THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
PAGE 4
SEATTLE’S TOTEM POLE
(Continued from page 1)
floated up on the beach, the people cut a hole in his
side and out hopped the raven and the mink glistening
with oil. The mink dried himself by rolling in rotten
wood and that is why he is oily-brown to this dav.
He is the fourth figure on the pole.
They landed at Yakawan, a Haida village. The
world was still dark, and the raven longed for the box
in which the chief kept the sun. He married the
chief’s daughter and their son soon asked his grand
father for the box. The little fellow took out the sun,
rolled it around the house and then ordered it out of
doors and up where it belonged. We have had day
light ever since. Then the lad changed into a raven
and flew out away. He is the raven on the top of the
pole. He eloped with Gadak, the Princess of Kadokgo,
a quick-sandy spot on the map. Her father, the chief,
was furious. Years later a frog called on him one day.
"Whose child are you?’’ asked the surprised chief.
"Gadak’s" replied the frog.
The chief then concluded that the frog must be his
grandson transfigured. He bade him to go bring his
mother and father. The frog hopped behind the house
and plunged into the pond. The following day Gadak
arrived with her frogish husband and her frogish child.
Presently the chief became ashamed of his frog-in-law
and grandson and ordered both of them slaughtered.
From then on his daughter Gadak remained under her
father’s roof in peace. In the form of a frog she is
the third figure from the bottom of the pole.
Thus ends the fantastic Indian legend carved upon
the memorial pole that once stood in front of the chief’s
residence at Fort Tongas commemorating the cour
ageous spirit of his wife, "Shining Face of Copper."
Today this totemic column stands in Pioneer Place,
the gateway to Alaska. In the autumn of 1898, a
group of prominent citizens of Seattle rescued this pole
from the deserted village of Fort Tongas, purchased
it from its Indian heirs and presented it to the city of
Seattle as an emblem of Indian totemism in that magic
land in the North.
A LEGEND
The following interesting "Indian Story" was writ
ten by Daniel B. Ann, one of our students from the
Umatilla Country.
Years and years ago all the animals used to live as
people are living now. Among these animal people
was a P'ox who had traveled nearly around the world
without being defeated in a footrace. These races
were for the following reason: The winner was to
kill the looser, and then turn him into some kind of
an animal.
One day the Fox and Lizard met. The Fox said,
"Where are you going so slowly?" The Lizard replied,
"I am training for a race." The Lizard was going
to water and was very tired of the journey. The Fox
did not believe the Lizard could run. ‘ ‘Well, let me see
how fast you can run," said the Fox.
"If you want to see how fast I can run, I’ll run you
a race over to that little brook," said the Lizard.
They prepared for the race. The Fox said "Go!"
and started without delay and looked back and saw
the Lizard standing there at the starting place. The
Fox did this several times. Finally the Lizard said,
"You are a cheater to get the advantage that way on
the start," and proposed to the Fox that both of
them should close their eyes and when the Lizard said
"Go" and hit the Fox they would both start. When
the Lizard said "Go" and hit the Fox he grabbed hold
of the Fox’s tail and hung on as if his life depended
on it. Every time the Fox would look back he would
see the Lizard just behind him. When the Fox had
almost reached the line, he looked back and saw the
Lizard still at the same distance in the rear and
thought that he had defeated the Lizard in the race.
The Fox swung around to face the Lizard and as he
did so the Lizard let loose his tail and was thrown
over the line. He looked at the Fox and said: "Mr.
Fox, you are fast, but not fast enough for me."
The Fox became angry and "ducked" the Lizard,
and the Lizard turned into a crawfish. Since that
time the Fox has had a white tip on the end of his
tail to remind him that he was not defeated and to
beware of tricks. And that is the reason the Fox
today is so wise.
YOUTH AND LATER
As people grow older they see more and more clearly
where they "missed it" in their youthful days.
Longfellow says "Youth is Fiery, Age is Frosty."
Very Truly. Youth in its fire is not reflective, is not
cautious—it jumps at conclusions, good or bad, and
takes a chance. Youth chafes at restraint and rebels
against law and order and the traditions of the past.
Sad, but in the main true. In the experience of later
years—years which have brought responsibility and
toil—the mind returns many times to the days of
youth and reflects on what might have been—but there
is great joy in living one’s youth. It is wonderful to
be absolutely care-free.
Later in life we begin to lament our shortcomings,
for we are then cognizant of the fact that we have
many, and we are at loss to explain why in our youth
ful years (our school days) we did not see things dif
ferently, why we did not act differently. But it is then
too late—there is no calling back the days that are past.
It is useless to ponder the mistakes of former years
except to profit by the lessons they teach. The past
cannot be charged, but the present may be, and chang
ing our present course will change the future for
many of us. We beg of our students that they give
heed to what is told them by people of greater experi
ence in life. Let each do his utmost every day in the
struggle for an education, and resolve to be good and
clean and worthv in all things.