DOCUMENT RESUME RC 019 764 AUTHOR Smith-Trafzer, Lee … · DOCUMENT RESUME ED 373 950 RC 019 764...
Transcript of DOCUMENT RESUME RC 019 764 AUTHOR Smith-Trafzer, Lee … · DOCUMENT RESUME ED 373 950 RC 019 764...
DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 373 950 RC 019 764
AUTHOR Smith-Trafzer, Lee Ann; Trafzer, Clifford E.TITLE Creation of a California Tribe: Grandfather's Maidu
Indian Tales.REPORT NO ISBN0-940113-18-XPUB DATE 88NOTE 54p.; Illustrated by Ross Coates. Some illustrations
may not reproduce clearly.AVAILABLE FROM Sierra Oaks Publishing Co., 1370 Sierra Oaks Court,
Newcastle, CA 95658-9791.PUB TYPE _ Books (010)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *American Indian Culture; American Indian History;
American Indian Literature; American Indians; Books;Childrens Literature; ,Cultural Education; ElementarySecondary Education; *Nonformal Education; *OralTradition; *Story Telling; *Tales; Tribes
IDENTIFIERS *Maidu (Tribe)
ABSTRACTThis children's book relates the story of Travis and
Laura and how their grandfather, a Maidu Indian, teaches them abouttheir history and culture through stories. The book stresses theimportance of storytelling as the traditional way of passing .on thehistory of Indian peoples. As part of a school project, Travis tellshis classmates-the Maidu creation story, told to him many times byhis grandfather. The story features Coyote, Eafthmaker; and Robin andtells how they created animals, Flants, and hUman beings. Travis'classmates are very interested and ask him many questions about MaiduIndian culture and history. When his granddaughter Laura visits from,Los Angeles, grandfather also shares Maidu stories with her. Finally,grandfather visits Travis' school and tells the students the story ofbrave Thunder Boy. (LP)
c*** * * **** **** ** ** * **** **** *** ** *** ***** ** * ***** **********n4*** * *******
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made *
* from the original document.*********************************L***1:*********************************
:1111111111074VL_Lars ,w1
CO -
Ul
1 'V "TS , - aka mu
-
.... ,:,.,-.Ic'".."'
J
a/
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOneo al Eemonond Reopen* SAO 101410,14n1
--EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER IERIQ/ne document nee 04144 moroduced
femme, from IM moon or orgonsanuonC414010440
0 SSW ~WS 44Sve been node So urinousreModuceon maw,
42000S O mew Or 00444,0ASSISAISI 1441444116004-meal do A04 44041Isonly rlooromel 4OSC440OEM momon or looney
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
.5i4ephor»tare.; s
/ TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC."
1.4ICOL'
by Lee Ann Smitn-Trafzer and CliffordE. Trafzer
Illustrations by mss CoatesBEST COPY AVAILABLE
Creation of a California Tribe:
Grandfather's Maidu Indian Tales
6y Lee Ann Smith-Trafzer and Clifford E. TrafzerIffustrations 6y Woss Coates
Sierra Oaks Publishing Company1988
3
Other Children's Books by Sierra. Oaks Publishing Company
Grandmother's Christmas Story: A True Quechan Indian StoryA Trip to a Pow WowGrandmother Stories of the NorthwestGrandfather's Origin Story: The Navajo Indian BeginningGrandfather's Story of Navajo Monsters
B, Cs The American Indian WayWhere Indians Live: American Indian Houses
Copyright ©1988
Sierra Oaks Publishing Company1370 Sierra Oaks CourtNewcastle, CA 95658-9791
All rights reservedPrinted in the United States of America
ISBN: 0-940113-18-X
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The stories found here were provijed by two Mai& men, Dal-ben Castro ofAuburn, California, and Tom Young, who gave his oral history to Wotand B. Dixonin 1902 and 1903.
