Tal

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 to be a descendent of Bigfoot, she’s about 7 feet tall and she's got long black hair and she carries a basket on her back. Woven from snake skins (Can Anyone guess what she used this basket for?) she used this basket to collect all of the “ɬəx čuy” (any guesses on what that word means) all the bad children. Some of the children in the community had noticed their relatives slowly started to go missing they didn’t know why this was happening until they heard of Tal. They were sick of her taking all of their friends and family. So, they came up with a small plan that they would sneak out late and all go into the forest in search of this “Tul” as they're walking around looking for her, she comes across them picks them up, and puts them in her basket starts heading up the mountain where she's got her cabin where she lives. In her cabin, she's got this great big cage where she keeps all of her kidnapped children. She keeps them locked up because she feeds them and feeds them (And FEEDS THEM) until they're nice and big and juicy, then she cooks and eats these children! Now this group of children didn't think they would be caught by Tal so quickly so they hadn't thought of what they're next move would be. One of them steps up and starts to communicate with Tal asking if they can do a traditional feasting song and dance. Tal was a little suspicious and wasn’t eager to let them out of the cage. So, they explained to her it is in our belief and traditions that before you feast a traditional song and dance is performed as a way of appreciation and thanks. Not wanting to be disrespectful or rude she agrees to let them out of the cage to do this performance for her. Tal gathered their cedar hat, button blankets, and their drums and rattles and hands them to the children. But then they turn it around and insist that she participate in the performance with them since she is the one that is going to be feasting. She tries to decline the offer respectfully saying she doesn’t know how to sing or dance. But the children were determined to get her out on the floor they said “It's ok, we will teach you” feeling a little at ease Tal agrees and they give her a mask to wear Since it is a children's mask, the eye holes were very tiny and she couldn't see out of them very well what she also doesn’t know that the children have put a nice thick layer of pitch inside her mask (like tree sap) so as they're dancing around this great big fire Tal’s mask starts to heat up and the pitch starts to melt into her face and she starts to feel it so she starts struggling to try to get it off but it wouldn’t budge. She tries asking the children to dance around to help but no one does, and everyone ignores her. This was done purposefully, so they could sneak up behind Tal and as they're behind her they give her a little push into the fire. As she's burning her ashes rising from the fire are transforming into little bugs and we know them today as “t ᶿačus” (Mosquitos) so to this day Tal still feeds on all the bad children in her mosquito form. And that is the story we were told as kids growing up to help keep us in check.