Posts by shelby@shelbyart.com

Told by Rose Mitchell The people living at the head of Toba Inlet heard that the Transformer was coming o they packed their belongings. Crow, the leader of the people, told hem o gather lots of huckleberries, cranberries, wild crabapples, salal berries and wild blackberries. Because he was in such a hurry, Crow wove snakes…

This legend starts off with a young man who was very mischievous and didn’t listen a lot of the time. So, his father, the Chief this nation wanted to teach his son a lesson. He built a large box to put him in and a great big heavy lid for the cover. He sticks his…

First nations people have very strong cultural belief systems certain ways that we do things and certain protocols that we’ll do. One of them is acknowledging when the young men and women of our community became of age (around the time they hit puberty). Well, get them up nice and early around five o’clock in…

Many of the Indigenous Children in our community heard this legend growing up on the Homalco Reserve. It is a story of our “Wild Women” of the woods. She’s known in various different nations as different names. Sometimes referred to as the “ZunaKwa” but in our nation, we call her “Tal” (T-u-l-h) She is believed…

Raven and Wind Maker – late Noel George Harry Our people have always lived here, and the wind has always blown.   Once, there was a very strong wind blowing. Raven and the other people were getting tired of this strong wind, as they were unable to travel. They decided to hold a meeting, so…

Mountain Goat and the Transformer – Rose Mitchell Mountain Goat heard that the Transformer was coming around, so he got two hard knots from a rotten log, sharpened them, and put them on his head. These are the two small horns that mountain goats have today. “I’ll kill him; I’ll butt him with my horns,”…

Mink liked blue jay, who was a widow. He married her, but one day he became sick. “where are you going to put me when I die?” mink asked the people, one place was suggested, but mink said that was not where he wanted to be. Another place, a really nice spot, was suggested, but…

Mink wondered who he should marry this time. So, he went to his grandmother for advice, but she wouldn’t tell him anything, as he was marrying so often, then mink remembered the beautiful salal bushes that grew shiny berries along the trail in the woods. He wanted to marry salal.   Mink went to the…