6
Chapter 1:
Chapter 2:
Chapter 3:
Chapter 4:
Chapter 5:
Chapter 6:
Chapter 7:
Chapter 8:
Table of Contents
Travis' School Project
Maidu Creation Story
Grandfather Likes the Story
Learning About Maidu Indians
Laura and Grandfather
Laura Learns About Lizard and Bat
Salt Man
Grandfather in the Classroom
1
5
11
13
23
27
35
39
r
1vf,
. ,
, ./.,fo, `64, Alk id :0 I liC
17NAk.# it66. 4,/ V
6 4. ;
0:;ttt:7.6$:a':,1; : ti:ay.0.,,,t) ;."'>14........._...............11.16:0! ill iit I.
6 6' ' ' 1
. ...t,- , - 4s fivgd 1 ,-...
',, k A" ' 74.1 ,J . 41/ Fr, i
jLetal_V: Z:jr" 4 ..e i . r r,
4rA A. k,..w. I. ,..,-11,
it-%
,fra4trirer..)
Ismordw0 ."o"iii\L
rill....,4_,.
sli?.....
I I
'
1
TRAVIS' SCHOOL PROJECT
Travis could see his grandfather from a distance, as the olderman leaned against a giant oak tree in the front yard. Lookingyounger than his sixty years, Grandfather was a wiry man ofaverage height. His black hair was still untouched by gray.Grandfather was a Maidu Indian who was greatly respected bythe Maidu people. As a tribal historian, Grandfather was thekeeper of their traditions. He was also a teacher of the tribe's pasthere in California. He knew all of the Maidu stories, and he oftenshared them with his children and grandchildren.
The sky above Grandfather's head was deep blue, except forbillowy white clouds forming around the Sierra NevadaMountains. It was a beautiful fall day, but the wind had a touch ofwinter in it. Deep in thought, Travis pulled his jacket closer as hewalked down the road to Grandfather's house. By the time he
9
reached his grandfather, Travis knew exactly what he wanted tosay.
"Hello, Grandfather!" the boy called out as he approached thegate. Grandfather raised his hand to wave in reply.
"Hello, Travis," he responded with his slight accent. "Howwas school today?"
Grandfather was always interested in his grandchildren'sschoolwork, so his question was not a surprise to Travis. But todaythe boy was delighted to hear this familiar question. He explainedto Grandfather that Ms. Smith, his fourth grade teacher atNewcastle Elementary School, had given the class a historyassignment. The children had to write a paper on the history ofCalifornia, and Travis really wanted Grandfather's help on thisproject.
"You know, Grandfather," Travis said, "most of the kids thinkthat history began with the coming of the Spanish people and themissions." Grandfather nodded his head to show he understood."But that's just not true! You are always telling us about ourhistory, the history of the Maidu people. I want my paper to bedifferent. I want to write about the time when no one lived inCalifornia except the Indians and the animal people."
210
Grandfather smiled his wide, toothy smile. "How can I helpyou, Travis?" he asked.
"I want to use what you have told me about the Maidu peopleto write my paper," Travis explained. "I've written a first draft ofmy paper. I used a story you told me about the creation of the landthe Maidu lived on here in California. Can I read you this story?"
Grandfather nodded his head in agreement. The boyexcitedly pulled out his white lined paper and began to read outloud.
3 Li
2
MAIDU CREATION STORY
People all over the earth have stories to explain the creationof the world. Maidu Indians have creation stories, too, and thesestories are handed down by parents and grandparents to theirchildren. To this very day the Maidu Indians remember thesestories and share them with others.
The Maidu say that long ago the earth was filled with water.The blue water and sky blended together into a magnificent scene,melting together so that it was impossible to say where the waterended and the sky began. Earth Maker and Coyote floated aboutseeing nothing but sky and water. Earth Maker grew tired offloating and wanted to find a place to call his own. This ideaimpressed Coyote.
As Earth Maker and Coyote travelled in the water, they tookturns singing a powerful song:
513
"Little world, where are you? Little world,where are you?"
Over and over they sang this song. Eventually, it occurred tothem that this song was not working. So Earth Maker and Coyotechanged their song. Now they took turns singing:
"My world of great mountains, where areyou? My foggy mountains, where areyou?"
