Texts of the North American Indian

Writings of E.S. Curtis
Excerpts from "The North American Indian" Set #254, Vol. 8

THE KILLING OF CHINOOK SALMON

Hearing a rumor that the Wolves and Skunk were going to kill Chinook Salmon, Coyote joined them and took part in the killing. Then he went to live with Skunk, and the Wolves took Salmon's wife, Dove. Soon it began to rain, and the water rose over the rocks on which Salmon had been cut open, and a single egg, which the assassins had neglected to destroy, was washed down into the river. The small fish soon born of it grew in a few years into a very large male Chinook Salmon. Hearing the story of his father's death, and desiring revenge, he began to practice shooting, swimming, and leaping. When he was full grown he ascended the river to the place where the murder had been committed. In the village there he heard the full story of the affair: how the Wolves, Coyote, and Skunk had killed his father; how the Wolves had taken his father's bow and arrows. So he continued his journey up the river.

Coyote and Skunk were living in a great pit, lighted by a small hole in the roof. Knowing their guilt, they lived in constant fear, and every time anything flew over and caused a shadow to fall on the floor they would cease singing, and say to each other, "That is the son of Chinook Salmon!" After a while they would reassure themselves that Salmon would never travel so far to find his father's murderers. Every night Skunk would sing: "Five years before I shall be seen, because I killed the great Chinook Salmon." Eventually the young Salmon did arrive at the pit. He spoke roughly to them: "Where is my father's bow?" "My grandchild," said Coyote softly, "I am a relation of yours, and I could not tell you where that bow is. If I knew, I would tell you." "What do you know?" Salmon asked Skunk. "I too am related to you, brother. Probably you heard us crying when you came. We have been crying for five years because your father was killed." "That is not what I asked you," said Salmon. "Give me my father's bow!" Coyote was really frightened at this great person with the rough voice, and he ran quickly to the side of the pit and took out a bow, which he handed to Salmon. The latter attempted to string the bow, and the weapon broke. He took the pieces and struck Coyote on the head, crying, "Bring me my father's bow!" Another bow was given him, but this also was broken, as were a third and a fourth. But the fifth bow was different from the others: Salmon pulled with all his strength and it did not break. "This is my father's bow," he said, and he slung the quiver over his shoulder. He took Skunk by the tail and threw him out of the pit toward the river, then he treated Coyote in the same fashion.

As he came out of the pit he heard a woman's voice, softly wailing, "Oh, my husband!" He went in the direction whence the voice seemed to come, and as he entered the house which he found there the woman turned to look. The stranger resembled her dead husband, and she thought it must be some relation of his. Salmon sat down. She told him: "This house is owned by five Wolves, who will be home soon." "Yes, I know," he replied. He sat a while longer, and she said to him, "Come back here and wait." He turned himself into an old man, and Dove partially covered him with blankets. He was small and thin, like a withered old man. Soon a Wolf came in. "I smell fish," he said. He ran swiftly about and stepped on Salmon, and the woman warned him to be careful and not tread on her old father, who had come to visit her. So Wolf, finding nothing, became quiet. A second Wolf came, and a third, and a fourth, each one insisting that he smelled fish. The fifth one made the most trouble of all, and it was long before the woman succeeded in quieting him. The old man pretended to be half blind, but he looked at the Wolves closely, as he wished to be able to recognize them later. He remained there all night.

The wolves asked if he knew how to make arrows, and he replied, "Not very well." "Do not say that," said Dove; "make them some arrows for hunting." "Then let them cut sticks and bring them in, as many as they wish," he responded. "Whatever they use for points, they may leave here, and I will point them. If they use poison, let them leave some of that also." He thought to himself: "Now I will have an opportunity to pick out some good arrows with which to kill them, and I will use strong poison on them." Next day he began making arrows, and for himself he kept out the five best. At night, before the Wolves went to sleep, the woman gave them the arrows. Early in the morning they went out to hunt deer, and in a little while Salmon went outside, looked up at the sun, and begged it to become very hot. Small creeks quickly dried up in the heat, and Salmon went into the mountains, where he made a fine spring of water, which could be seen from every direction. All other springs and streams became dry. Close beside the spring was a cool grove, in which Salmon sat down to wait.

