Indian Stories and Legends of the Stillaguamish

Tsahlbilt, the stronghouse keeper, was a respected man-big, strong and wise. All the Indians between Kee-kee-alos (the delta of the Skagit) Chigos (the highlands of Camano), Quadsak (the lowlands around Stanwood), Splaidid (Warm Beach) and the Upper Stoluckquamislr, knew him. He had good medicine to keep raiders away. At the junction of a slough with the river, just east of the present town of Stanwood, was built the stronghouse-big logs for walls and long, thick slabs for roof. Around the house was a deep trench with a lot of sharp pointed stakes in the bottom. Over this trench was laid … Read more

Stilpakad and Hoh-Te-Kogds Along the rivers and little creeks lives a small bird that jumps up and down all the time. He lives on bugs and little worms in the water. He can dive and swim and seldom goes away from along the water. When he sees other birds on the land and in the trees along the streams he talks very much. One time he made a long talk to Stilpakad, the wren, saying: “You land birds don’t know very much, you are afraid of the water. I am both wise and strong; suppose you wrestle with me.” Wren … Read more

Down at Utsalady the Indians found a stone that was the very best for sharpening their cutting instruments. Axes, chisels, knives and scrapers of hard rock, bone and horn could be made very sharp if rubbed on this stone. Flat pieces of this stone were found all around the old Indian camps. Most of these were used up. At one time the rock where these stones were chipped off was as big as a big house. Now it is as low as low tide and has been that way a long time.

Old time Indians once found a big lake way back in the mountains. In this lake was a small island. In this island was a big hole. At regular intervals lots of water bubbled out of the hole. This water tasted salt, just like the whulge. Suddenly the water would stop, then the waters of the lake would begin running into the hole faster and faster and the lake would get low just like low tide. Those who saw this lake said: Maybe this is where the tides in the whulge are made. This hole where the waters go in … Read more

He who gets the spirit of the Thunder may be almost immune to death by knife or spear wounds. Spul-kaedib when young got the tamano1is of Thunder. He had 17 knife wounds and survived them all. Once when down at Skabalko he and his brother got into an argument with some people which ended in a little battle. The brother got out of it unscathed but Spul-kaedib was badly cut up. His brother got him into a canoe and poled up the river. For several hours he poled and Spul-kaedib, who was lying in the bottom of the canoe, was … Read more

All over Skagit and parts of Whatcom and Snohomish counties, the Indians used at times to be greatly worried about a mysterious tribe of wild Indians, who lived way up in the mountains back of Mt. Baker. Nobody had ever seen their homes. They traveled all over the country by night and lived by thievery. They knew everything about the other tribes. Those who offered resistance to them they would pester and harass at every opportunity. Many Indians were very careful when traveling at night for fear of the Steet-athls. Their tracks were sometimes seen in the snow. One way … Read more

Across the river from Trafton, a short distance below the bridge, stood the Stolouckquamish Longhouse, 30 paces long acid 6 wide, a door in the middle of the front side. From fireplaces inside pictures were painted on the walls. One part of the roof overlapped the other at the top so smoke could leak out but rain could not come in. The walls were made of long, finely hewn boards nailed to heavy studdings. Along the walls all around the room was a row of wide benches also used as beds. A well-built and fine Longhouse, said those who saw … Read more

After years of training from boyhood up the Indian youth at the age of 18 or 20 went out to seek his guiding spirit or tamanois. He would go into the hills and fast for three or more days, when he would be bodily clean and in the proper state of mind and body for the tamanois to enter. The youth might wish for skill in hunting, shrewdness and luck in gambling, protection against fire, death from knife wounds etc., but the greatest was to be either big man in councils or good tamanois doctor. With some tribes the youth … Read more

No more are the graveyards of the Indian,. With the coming of the white settlers they disappeared. When Indians died they went to a far country where the good things of life were more abundant–especially good hunting. They left their bodies here, and these were put into a canoe. By the body was laid some of their personal belongings, weapons and packstraps–things they might need on the journey. Members of the tribe would take them to the graveyard. The canoe was dragged ashore, hoisted up among the trees, and tied to limbs, there to hang in a horizontal position. During … Read more

S’beau (The Fox) and Su-Adu (The Salmon) Spose you like to hear something about fish. Yes, Indian all over this whulge (Sound) country, he know much about fish. Some way this river people all over. S’Beau, hees best friend for Su-adu; he make bargain with salmon this way: He run up rivers and creeks all the time and look for place salmon can stay when he lay eggs. When salmon come up S’Beau he maybe see salmon run in bad place where he will get struck and die if water go down. S’Beau he run out and chase salmon and … Read more