Coyote grew tired and stopped singing these songs. "You cansing those power songs," he said to Earth Maker, "but I'm not goingto sing any more."
Nevertheless, Earth Maker was convinced that one day theywould find a country to call their own. When they did, they wouldarrange the land in a fine way! Meanwhile, they continued to floatin the vast water.
Then one day, the travelers came upon another floatingobject. It looked like a bird's nest. Although it was very small,Earth Maker was convinced that he could transform it into aplace for his country. The nest would have to be stretched and
14
expanded if it were to become a country. Earth Maker thoughtabout this for a long time Then an idea struck him.
"I will take this strong rope," Earth Maker said to Coyote,"and extend it to the west, the north, and the northwest" Then theEarth Maker went to work.
He extended the ropes to the west, the north, and thenorthwest, just as he had told Coyote he would. Then EarthMaker called upon the Robin to pack mud all around the nest. TheRobin happily complied, singing a beautiful song of creation as sheworked. It took many days for the Robin to complete her job, butshe continued to sing until the land was finally made. If you listentoday, the Robin still sings that wonderful creation song.
Earth Maker now asked Coyote to sing his creation song.Coyote sang a powerful song about the land he wanted created.Coyote sang in a loud voice:
"My world, where one will travel by thevalley's edge, by great foggy mountains,by the zigzag paths through range afterrange, I sing of the country I shall travelin. In this world I shall wander."
7 15
This song was so beautiful that Earth Maker joined Coyote inchorus after chorus. Slowly, the Maidu world took_ shape. Theonly problem was that this world was very small.
Earth Maker decided to make the world larger, so he usedhis mighty foot to stretch the earth far to the east, the west, thenorth, and the south. In every direction the earth became larger.The movement and force of the stretching caused the mountainsand the valleys to form. Although the Maidu world was becominglarger, it was not stable, because the earth rested on the various.ropes.
"Now and then," Earth Maker warned, "when the ropesmove back and forth, this earth will shake and tremble." EarthMaker was warning that earthquakes would shake the earth nowand then.
Earth Maker was pleased with his country, but it was alonely land because it was devoid of life. For this reason, he andCoyote created living things. Animals, plants, and human beingswere formed and placed on the land. Coyote decided to paint theearth red, since blood was the life-giving source of humans andanimals. Even today the rocks and soil of Maidu country are alittle bit red in color.
/68
Earth Maker and Coyote gave to human beings theirseparate lands, languages,. and physical traits. Earth 'Makertraveled in every direction of the world, placing white people in onelocation, black people in another, asians in still another, and so on.Earth Maker finally returned to his home at the center of theearth. This is whire he placed the Maidu people.
When Earth Maker created human beings, he gave themintelligence, wisdom, and the means of survival. But mostimportantly to the Maidu Indians, he instructed them to be kind toone another and to be hospitable to strangers.
People all over the world have their own stories about thebeginnings of this planet, as does each of the Indian tribes inAmerica. This Maidu creation story is just one example of the richvariety of such stories. There are actually many other parts to theMaidu story of creation, but this is the main story about the originsof one California India:a tribe- -the Maidu.
10
3
GR
AN
DFA
TH
ER
LIK
ES
TH
E S
TO
RY
Whe
n T
ravi
s fi
nish
ed r
eadi
ng G
rand
fath
er h
is r
epor
t, he
wai
ted
for
the
olde
r m
an to
spe
ak. T
he M
aidu
peo
ple
teac
h th
eir
child
ren
to r
espe
ct th
eir
elde
rs a
nd to
hav
e pa
tienc
e. G
rand
fath
erga
zed
off
tow
ard
the
Sier
ras,
and
his
min
d se
emed
to b
e m
iles
away
. Fin
ally
he
turn
ed h
is a
ttent
ion
to T
ravi
s."G
rand
son,
" he
sai
d, "
you
have
don
e w
ell."
Tra
vis
smile
d, f
eelin
g bo
th p
leas
ed a
nd r
elie
ved.