About noon one of the Wolves, the eldest, came toward the spring, and as he started to drink, Salmon prayed that the spring might sink, so that Wolf would have to lower his head. When Wolf's head was down out of sight, Salmon shot him through the heart, and quickly threw the body out of sight in the brush. Soon another Wolf was seen coming, and in response to Salmon's wish that this one might come to drink, he also came and was shot. The third and the fourth were killed in the same manner, and when the fifth and youngest came, Salmon was very anxious to kill this last one, so that the family might be exterminated. The Wolf came close to the spring, and Salmon wished that the water might rise in plain sight. It did so, but Wolf leaped across to the other side to drink, and though Salmon made a wish that he might return to the near side, he did not. Wolf seemed to feel that something was wrong, for he did not drink, but began to howl, and Salmon became convinced that he would not be able to kill the last one. Wolf ran away, and was soon far off in the woods, howling as he ran. From this one came the wolves of the present.

Salmon put up his bow and started back to the house, and Dove accompanied him on his return down the river. After a while he told her to lie down on her back. She did so, and he stepped on her abdomen, and five small wolves came out of her. These he killed in a fire. The two went on to the place where he had landed in his canoe on the way up the river. He lay down in the bow, and the woman was in the stern, and so they drifted down-stream, sometimes assisted by the woman's paddling. After a while she came to the bow and lay down beside him, but he was sleepy and did not wish to be disturbed. "You Wolf-wife," he said, "I did not think you would disturb me. Give me that paddle!" Just then they were passing some high rocks. He brought the canoe close to the shore and thrust his paddle into the rock, making a round hole half way up the cliff, which can still be seen there. Then he placed the Dove woman on the end of the paddle, pushed her into the cave, and went on alone.

Two Ravens, both males, were living together. Continually they were flying up and down the river to see what they could pick up. After Salmon began to live near them they would tell him what they had seen along the stream. But one day they had nothing to tell them; in fact they did not even come to see him at all. So he went to their home, and from a little distance he heard their voices. "I will take half of the body, half of the face, eyes, and ears, and one arm and leg," one of them said. "No, I do not agree to divide that way," the other replied. "I will take both eyes, her breasts, and hips." Salmon stood outside listening. He entered, and asked, "What is the trouble?" "Nothing; we were just talking," they both assured him. He perceived that they did not wish to tell him. "You seemed to be speaking about something important," he insisted; "tell me about it." So the Raven who thought that he was not being treated fairly began to tell. "We found a person the other day, a woman. She was very thin, so that nobody could tell who she was, and by this time she is probably dead." "Do not kill that woman, my friends," said Salmon. "I am going to try you two: I am going to have you carry a stone, not a large one." He made the Ravens put their wings together, and he laid a small stone on them, and they flew into the air, croaking proudly. They came down and Salmon put on a larger stone, and so the trial continued, five times in all, until there was a large stone on their wings. When they showed that they could carry that, Salmon said. "Very well! You will be able to carry the woman. Handle her carefully, and do not try to frighten her by going too high. Bring her just as you find her." Salmon was recognized as a powerful person, and was obeyed. "We will not go now, for it is late," said the Ravens, "but we will go in the early morning and get back about sunset." Salmon consented.

The next day before sunrise the Ravens started and came to the place where they had found the woman. They placed their wings together, and the woman lay on them, face downward. Toward evening Salmon heard the voices of the Ravens, and he knew the birds were coming. Soon they descended with the woman. "Here is the woman we have found," they said. Salmon recognized her at once. "This is the woman I left above here in the hole in the rock," he said. She did not look much like her former self. He commanded her to lie down on the ground on her face and then he poured salmon oil on her body five times, each time stepping on her body from head to feet. By the fifth time she had long, black, glossy hair, plump limbs, and clear skin.

EDWARD S. CURTIS