Killer Whale Mask
The slave Muxqueum grew up in the village of Raven’s Harbor. As a young man he was trained as a warrior and sent on raids against the enemies of the Tsonox and he faithfully fought as he was taught. He was forced to capture and bring home other slaves. He always escaped harm in battle and the people began to suspect that his red stained forehead granted him special spirit protection. On the way to raid a Kulla-Kulla village, Muxqueum stopped and raised his right hand before the war party, signaling that they should stop. With sign language he explained that the men were about to walk into an ambush.
The twenty-three warriors turned around and pretended not to notice that they were being followed. Instead they found a suitable place to camp for the night and built a fire. Next to the fire they piled dry branches of fir tree limbs with much pitch. Then they pretended to sleep, but under tunics and robes they held onto spears and kept their bow and arrows with in grasp. When the fire burned low, the Kulla-Kulla braves crept upon them in what they thought would be a surprise attack. But as soon as the enemy was close to the camp, the Tsonox raiders leapt up, heaped the dry branches on the fire -- which exploded into light and they proceeded to kill all of the attackers with many arrows and swinging clubs. It was a great victory and Muxqueum’s spirit power was credited with saving the war party.
After news of his war exploits spread, old men and women came to him to ask that he might interpret their dreams. Muxqueum seemed to know what the messages from the dream world meant.
One grandmother named Ka’diat was grieving the death of her great grand daughter who failed to return from a berry-picking trip that summer. Searches found no trace of the girls and it was believe that lions ate them. In her dream she saw a baby rabbit eating flowers under a sword fern plant. When she reached out to pet the rabbit, it sang a children’s lullaby. Suddenly the rabbit jumped away and disappeared from sight. But Ka’diat continued to hear the lullaby.
Muxqueum said to her, “The message for you from the dream world is that your little one is alive. She is held by one of our enemies in hopes of ransom to prevent another raid. But, she will be released as a showing of goodwill and will be in your arms before the next moon.”
Two days later, just as Muxqueam predicted, the girl and her companions – except for one daughter of a high status clan leader – were returned unharmed.
Later Namquaw sent warriors to kill all of the people of the village that released the girls. The remaining Tsonox daughter held in ransom was also mistakenly killed in the fury of the attack.
“Others will learn not to touch to our children,” said the chief’s spokesman.
He interpreted many other dreams and guided both women and braves in making decisions, like when to go on a whale hunt or which foothills would have the best blueberries. His popularity grew among the people. The elder women discussed a match making with one of the favored slave girls to be his wife.
But, Muxqueum now a killer whale clan leader high slave could marry only after he had completed a quest in the tradition of Tsonox noblemen. Young men and women of status were sent into the wilderness – either to climb a mountain or canoe to one of the uninhabited islands – carrying only a knife and told to search for their animal spirit helper. If they encounter an animal and it spoke to them then that was his or her spirit protector and the initiate would be ritually devoted to the spirit for life.
Continued
The twenty-three warriors turned around and pretended not to notice that they were being followed. Instead they found a suitable place to camp for the night and built a fire. Next to the fire they piled dry branches of fir tree limbs with much pitch. Then they pretended to sleep, but under tunics and robes they held onto spears and kept their bow and arrows with in grasp. When the fire burned low, the Kulla-Kulla braves crept upon them in what they thought would be a surprise attack. But as soon as the enemy was close to the camp, the Tsonox raiders leapt up, heaped the dry branches on the fire -- which exploded into light and they proceeded to kill all of the attackers with many arrows and swinging clubs. It was a great victory and Muxqueum’s spirit power was credited with saving the war party.
After news of his war exploits spread, old men and women came to him to ask that he might interpret their dreams. Muxqueum seemed to know what the messages from the dream world meant.
One grandmother named Ka’diat was grieving the death of her great grand daughter who failed to return from a berry-picking trip that summer. Searches found no trace of the girls and it was believe that lions ate them. In her dream she saw a baby rabbit eating flowers under a sword fern plant. When she reached out to pet the rabbit, it sang a children’s lullaby. Suddenly the rabbit jumped away and disappeared from sight. But Ka’diat continued to hear the lullaby.
Muxqueum said to her, “The message for you from the dream world is that your little one is alive. She is held by one of our enemies in hopes of ransom to prevent another raid. But, she will be released as a showing of goodwill and will be in your arms before the next moon.”
Two days later, just as Muxqueam predicted, the girl and her companions – except for one daughter of a high status clan leader – were returned unharmed.
Later Namquaw sent warriors to kill all of the people of the village that released the girls. The remaining Tsonox daughter held in ransom was also mistakenly killed in the fury of the attack.
“Others will learn not to touch to our children,” said the chief’s spokesman.
He interpreted many other dreams and guided both women and braves in making decisions, like when to go on a whale hunt or which foothills would have the best blueberries. His popularity grew among the people. The elder women discussed a match making with one of the favored slave girls to be his wife.
But, Muxqueum now a killer whale clan leader high slave could marry only after he had completed a quest in the tradition of Tsonox noblemen. Young men and women of status were sent into the wilderness – either to climb a mountain or canoe to one of the uninhabited islands – carrying only a knife and told to search for their animal spirit helper. If they encounter an animal and it spoke to them then that was his or her spirit protector and the initiate would be ritually devoted to the spirit for life.
Continued
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