4. Tsadzis'nukame' (New Vancouver)
Before the time of the great flood, the Da’naxda’xw of
Dzawadi knew that it would happen and began to prepare for it. Some
of the people tied four canoes together and put their provisions in
these. Dzawadalalis built a house of small poles, which he covered
with clay. The others laughed at him, but he knew that he and his
four children would survive the flood. When the rains came, the
others tied their canoes to an elderberry tree, while Dzawadalalis
began moving his belongings into his clay-covered house. One of the
men who had ridiculed him said, “Please let me come with
you,” but Dzawadalalis refused, saying, “Go to the
mountain, for that is what you said you would do. My children and I
will be locked inside this house, for we are going underwater.”
Shutting the door, he began to sing, “Take care of us. I am
going where you have told me to go.”
Those people who had made fun of him floated around in the flood,
which had reached the tops of the highest mountain in Dzawadi. For
some time, Dzawadalalis and his children lived in their underwater
house. Then he sent a small bird out. It returned to their house with
a small piece of root in its mouth, and so Dzawadalalis knew that the
waters were beginning to subside. He waited for a time, then sent
another small bird out. Again, it came back carrying evidence that
the waters were still going down. The third time he sent a bird out,
it brought back leaves from a tree. Finally, the fourth small bird
was sent out and it brought back blades of grass in its mouth.
Dzawadalalis knew then that it was safe to leave his underwater
house. He instructed his children to open the door and thanked the
Creator for saving them. They survived because they believed that
they would be saved.
Source U'mista Cultural Centre
