Value #1: We Respect the Community of Our Elders Past and Present, and Pay Attention to Their Good Words

ʔəshigʷəd čəɬ ti sluƛ̕tədčəɬ čəɬa ʔəsləqəd ti haʔɬ sgʷədgʷadads.

Crane and Changer

From a story told by Snoqualmie Charlie as part of the Star Child story.

Long ago, when the world was not yet the way it is today, dukʷibəɬ the Changer was walking. He was going everywhere all over the earth. Sometimes he would appear from the East as a brilliant light. Sometimes he would look like a young man, or several young men. Sometimes he would be invisible. Sometimes he would look like an old person who knew about a lot of things.

This one time he was walking and came to a man who was standing by the shore. This man had very long legs. As he was standing there, he was getting hit over the head by some rocks. dukʷibəɬ the Changer said, "What are you doing?"

The man said, "I want to use one of these rocks for a hammer, but it hits me on the head whenever I pick it up."

The man was told now by dukʷibəɬ, "You go ahead and pick up those rocks."

As soon as the man picked up the rocks, they hit him on the head again.

Now dukʷibəɬ took those rocks and looked them over. He told them, "You are going to be hammers for the people from now on." Then he knocked them together.

He gave the rocks to the man and told him, "Take your hammers. These will be your hammers from now on."

The long-legged man went down to the shore now. He made his living from what he could get from the water. He picked up a stick. As soon as he picked it up, the stick hit him over the head.

dukʷibəɬ the Changer asked him, "What are you doing now?"

The man said, "I wanted to use this stick for a fish spear, but whenever I pick it up, it hits me over the head."

dukʷibəɬ took the stick now and looked it over. He told it, "You are going to be fish spears from now on." He broke it in two.

He gave the sticks to the man and said, "Take your fish spears. These will be fish spears for you from now on."

Then dukʷibəɬ walked away. He was walking all over the world at that time, preparing it for the way it was to be when the First People would arrive. He looked just like an old person who knew a lot of things.

Artwork by Jason Gobin. Lushootseed provided by Tulalip Lushootseed Department.