Kwakiutl WhaleKwakiutl Whale

Jacque. M. BlackwellJacque. M. Blackwell

I, the mighty whale, I, the mighty whale, give warmth and food give warmth and food to the Kwakiutl, people to the Kwakiutl, people of the great water. As of the great water. As the men push their the men push their sixty-man canoes, sixty-man canoes, through the surf, I lead through the surf, I lead them with a them with a humongous splash to humongous splash to best fishing. From the best fishing. From the shore, the tall, cedar shore, the tall, cedar trees wave their thick trees wave their thick branches in the west branches in the west wind.wind.

Fierce and Fierce and tempestuous, the tempestuous, the Kwakiutl fight my Kwakiutl fight my brother, the brother, the dashing waves as dashing waves as they struggle to they struggle to bring their nets full bring their nets full of salmon onto the of salmon onto the rocky shore. rocky shore. Proudly and loudly, Proudly and loudly, I will sing the song I will sing the song of the Kwakiutl.of the Kwakiutl.

Working outside, the Working outside, the towering men hunt towering men hunt elk in the cold, misty elk in the cold, misty forest. Feminine and forest. Feminine and generous, the generous, the women weave soft women weave soft clothes for their clothes for their families from cedar families from cedar bark. Happily and bark. Happily and thankfully, the thankfully, the children gather juicy children gather juicy blueberries by the blueberries by the rapid stream.rapid stream.

From a burning cedar, From a burning cedar, the men scrape the the men scrape the inside of a glowing log inside of a glowing log for a solid canoe. Wisely for a solid canoe. Wisely and intelligently, the and intelligently, the women cook tender women cook tender deer over the blazing deer over the blazing campfire. Polite and campfire. Polite and splendid, the children splendid, the children help clean the plank help clean the plank campfire. Polite and campfire. Polite and splendid, the children splendid, the children help clean the plank help clean the plank houses facing the houses facing the ocean.ocean.

Irate and perturbed, Irate and perturbed, the Kwakiutl, my the Kwakiutl, my people, spot white people, spot white clouds on my brother clouds on my brother the roaring sea. My the roaring sea. My sister, the massive, sister, the massive, gray rocks, block their gray rocks, block their passage to our joyful passage to our joyful village. Running village. Running toward the shore, the toward the shore, the Kwakiutl watch the Kwakiutl watch the gigantic canoes gigantic canoes carrying white men carrying white men with face like bear. with face like bear.

Unable to land Unable to land their canoes, these their canoes, these men left the cold, men left the cold, blue water of the blue water of the Kwakiutl tribe for a Kwakiutl tribe for a season. Around the season. Around the flaming fire, my flaming fire, my people celebrate people celebrate with skin drums with skin drums and wild dancing at and wild dancing at their potlaches.their potlaches.

Today my people, Today my people, the Kwakiutl, strive the Kwakiutl, strive as fisherman in the as fisherman in the great troubled great troubled water. Working in water. Working in the forest, they cut the forest, they cut down my friend the down my friend the cedar to make cedar to make houses for the houses for the white man. Tanned white man. Tanned and hard working, and hard working, many Kwakiutl still many Kwakiutl still live in the land of live in the land of their fathers.their fathers.

Slowly and Slowly and cheerfully, most cheerfully, most children go to the children go to the white man’s white man’s school. At powwow, school. At powwow, all of the Kwakiutl all of the Kwakiutl still celebrate the still celebrate the potlatch of their potlatch of their forefathers.forefathers.

I, the strong whaleI, the strong whale

predict many good thingspredict many good things

for my tribe, the Kwakiutl. for my tribe, the Kwakiutl. Knowledgeable and Knowledgeable and superior, my people will superior, my people will maintain the traditions of maintain the traditions of their elders. Excellently their elders. Excellently and splendidly , their and splendidly , their native language will never native language will never disappear. disappear.

From the ocean, I, From the ocean, I, the mighty whale, the mighty whale, will provide food will provide food and warmth for my and warmth for my people, children of people, children of the cedar. This is the cedar. This is the legend of the the legend of the Kwakiutl tribe, Kwakiutl tribe, people of the people of the whale, my people.whale, my people.