4. K’a`mtalal (Song Dance)
Song-Dance lived on one side of the river of Olachen-Place. His wife
was Sound-of-Waters, and his daughters were Woman-of-Supernatural-Powers
and Tide-of-the-World.
Song-Dance was driving piles for his salmon trap when a man came and
looked at him, and his pile driver fell into the water. Song-Dance
said “Hwip!” [Made the sound of the shaman] and his pile
driver floated back to the surface again.
It was K`aniki’lakw who caused the pile driver to fall into the
water. Twice he caused Song-Dance’s pile driver to fall into the
water; but Song-Dance only said “Hwip!” and the stone pile
driver floated back to the surface.
K`aniki’lakw said, “Who are you?” Song-Dance replied,
“I am Song-Dance, friend.” “ Oh, oh!” said
K`aniki’lakw. Then Song-Dance asked “Who are you,
friend?” And K`aniki’lakw answered, “I am K`aniki’lakw.”
Then Woman-of-supernatural-power knew K`aniki’lakw’s
intentions so she went to her house and caulked the holes in the
house of her father. She knew that K`aniki’lakw was going to
make a deluge.
Woman-of-supernatural-power and her younger sister Tide-of-the-World
finished calking the house. K`aniki’lakw said, “It is true
that you are a shaman, friend?” His face hardly showed from out
cedar bark head ring. “Give me some of your cedar bark,
Song-Dance” K`aniki’lakw, said asking for a piece of the
cedar bark head ring of Song-Dance. Song-Dance tore off a piece of
his cedar-bark and gave it to K`aniki’lakw.
K`aniki’lakw made the waters rise. Song Dance said
“Hwip!” when the waters were rising and they ceased at
once. “Behold, you have really supernatural power, friend.”
K`aniki’lakw said to Song Dance. Song-Dance sent his children
home. They left for home at once without their father.
As soon as they arrived at their house, K`aniki’lakw, caused the
deluge. Song Dance died and Made-to-fly took the place of his father.
When the waters receded Made-to-fly looked at the river and saw the
Olachen. He did not know what kind of fish it was.
He went home with his sisters and said to his mother, “What is
swimming in this river? It is like worms.” – “It is
Olachen. They are fat. Only put driftwood our from the bank for your
trap, and sting them on grass, and make oil from their fat.”
Said his mother, Sound-of-Waters.
When he looked at the river again he saw a canoe paddling up the
fiord. It came to the place on the beach where Made-to-fly was
sitting. Unrivalled spoke, “What are you doing at my river”
he asked Made-to-fly. Who replied, “Is it your river? What kind
(of salmon) goes up this river?” Unrivalled answered, “this
goes up my river, steel head, spring, silver, dog, humpback salmon,
and trout, that is all.” Made-to-fly said, “Is that all
that goes up your river?” Unrivalled replied, “That is all.”
Made-to-fly said, “Olachen goes up my river here.” “Oh,
I forgot that,” said Unrivalled. “Go ashore, that I may
pull this infant into my canoe.” “You stay here and sit on
this rock,” said Made-to-fly to his sisters. Then Made-to-fly
was taken into the canoe and tied there. Then Unrivalled paddled away
with Made-to-fly as his slave.
He arrived at First-Sight-of-the-Head-of-the-Inlet. Made-to-fly moved
in the canoe and began to fly. In vain they tried to catch him with
their paddles. Made-to-fly flew home to Olachen Place. Unrivalled
paddled, and came to Ka’ketan.
He saw the Thunderbird sitting on a rock there. Unrivalled landed
right under him. He did not go out of the canoe. His canoe only
stayed on the beach. Thunderbird sent Weather-Maker to go and listen
(to what they had said). The one he sent left immediately and heard
Unrivalled say, “I thought he was really always cause hail.”
Then Weather-Maker ran to tell the Thunderbird of what he had heard.
Thunderbird arose, entered his house, and put on his thunderbird
garment. He came out of his house. Then it began to lighten and
thunder. It was hailstorm, and the gale blew up Olachen place.
Unrivalled was blown up to Olachen-Place, and therefore the
Ligwilda’xw own Olachen place. That is the end.
Source: Adapted from F. Boaz by William Wasden Jr
