Shuswap Beadwork
Tobacco pouch designs of great beauty. From the region of the Canadian Rockies
From “Memoirs, American Museum of Natural History”
Now, when they counted, there were only twelve feathers in Flicker’s tail. But it was too late to make any change. So Coyote said, “Hereafter in a year there shall be six months of warm weather and six months in which it may snow and be cold.”
Thus Coyote saved the people from living in darkness, and from very long, cold winters.
ORIGIN OF LIGHT AND FIRE
Lillooet
Raven and Sea Gull were friends. Their houses were close together in the Lillooet country. It was dark all over the world at this time, because Sea Gull owned the daylight, which he kept in a box. He never let any of it out except for his own use.
Raven said, “It isn’t fair that Sea Gull should have all the daylight. People should have some of it.” Therefore Raven planned to get the daylight.
One night he placed thorn branches on the trail between Sea Gull’s house and the place where his canoe was fastened. Then he ran to Sea Gull, shouting, “Your canoe has gone adrift! Your canoe has gone adrift!” Sea Gull heard Raven and rushed out of the house in haste. He did not even put on his moccasins; he ran in his bare feet and stepped on the thorns. Then Sea Gull screamed, “Ah-ah!” just as sea gulls do now. He shouted to Raven, “Get my canoe! Save my canoe!” Then he went back to his house. He was much excited.
Raven pulled up the canoe and went to the house. Gull spoke of those thorns in his feet. Raven said, “Oh, I can pull them out, if you will let a little daylight out of your box.” So Gull sat down beside the box and opened it a little with one hand. Raven began to pull out the thorns with an awl. Soon he said, “I can’t see well. Give me more light.” Gull opened the box a little more.
Raven pulled out all the thorns but one. He said, “This last one is hard to get out. I shall need more light.” When Gull opened the box a little more, Raven gave his arm a push. Thus he knocked down the box and broke it. Then all the daylight rolled out and spread all over the world. Sea Gull was unable to collect it again.