Indian deity, as a reward for his bravery and selflessness. The chief had been swimming in the waters to purify himself before the birth of his child, and he defied the Sagalie Tyee's messengers, who were trying to stop him. The Sagalie Tyee was impressed by the chief's determination to ensure the cleanliness and purity of his child, and he transformed him into a stone monument as a symbol of "clean fatherhood." The legend also tells the story of the chief's wife and child, who were also turned into stone and can be found near Siwash Rock. The story is a testament to the importance of purity and selflessness in Coast Indian culture.
The chapter tells the story of "The Recluse," a legendary figure from Squamish Indian lore. According to the legend, a great chief had twin children, which was considered a sign of coming evil to the father and the tribe. To prevent this evil, the chief was advised to go into solitude for ten years, leaving behind his family and tribe. During this time, he built a lodge by the Capilano River and lived off the land, hunting and gathering food. After ten years, he was reunited with his twin sons, who had grown up without him. The story is a testament to the importance of self-sacrifice and the belief in the power of isolation to overcome evil. The legend also highlights the Squamish Indian values of bravery, strength, and the willingness to suffer for the greater good.
The chapter tells the story of "The Lost Salmon-run," a legend from the Squamish Indian tribe. The story takes place in a time when the world was young and the Fraser River was small. The wife of the Great Tyee, a powerful chief, promises to give him a great gift before the salmon run. She asks him if he wants a boy or girl child, and he chooses a girl child, saying that she may grow up to be like her mother and give him grandchildren. However, the tribespeople are angry and want a boy child to be their future Great Tyee. They choose to have a boy child, but this choice comes with a cost: the salmon run is lost, and the people suffer from hunger and starvation. The Great Tyee is sad and warns the people that they will regret their decision. The legend explains that the Squamish tribe has always welcomed girl children since then, as they bring abundance and prosperity. The story is told by a klootchman, an old Squamish woman, who is glad that her grandchild is a girl, believing that it will bring a big salmon run the next year.
The chapter tells the story of "The Deep Waters," a Squamish legend about a great flood that covered the world. According to the legend, the flood was caused by weeks of constant rain, which swelled the mountain streams and rivers, and eventually, the sea began to rise. The Indian tribes gathered in one spot, a place of safety far above the reach of the on-creeping sea, and decided to build a giant canoe to save themselves. The men worked on the canoe, while the women created a massive cable to anchor it. As the floodwaters rose, the tribespeople placed all the children in the canoe, along with a brave young man and a young mother, and set it afloat. The canoe rode safely at anchor, and when the waters receded, the young man steered it towards the summit of Mount Baker, where they made a new camp and repeopled the earth. The legend also mentions that the outline of the enormous canoe can still be seen in a gigantic crevice on Mount Baker.
The chapter tells the story of "The Sea-Serpent," a legend from the Squamish Indian tribe. The story begins with the arrival of gold-hunters in the area, who brought with them greed, murder, and starvation. The tribe's young men returned from guiding the gold-hunters, bringing tales of greed and murder, and the old people and women warned of evil to come. One young man, Shak-shak, returned with hoards of gold and refused to share it with his tribe, leading to his transformation into a sea-serpent by the Sagalie Tyee. The serpent blocked the entrance to the Narrows, and the tribe's chiefs and medicine-men tried to remove it but failed. A young boy, Tenas Tyee, volunteered to kill the serpent and was given four days to prepare. He swam daily, searching for the serpent's heart, and eventually found it after four years. The serpent died, and its body shrunk and sank to the ocean floor. The Tenas Tyee had overcome the trail of the serpent, and the waters became clear and blue once again. The story is an allegory, teaching that greed is evil and must be killed by cleanliness and generosity.
