do you know what the real legend is?
iāve watched some videos and seen a few different sources and so iām pretty sure this is an accurate telling of the REAL creation story of the Quileute tribe:
Q'watiĀ (also spelled K'wati, Kweheti, Kwatee, Q'waeti, K'wa'iti, Qati, Kwati, Qwati, K'wa'iti, and several other ways.) Q'wati is the benevolent culture hero of Quileute legends, frequently referred to in English as the Transformer. His name is pronounced similar to kwatt-ee, only the ākā is pronounced further back in the throat than English ākā and with a catch in the throat after it. The same character is called Dukwibal or Dokibatt in the Puget Sound Salish tribes, Xelas or Haylas in the Coast Salish tribes, and Mispā or Musp in the Quinault tribe. Q'wati is usually credited with creating the Quileute Indian tribe and their neighbors, teaching them right behavior and cultural skills, and protecting them by changing the environment and getting rid of monsters.
āThis version of the legend comes from Manuel Andradeās 1930 collection Quileute Texts, which is out of print. The storyteller was a bilingual Quileute man named Hallie George.
It happened long ago that Q'waetiā journeyed all over the land setting the people aright and instructing the people that would come in the future how they should act. Q'waetiā instructed the people how to build houses.
One day Q'waetiā came upon Beaver. Beaver was sharpening his stone knife, and Beaver was very stingy. Q'waetiā asked what was Beaver doing. Whereupon Beaver said: āI am sharpening my knife in order to kill Q'waetiā,ā said Beaver. Then Q'waetiā took what Beaver was sharpening and stuck it on Beaverās tail. Then he said: āYou shall always have this stuck to your tail, and live in the water. You will just slap the water with your tail and dive when the people come.ā
Then one day he came upon Deer. Deer was sharpening his shell knife. Thereupon Q'waetiā asked Deer what was he sharpening it for. Whereupon Deer said: āI am going to kill Q'waetiā,ā said Deer. Then Q'waetiā seized the shell that Deer was sharpening. Then he stuck it on Deerās ears. He said āWhen you see people you shall run frightened and stop, and look back.ā
Then Q'waetiā went on his way. Not long afterward he reached Q'wayiāt'soxk'a River. But he did not find any people. Then Q'waetiā spit on his hands and rubbed them. Doing this he rubbed off the human dead skin into the water. Thereupon many people appeared. Then Q'waetiā said to the people whom he had made: āYou shall dwell here,ā said Q'waetiā. āYour name shall be Q'wayiāt'sox (Queets.)ā
Then Q'waetiā reached the Hoh people. He saw that these people walked on their hands carrying their smelt nets between their legs. At that time all the Hoh people walked on their hands. They were called the Up-side-down people. Since that time the Up-side-down people were known as the first people who had existed. Then Q'waetiā turned right side up the ones who walked on their hands. āYou shall use your feet to walk,ā said Q'waetiā to the former Up-side-down people. āGo and fish smelt. You shall catch much fish when you fish smelt.ā Ever since then there is much smelt at Hoh.
Then Q'waetiā went on and reached the Quileute land. He saw two wolves. There were no people here. Then Q'waetiā transformed the wolved into people. Then he instructed the people saying: āThe common man will have only one wife. Only a chief may have four or eight wives. For this reason you Quileute shall be brave, because you come from wolves,ā said Q'waetiā. āIn every manner you shall be strong.ā
Then Q'waetiā reached the Ozette people (Makah.) There he saw two dogs. Then he transformed the dogs into people. Then Q'waetiā gave instructions to the people how to search around the rocks for devil-fish, and to get all kinds of sea food.
Then Q'waetiā went on. Then he came to the Neah people. He saw many people. The people did not know how to fish. So, the Neah people were hungry, about to perish. Then Q'waetiā instructed one person how they should fish. Q'waetiā instructed them how to troll when trying to fish. Ever since then there is much fish in Neah Bay. When Q'waetiā finished he said that there would be much fish at Neah Bay.
Then Q'waetiā went on setting aright and creating people, going around the land, and instructing them in what they should do in order to subsist.ā
- this telling of the story was found here.Ā - THIS VIDEO is a video of a Quileute elder named Chris Morganroth share his experiences living at La Push as a Quileute tribal member, and orally tells the creation story of the tribe. (itās an hour long video and he tends to get side-tracked and ramble but itās a great talk, just wanted to warn ppl lol)Ā - HEREāS ANOTHER VIDEO on the real tribe speaking on their creation story and legends.Ā - THIS IS AN ARTICLE on the 2011/2012 Quileute exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian that is essentially an interview with tribeās chairwoman Bonita Cleveland about the Quileute tribeās feelings on Twilight and other topics.Ā