He
wa8
happ
y th
at h
e ha
d re
mem
bere
d th
e cr
eatio
n st
ory
accu
rate
ly.
"You
hav
e ca
ptur
ed o
n pa
per
muc
h of
wha
t we
have
taug
htth
roug
h th
e sp
oken
wor
d fo
r ge
nera
tions
."G
rand
fath
er's
fac
ese
emed
to b
righ
ten
with
his
sm
ile. "
Tra
vis,
you
hav
e re
mem
bere
dth
e cr
eatio
n st
ory
wel
l," h
e co
ntin
ued,
pla
cing
his
arm
aro
und
the
boy'
s sh
ould
ers.
"I
hope
you
will
be
able
to s
hare
it w
ith th
e ot
her
child
ren
in y
our
clas
s."
1119
Although Grandfather said nothing more, Travis knew whathe meant. He was pleased with the way his grandson had writtenthe story. But Grandfather believed that it was especiallyimportant to tell the Maidu stories. Telling the stories, discussingthem, and having the stories repeated time and again was thetraditional way of passing on tribal history.
Grandfather and Travis walked together up the path by thelarge oak tree and into the older man's house. Grandfather'sapproval of the paper made Travis feel warm inside. He waslooking forward to the next school day. Perhaps it would even bepossible to tell the Maidu creation story to the rest of the class.Normally Travis would be scared to talk in front of the class, butGrandfather's pride in being a Maidu Indian made Travis proud,too. How nice it would be to share some of the Maidu tribalheritage with his friends at school!
2012
4
LEARNING ABOUT MAIDU INDIANS
Travis had not thought much about his paper on the Maiducreation story since he placed it on the teacher's desk... Then,nearly a week after handing in the story, Ms. Smith announcedthat she had finished reading all of the papers.
"Overall I am very pleased," she said with a smile. "A few ofthe essays are really outstanding. I'm going to read a few of themto you now."
Travis' early interest in this project came rushing back tohim as he listened to Ms. Smith. Despite Grandfather's urging,Travis had not asked Ms. Smith if he could read his story to theclass. Travis was ashamed that he had not followed through withGrandfather's suggestion. Now the boy sat tensely in his seat,hoping that his would be one of the papers read by Ms. Smith.More than anything else, he wanted to be able to tell Grandfatherthat the children in my class had heard the Maidu creation story.
1321
Firs
t, M
s. S
mith
rea
d E
mily
Mar
tinez
' pap
er a
bout
the
Gol
dR
ush.
The
n sh
e re
ad S
teve
Fol
ey's
wor
k ab
out m
oder
n da
ym
ount
ain
men
in C
alif
orni
a. B
oth
of th
e pa
pers
wer
e in
tere
stin
g,fu
ll of
his
tori
cal f
acts
and
fun
ny li
ttle
stor
ies.
As
Tra
vis
liste
ned
toM
s. S
mith
rea
d th
ese
pape
rs, h
e sa
nk s
adly
into
his
cha
ir. P
erha
pshe
had
mis
sed
the
poin
t of
the
assi
gnm
ent!
His
pap
er w
asn'
t abo
utth
is k
ind
of h
isto
ry a
t 'al
l. T
ravi
s w
as s
udde
nly
sure
that
he
wou
ldre
ceiv
e a
faili
ng g
rade
on
this
pro
ject
.Su
dden
ly, M
s. S
mith
was
talk
ing
abou
t Tra
vis.
"Tra
vis
Mol
ma
has
wri
tten
a di
ffer
ent t
ype
of h
isto
ry p
aper
," s
he s
aid.
"H
ech
ose
to s
hare
a p
art o
f hi
s hi
stor
y an
d th
at o
f th
e M
aidu
Ind
ians
.It
is a
n ex
celle
nt r
epor
t."T
ravi
s fe
lt as
thou
gh e
very
pai
r of
eye
s in
the
clas
sroo
m w
asst
arin
g ri
ght a
t him
. Sin
ce h
e w
as r
eally
onl
y an
ave
rage
stu
dent
,T
ravi
s w
asn'
t use
d to
this
kin
d of
atte
ntio
n in
sch
ool.