The chapter tells the story of "The Lost Island," a legend from the Squamish Indian tribe. According to the legend, a great medicine-man had a dream that a great city would be built between two narrow strips of salt water, and the Indians would learn the ways of the white man and become like them. The medicine-man was troubled by this dream and wanted to hide his strength, courage, and fearlessness so that the white man would not find them. He paddled up the North Arm and came to an island with misty shores and tall pines and firs on its summit. As he approached the island, he felt his strength, courage, and fearlessness leaving him, and he paddled back to the Indian village, telling them to search for the island where they would find his courage, bravery, and strength living forever. The island was never found, and the medicine-man died soon after. The legend says that the island is still out there, and when it is found, the Indians will regain their courage and bravery. The story is told by an old Squamish chief, who has spent his life searching for the island and has only seen its shadow twice. He believes that the island is hidden somewhere in the North Arm, and he will continue to search for it until he dies.
The chapter tells the story of "Point Grey," a legend from the Squamish Indian tribe. The story begins with the introduction of a young Squamish tillicum who offers to take the narrator to Point Grey in a sailboat and show them a big rock at the southwest of the point, known as Homolsom. The tillicum explains that the rock is special because the waters that wash up against it are straight from the sea and unspoiled by human hands. According to the legend, Homolsom Rock was once a Great Tyee who ruled over a mighty tract of waters and was known for his cruelty and hardness of heart. The Sagalie Tyee, the Coast Indian deity, transformed the Tyee into stone, and he now stands at Point Grey, rising only as men wish him to. The rock is said to have the power to fill the sails of a fisherman's craft and blow it free in whatever direction they desire, as long as they touch the rock with their paddle-blade. The tillicum believes in the story and claims to have tested the rock's power himself, finding it to be effective. The legend highlights the importance of kindness and the power of nature in the Squamish culture.
The chapter tells the story of "The Tulameen Trail," a legend from the Nicola Valley in British Columbia. The story revolves around a young Tulameen brave who falls in love with the daughter of his enemy, a powerful chief. The brave demands the girl's hand in marriage as a condition of his victory, but the chief refuses. The brave and the girl eventually escape together, but she is killed by her brothers' arrows. The brave avenges her death and then leaves his tribe to wander the north, saying "my heart lies dead in the Tulameen River." The spirit of the girl is said to still sing through the canyon, her song blending with the music of the river. The legend is a testament to the enduring power of love and the beauty of the natural world.
The chapter tells the story of "The Grey Archway," a legend from the Haida tribe. The story revolves around a young woman named Yaada, who is the most desired maiden in the islands. Two men, a great medicine-man and a young fisherman named Ulka, both want to marry her. The tribe's laws dictate that she should be given to the most powerful and richest man, but Yaada's mother wants her to choose the best man, the one with the most excellent heart. Yaada proposes a trial to determine which man is most worthy, where each suitor must throw a stone with a purpose in their heart. The medicine-man uses his magic to make his stone shatter the rock, but Ulka's stone is waylaid by the medicine-man's evil magic, and it kills Yaada's mother. Yaada is devastated and eventually plunges into the sea with Ulka, where they become two silvery fish, seeking the soul of Yaada's mother. The legend is told by an old tillicum, who explains that the story is one of mothers, magic, witchcraft, warriors, and love. The "Grey Archway" is a natural rock formation that was created when the medicine-man's stone shattered the rock, and it remains open to this day, a testament to the power of magic and the enduring love of Yaada and Ulka.
The chapter tells the story of "Deadman's Island," a legendary place in the eyes of the Squamish Indian tribe. According to the legend, the island was once a site of fierce battles between warring tribes from the north and south. The warriors from the north were known for their bravery and strength, while those from the south were cunning and strategic. The battles raged on for months, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Eventually, the northern warriors offered to sacrifice themselves in exchange for the safe release of their captive women, children, and elderly. The southern warriors agreed, and the northern warriors willingly gave their lives. As a result, the island was said to be haunted by the spirits of the dead warriors, and a beautiful flower, the fire-flower, grew on the island, symbolizing the bravery and sacrifice of the northern warriors. The legend is still told today, and the island remains a place of reverence and respect for the Squamish people.