One time, long ago, the waters in the whulge came up high, and flooded all the country way up into the mountains. First a big black Thunderbird flew over the country and made much noise, then it beget to rain. It rained and rained. The water came up and up, and when it stopped there were only some high hills and mountains sticking out. After a ‘long time it went down again. You can see sometimes now clamshells high up in the hills, and some places up in the mountains white logs lying just like on the beach. They were … Read more

Legend Telling How Indians Obtained Fire Long time ago Indian, hee’s got trouble all the time; hee’s got no fire to cook meat and make warm. Spose you like to hear how Indian got some fire? This time, long time ago, animal just same way like man. He talk, everybody understand. Fur and skin he put on and take off just like coat. Same way everybody-animals, birds and fish. Well, this time everybody talk all the time bout fire. He say: This way we make cook and warm, hee’s no good. First we put stuff in basket and then all … Read more

First among the big creeks was Toli-Dachub (the Pilchuck). Here was game in abundance. The Staku-Hatchu (beaver marsh or lake) near the mouth, elk, deer and bear from the mouth to the headwaters. Next Klee-ekub, the Deer creek at Oso, the home of Kae-owah, a family of steelhead. Near the mouth of Deer creek was a permanent Indian camp. The families who lived there had another camp near Hazel. Then further up the river was Kal-ub (the Boulder) the long creek that comes all the way from Queest-Alb (Three Finger mountain)-up where Sweet-lai family lives. Further up the river was … Read more

On the Pilchuck lived and worked part of `he year the Canoe-maker. He did not make canoes alone. Handling the big logs took more than one man. But he had a good eye for the best trees and for the shaping of the canoes. When a good tree had been selected, the fillers commenced their work. Their tools were chisel and hammer. Their best chisel was a tool about 8 or 10 inches long and one-half to two inches wide, made of bone or elkhorn, and called queahad. Striking the end of the handle with the hammer (skaat-scheed with long … Read more

On the Suiathl lived a small but strong tribe. Their last chief was Wah-Wihlkd. These poeple were strong and great hunters, traveling much up in the high country, in summer and fall. There they killed goats, bear and deer, cured and prepared Skabiatch (dried venison), picked Soudahk (huckleberries) and El-el-bihk (blueberries), dried them and brought down to their homes–supplies for the long winter. In the late fall and winter they trapped or snared Shweetlai (the mountain goat), for its meat and hide and long hair; of this hair they made twine and yarn. From the yarn they made the wonderful … Read more

So-Obdi (The Great Hunter) and Tu-Shwi-Whi, The Lesser Yes, this man So-obdi, he’s called that name by his mother maybe, when he’s little boy. She like to see him make big hunter. Maybe first he’s just good hunter (Tu-shwi-whi) like other Indian, and then sometime he make big hunt, kill Grizzly (Tep-taable). Then other Indian call him So-obdi. Well this boy all the time quick learn to shoot bow and arrow, throw spear, run and travel long time. He run with dogs, he run with man. He learn to jump quick, this way, that way. Maybe hee’s got to jump … Read more

Wolf and Dog In the time before the white settlers came, the Indians did not have the kind of dog they have now. They had Shle-kah, a gray-brown collie-like dog with long hair. No one seems to know where this dog came from. Some say he came from the far north. But a story is told by others. Wolf and Coyote used to live together; Wolfe was head of the family. When food was scarce Coyote was sent to the Indian camps to pick up bones and scraps, and bring them home for food. This worked well for a while, … Read more

From Toll Dachib to Skabalko, the junction of the rivers at Arlington, were several temporary camps. Skabalko was known far and wide. Sauks traveling to the Sound and back, Snohobish coming down the South fork, parties coming up river to dig for roots, spaykoolitz and leek at Ba-quab (Kent’s Prairie) nearly always stopped there and camped. At Bah-quab lived an old man and woman about 50 years ago. They seldom left their home, but kept watch over the Prairie, dug roots and gave to travelers in exchange for fish and venison. From Ba-quab there was a trail to Kellogg Marsh, … Read more

Perhaps you would like to hear who first told the story about the fire war. It was Shla-ahk (the Otter). For a long time the people did not know just how they had gotten the first fire. Many stories were told mostly by S’beau, how he had gotten it for them. But they had a suspicion that Otter, the quiet and mysterious, knew. They asked him to tell. He put them off with excuses, but at last said. “If some one will cut my mouth open wider, I will tell.” So they took a sharp stone knife and cut Otter’s … Read more

Sauk Prairie Legend and History At one time Sauk Prairie was a big marshland and belonged to the Beavers. Indian tribes used to send out scouts to locate hunting, fishing and camping grounds. One of these scouts found what is now Sauk Prairie. In and around the marsh were many plants with edible roots, many kinds of berries, also much small game and birds. The scout had a vision of a great summer camp for his tribe. He wanted to secure the marsh for them and began dickering with the Beavers. ‘They agreed to part with it for some pieces … Read more