"The
Mai
du I
ndia
ns li
ved
here
long
bef
ore
anyo
ne e
lse,
" M
s.Sm
ith c
ontin
ued.
"T
ravi
s ha
s w
ritte
n do
wn
wha
t is
calle
d an
ora
lhi
stor
y. I
ndia
ns d
id n
ot w
rite
dow
n th
eir
stor
ies,
but
kep
t the
mal
ive
by p
assi
ng th
em o
n fr
om p
aren
ts a
nd g
rand
pare
nts
toch
ildre
n."
22 14
A hand shot up in the front row. "But what if the kids forgotwhat their parents told them? Then the stories would be lostforever!"
"Well, the grown-ups didn't just tell them a story once. Theywould tell it over and over again, over a long period of time. Then,as the children got older, they would tell the stories back to thegrown-ups. If a child made a mistake, he or she was corrected.Then they would tell the story again later. Isn't that right, Travis?"
Travis felt himself nod his head weakly in agreement."It is a very good way to teach. We do the same thing here at
school. We talk about assignments in class so that you will thinkabout and remember them."
Ms. Smith must have noticed that many of the students werelosing interest, because she immediately began reading the Maiducreation story that Travis had written.
Grandfather would be pleased, Travis thought. The studentswere really listening to the story and seemed to be enjoying it.Most of the children had never before heard a story created byIndians to explain their past. When Ms. Smith finished readingTravis' paper, many of the students raised their hands to askquestions.
"Why did the Maidu Indians have this story?" Melissa asked.
II ,,1:0 :::. Y el'"?
1',/
When ais. Smit finis reading . . y of the students raisedtheir hands . . .
24
Ms. Smith thought for a moment before answering. "That'snot an easy question to answer," she began slowly. "I supposeeveryone, including Indians, look for ways to explain how theearth came to exist. This creation story is the Maidu Indianexplanation." Ms. Smith hesitated, then looked at Travis. "Whatwould you say, Travis?"
Holding onto the back of his chair for support, Travis stood upand faced the class. "My Grandfather has told my brothers, sisters,cousins, and me many Maidu stories," he said. "Grandfather saysthat these stories are the history of the Maidu people. The storiesare literature, too. They tell us about ourselves, and they teach ushow to think and live."
Travis was surprised to find that it was easy to talk to hisclass about Maidu Indian traditions. He explained thatGrandfather had told him that the stories of the Maidu taught thedifference between right and wrong, and between good and bad. Inmany of the stories the Earth Maker teaches the Maidu peoplewhat is good, but Coyote goes the other way. He is often bad, andthe people are taught not to act like Coyote.
At this point Caitlin Riley said, "But I thought history had tocome from something written down. Who wrote down the Maidustories?"
17 25
"Many people believe that Indians had no history until thingswere written down," Travis responded. "But like Ms. Smith said,our way of passing down our stories is reliable, too."
This time Travis' friend Michael had a question. "I'm notsure I know how the Maidu Indians lived. -I mean, what did theyeat and what kind of houses did they live in. Could you tell us,Travis?"
Grandfather had told Travis all about how the MaiduIndians had lived. "The Maidu ate fruits, vegetables, and meat justlike we do today," he said: "Women gathered wild strawberries,blackberries, and currents. The Maidu ate these fruits fresh, butthey also dried them in the sun so they could eat them in winter,too. All they had to do was add some water and they could beeaten."
The Maidu also ate wild lettuce and carrots. They gatheredroots of the tule and camas. These looked and tasted somethinglike potatoes, and had lots of vitamin C.
"Didn't they do any hunting?" one of the boys asked."Sure," Travis said.. "They hunted deer, bear, quail, rabbits,
raccoons, squirrels, geese, and porcupine. The Indians didn't justuse the meat from the animal, though. For example, they used
18 4"
animal skins for blankets and clothing. Porcupine spines wereused for needles and to make jewelry."
One of the students asked if the Maidu lived in tipis likeIndians they had seen on television.
