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 …
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 …
The Indian had no law books. He had the unwritten law. It worked. For instance a man accused of adultery was tried by members of the tribe and if found guilty, he was publicly flogged. If the crime was, repeated he was given a heavier dose and the third time banished. The methods of dealing …
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 …
About a mile above Hat Slough (To Toluqe) lived Ku-kwil Khaedib, a big man in councils, well known and respected among his people. From the To Toluque country to Toll Dachub (the Pilchuck) he and his family could fish, hunt and pick berries without interfering with any one’s else rights. His house (Alhal) was big …
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 …
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. …
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 …
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 …
From Skabalko at Arlington to Klatsko (Jim Creek) on the Achalitch (South Fork) was the home of the Achalitchamish (people). They hunted and fished over a lot of good country. The last well known man of this tribe was Stiabalth, son of Stadahahlt. At Klatsko at one time lived a woman who became the great, …
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 …
Up near Big Lake in Skagit county stand the big rocks. They can be seen from the highway. Have you experienced a strange feeling when you passed them? Well this is why. They are the soul thieves Jid-was the largest, Dsa-kokd-suk, the next in size, and a couple of smaller ones. These rocks, malicious and …
Shweetlai and Quaguilch Once goat was brown and deer was white. They both had much trouble avoiding their enemies, because brown goat on white snow could be so easily seen, also white deer in dark woods. One day they met and talked over a plan to make it better for both. Both all of a …
Along the river there was a camp where lived many birds. They lived on land and in the trees, and eat berries, bugs, and worms. Sometimes they talked about others who did not live as they did, and said things about them. About Kingfisher they said: “He is a careless bird, flying away from home …
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 …
Way up on the Skagit live two big mountains. Sometimes mountain Tyees get mad and makes a big fire. Once this happened with Kulshan; he got so mad over something that a big piece fell off and slid way down the mountain. This made a big fire and lots of noise. Kuishan and Shuksan became …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
