Cannibal Bird, continued
Muxqueum was one of these strong boys chosen for the Warrior Society lodge of the killer whale clan village known as Cooweylum -- Broken Bone Bay. But, before they took him from his mother she taught him the Kaw-Seth genealogies and all of the stories of our people and secretly fed him a supply of bloodroot-dyed camas root-- which she and some of the other Kaw-Seth women had found growing on a grassy hill while on berry picking trips in the wilderness. When he reached thirteen years old, Naidah made some bloodroot paste and painted his forehead red in the tradition of his ancestors. For this reason as an apprentice warrior, Muxqueum was called "Sand Crab" by the older braves.
Even though his beard began to show, the Tsonox men treated him like a child. But, he proved to be an excellent hunter of young deer and shot so many rabbits and squirrels that he became popular for bringing home fresh meat. In the summer evenings, Sand Crab was often seen returning from the woods carrying a pole by his shoulders with two or three small game animals tied to each side.
Sometimes the whalers even brought him on a sea lion hunt for good luck and he helped tie the carcasses to the canoe and seal bladder floats for towing home. In his own skin boat named Fir Needle – made of sea lion leather stretched over a frame of crafted willow and cedar poles -- he became an expert at spearing seal on the small islands near the harbor. He also gained skill as a halibut fisherman. Chief Namquaw and his attendants noticed that Muxqueum prayed to the Sky Ghost before hunting and fishing trips and concluded that the chanting was the source of his prowess.
In those days Chief Namquaw brought him to live in his own lodge to be a friend and fishing companion for his son N'ha-itk, who was three years younger than Muxqueum. The two boys moved as one while stalking game animals or fishing for halibut and salmon. On one three day halibut fishing trip up the Frog Tongue Inlet, they dreamed of making the journey together to Icy Mountain to see the lodge of Babakawquit. Old stories said that treasures were hidden among tree roots and rocks in the monster’s forest and on the shore of his lake – caches of shell money and carved stone figures and colored arrow heads filled with power. To visit such a dangerous place would prove their courage and earn a good reputation back home.
As the whale-gut fishing lines stretched to the bottom of the water, they looked upon snow-topped peaks on the eastern horizon -- shining like the side of a silver salmon -- and imagined seeing the pass to the summit. N’ha-itk’s grand-uncle told him that Babakawquit’s lair was near the base of a tall flat-topped rock spire that looked like an elk foot sticking in the sky. The Tsonox believed that Cannibal Bird and Crooked Beak guarded the rock lodge from the top of the spire. These monsters watched day and night to see if any human dared to venture near and trespassers risked being clutched by shape talons, flown above snow covered mountains and dropped into crevasses or onto knife-like ice formations below.
Other tales told of adventurers meeting Babakawquit and offering their souls to in exchange for becoming fantastically wealthy or turned into mighty shamans. Sometimes the ghost took both the soul and the life of the quest seeker, ripping off their heads to decorate his doorway and to provide a fresh supply of his favorite drink – human blood. But, N’ha-itk believed that Muxqueum’s prayers would make a raid successful.
Once, after returning from a successful salmon fishing trip, N’ha-itk, son of Namquaw, said to Muxqueum in the presence of the people as slaves dragged the large salmon up from the shore, “My true friend, you taught me how to catch such monsters and together we have killed both deer of the land and seal of the sea. Your soul brings me honor in the sight of my father and his people. When I am chief, I will make you my spokesman and you will carry my speaking stick.”
Namquaw was listening to his son’s promise, but did not rebuke him even though Muxqueum was a son of an enemy and a slave. From then on, the young Kaw-Seth slave was treated with dignity and became a leader of men.
Next chapter
Even though his beard began to show, the Tsonox men treated him like a child. But, he proved to be an excellent hunter of young deer and shot so many rabbits and squirrels that he became popular for bringing home fresh meat. In the summer evenings, Sand Crab was often seen returning from the woods carrying a pole by his shoulders with two or three small game animals tied to each side.
Sometimes the whalers even brought him on a sea lion hunt for good luck and he helped tie the carcasses to the canoe and seal bladder floats for towing home. In his own skin boat named Fir Needle – made of sea lion leather stretched over a frame of crafted willow and cedar poles -- he became an expert at spearing seal on the small islands near the harbor. He also gained skill as a halibut fisherman. Chief Namquaw and his attendants noticed that Muxqueum prayed to the Sky Ghost before hunting and fishing trips and concluded that the chanting was the source of his prowess.
In those days Chief Namquaw brought him to live in his own lodge to be a friend and fishing companion for his son N'ha-itk, who was three years younger than Muxqueum. The two boys moved as one while stalking game animals or fishing for halibut and salmon. On one three day halibut fishing trip up the Frog Tongue Inlet, they dreamed of making the journey together to Icy Mountain to see the lodge of Babakawquit. Old stories said that treasures were hidden among tree roots and rocks in the monster’s forest and on the shore of his lake – caches of shell money and carved stone figures and colored arrow heads filled with power. To visit such a dangerous place would prove their courage and earn a good reputation back home.
As the whale-gut fishing lines stretched to the bottom of the water, they looked upon snow-topped peaks on the eastern horizon -- shining like the side of a silver salmon -- and imagined seeing the pass to the summit. N’ha-itk’s grand-uncle told him that Babakawquit’s lair was near the base of a tall flat-topped rock spire that looked like an elk foot sticking in the sky. The Tsonox believed that Cannibal Bird and Crooked Beak guarded the rock lodge from the top of the spire. These monsters watched day and night to see if any human dared to venture near and trespassers risked being clutched by shape talons, flown above snow covered mountains and dropped into crevasses or onto knife-like ice formations below.
Other tales told of adventurers meeting Babakawquit and offering their souls to in exchange for becoming fantastically wealthy or turned into mighty shamans. Sometimes the ghost took both the soul and the life of the quest seeker, ripping off their heads to decorate his doorway and to provide a fresh supply of his favorite drink – human blood. But, N’ha-itk believed that Muxqueum’s prayers would make a raid successful.
Once, after returning from a successful salmon fishing trip, N’ha-itk, son of Namquaw, said to Muxqueum in the presence of the people as slaves dragged the large salmon up from the shore, “My true friend, you taught me how to catch such monsters and together we have killed both deer of the land and seal of the sea. Your soul brings me honor in the sight of my father and his people. When I am chief, I will make you my spokesman and you will carry my speaking stick.”
Namquaw was listening to his son’s promise, but did not rebuke him even though Muxqueum was a son of an enemy and a slave. From then on, the young Kaw-Seth slave was treated with dignity and became a leader of men.
Next chapter
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