The chapter tells the story of "A Squamish Legend of Napoleon," which revolves around the idea that a Squamish Indian tribe possessed a powerful talisman, a joint from the vertebra of a sea-serpent, that brought victory to its possessor. The tribe's warriors had carried this talisman for generations, and it was said to have been responsible for their numerous conquests. When the last male member of the tribe died, the women decided to send the talisman to Napoleon Bonaparte, who was fighting against the world at the time. Two French sailors, who were captives on a Russian sealing vessel, agreed to carry the talisman back to France and give it to Napoleon. The talisman was said to have worked its magic, and Napoleon's career was marked by vast victories until he lost the charm before the Battle of Waterloo. The Squamish people believed that if Napoleon had not lost the talisman, he would have won the battle and become the master of the world.
The chapter tells the story of "The Lure in Stanley Park," a legend from the Coast Indian tribe. According to the legend, a witch-woman with a evil heart was transformed into a stone by the Sagalie Tyee, a Coast Indian deity, and placed in the center of Stanley Park. The stone, which is said to have a powerful lure, is believed to have the ability to trap anyone who encounters it, causing them to circle around it endlessly. The legend also tells the story of how the Sagalie Tyee created the "Cathedral Trees" in the park, a group of tall trees that are said to harbor the souls of kind and benevolent people, as a way to counteract the evil of the witch-woman's stone. The story is a testament to the Coast Indian tribe's belief in the power of kindness and the importance of rewarding good deeds. Additionally, the chapter includes two other stories, "Deer Lake" and "A Royal Mohawk Chief", which tell the tale of the first Capilano's search for a lost elk-bone spear and the story of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, being made a chief of the Six Nations Indians, respectively.
The chapter tells two separate stories, "The Lure in Stanley Park" and "Deer Lake". The first story revolves around a legendary "lure" in Stanley Park, which is said to be an evil soul embodied in a bare, white stone. According to the legend, this soul once animated the body of a witch-woman who cast evil spells on innocent people. The Sagalie Tyee, a Coast Indian deity, transformed her into a stone and imprisoned her spirit, but the stone is said to have a powerful lure that can trap anyone who encounters it. The story also tells of the "Cathedral Trees" in the park, which are said to harbor the souls of kind and benevolent people. The second story, "Deer Lake", tells the tale of the first Chief Capilano, who lost his precious elk-bone spear while hunting a giant seal. The spear was eventually recovered in a lake surrounded by forest fires, where Capilano also discovered a massive colony of beavers migrating to a new home. The story showcases Capilano's skill as a hunter and his connection to the natural world. Additionally, the chapter includes a third story, "A Royal Mohawk Chief", which recounts how Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, was made a chief of the Six Nations Indians in a ceremony that conferred upon him the name "Kavakoudge", meaning "the sun flying from East to West under the guidance of the Great Spirit".
The chapter tells three separate stories: "The Lure in Stanley Park", "Deer Lake", and "A Royal Mohawk Chief". The first story, "The Lure in Stanley Park", is a legend from the Coast Indian tribe about a witch-woman who was transformed into a stone by the Sagalie Tyee, a Coast Indian deity, and placed in the center of Stanley Park. The stone is said to have a powerful lure that can trap anyone who encounters it, causing them to circle around it endlessly. The story also tells of the "Cathedral Trees" in the park, which are said to harbor the souls of kind and benevolent people. The second story, "Deer Lake", tells the tale of the first Chief Capilano, who lost his precious elk-bone spear while hunting a giant seal. The spear was eventually recovered in a lake surrounded by forest fires, where Capilano also discovered a massive colony of beavers migrating to a new home. The third story, "A Royal Mohawk Chief", recounts how Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, was made a chief of the Six Nations Indians in a ceremony that conferred upon him the name "Kavakoudge", meaning "the sun flying from East to West under the guidance of the Great Spirit". The story highlights the respect and honor that the British monarchy has for native customs and traditions.