Washington

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 all the time. He surely can’t take care of his family.” One day- Kingfisher heard this and he stopped and said: “You only feed yourself; see, I bring home a fish every day for my wife and family, and never have trouble at home. That … 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

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 black all over. The waters in the rivers became black and warm. Fish came floating down the rivers cooked. Lots of Indians and animals fled from the upper Skagit and came to Kee-ke-alos and Stillaguamish. Next year most of them went back again. Since then … 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here and there may yet be found traces of old Indian camps. On a little tour of investigation in 1910, the writer looked over three old camp sites. The most interesting and easiest to find was the one at Mrs. Leque’s place a short distance east of Stanwood. This camp must have been used for a long time. There was a mound covering at least half an acre, and at some points as much as five feet higher than the level of the adjoining land. It seemed to be built up entirely of clamshells, rocks, bones and refuse. Some of … 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

So-Bahli-Ahli, Ska-Duloas and Qua-Hae-Eths Those of you who have traveled the Arlington-Darrington road, and in clear weather have looked up at the long ridge of Mt. Higgins, have surely seen the long parallel gashes running slantwise from the top of the ridge down to the rockslides. They are best seen from near Fortson. You may have wondered how it happened. Well here is how: So-bahli-ahli (White Horse Mt.) was once a women. She had come from east of the mountains. Near where she settled lived a man, Qua-hae-eths. She liked him. very much, and he became her man, and they … 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.

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