![]() ![]() Suddenly, there came a great noise, and flashes of lightning cut the darkness. There was nothing but silence and darkness. "Now we will wait for the will of the One who is wise and all-powerful." The people waited. Then the Chief turned again to his people. So the weak and hungry people sat in silence while the Chief talked with the Great Spirit. If it is not His will that we live, then we will die bravely, as brave Quillayute have always died. If no help comes, then we will know it is His will that we die. "We will call again upon the Great Spirit for help. "Take comfort, my people," the Chief said. They called upon the Great Spirit for help, but no help came.Īt last the Great Chief called a meeting of his people. As children died without food, even the strongest and bravest of their fathers could do nothing. Soon, the people had eaten all the grass and roots on the prairie there was no food left. Storms rocked the ocean so the fishermen could not go out in their canoes for deep-sea fishing. Ice locked the rivers so the men could not fish. The hailstones had beaten down the ferns, the camas, and the berries. The people were driven from their coast villages to the great prairie, which was the highest part of their land. The hailstones were so large that many of the people were killed. For days great storms blew rain and hail, sleet and snow came down upon the land. Long ago, there was a sad time in the land of the Quillayute. Listen now to the legend of the Thunderbird: It symbolizes a vital elemental force responsible for the abundance of trees and berries and salmon-bearing streams, and to the health and prosperity of people. Clouds and rain and violent storms are associated with the thunderbird. It is said to cause thunder by flapping its wings, and lightning flashes from its eyes. Thunderbird is a mythical, giant bird revered by native tribes from Alaska to Mexico. If you take a map of Kitsap County and turn it to the left 90 degrees, you’ll see a profile of a flying thunderbird. ![]()
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