"No," Travis said, shaking his head. "They lived in differentkinds of houses. When the Maidu moved around hunting andgathering food, they built temporary homes made out of logs andbrush mats. When they made their winter homes, they used thesame materials but made their houses larger and warmer.Grandfather told me that the people spent a lot of the wintermonths inside, where they told stories."
In fact, it was during the cold, rainy winter months thatGrandfather's parents and grandparents had told him the MaiduIndian stories. After hearing the stories repeated over and over,Grandfather was abk to learn his lessons very well.
Ms. Smith stood up at her desk. "You know, Travis," she said,"I think you have learned your lessons well, too. Thank you forteaching us so much about the Maidu"Indians."
To Travis' surprise, Ms. Smith began to clap her hands, andthe rest of the class joined in, too! Travis couldn't wait to tell hisgrandfather that the other children had enjoyed hearing theMaidu creation story.
19
27
As the bell rang to signal the end of the school day, Ms. Smithcame over to Travis' desk to speak to him. "Please give this note toyour grandfather," she said, handing him a folded piece of paper."I just want him to know how much w enjoyed learning aboutMaidu history. Perhaps he would visit our class one day and sharemore of his stories."
Later Grandfather said he was proud of his grandson forspeaking in class. But everything Travis told his classmates camefrom his grandfather. One day, Travis thought, he would tell thesesame things to his own children.
21 23
5
LA
UR
A A
ND
GR
AN
DFA
TH
ER
Gra
ndfa
ther
sat
at h
is f
avor
ite c
hair
in h
is s
mal
l, w
ood-
fram
ed h
ouse
. It w
as w
arm
and
qui
et in
the
smal
l but
tidy
livi
ngro
om. G
rand
fath
er s
tare
d th
ough
tful
ly a
t the
blu
e fl
ames
dan
cing
in h
is s
mal
l hea
ting
stov
e. H
e w
as li
sten
ing
for
a kn
ock
on h
isfr
ont d
oor.
Gra
ndfa
ther
was
wai
ting
for
his
daug
hter
, Mar
y, a
ndhi
s gr
andd
augh
ter,
Lau
ra, t
o ar
rive
.N
earl
y a
year
had
pas
sed
sinc
e G
rand
fath
er la
st s
aw M
ary
and
Lau
ra. T
hey
lived
in L
os A
ngel
es, b
ut G
rand
fath
er li
ved
in th
ehe
art o
f M
aidu
Ind
ian
coun
try.
His
hom
e w
as o
n th
e ra
nche
ria
near
Aub
urn,
Cal
ifor
nia.
It t
ook
alm
ost e
ight
hou
rs o
f dr
ivin
g fo
rM
ary
and
Lau
ra to
trav
el f
rom
Los
Ang
eles
to G
rand
fath
er's
hom
e. O
ften
Gra
ndfa
ther
wis
hed
that
Mar
y an
d he
r fa
mily
live
dcl
oser
so
that
he
coul
d vi
sit t
hem
mor
e of
ten.
Mar
y an
d he
r hu
sban
d w
ere
happ
y in
Los
Ang
eles
. The
ybo
th h
ad g
ood
jobs
and
man
y fr
iend
s.B
ut s
omet
imes
Mar
y
23 3
1
became lonely for the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.Sometimes she became homesick for the tall pines and the big oaktrees. In the spring, Mary missed the orange poppies whichcovered the countryside. Most of all, she missed her father. So sheand Laura were driving to Auburn to spend some time withGrandfather.
The low sound of gravel crunching beneath the tires of a cartold Grandfather that his visitors had arrived. As the car drewcloser to the house and the noise of the its engine grew louder,Grandfather walked to the door. He watched the, two bright lightswind their way back to his house. Then Grandfather walkedoutside to greet his daughter and granddaughter.
The next morning, Grandfather rose before sunrise. With acup of steaming coffee in his hand, he left the house and followedan old trail to a plate with a view of the distant mountains.Grandfather watched as the yellow rays of dawn crept over thesnowy Sierras. Silently, Grandfather drew strength from therising sun. He thanked the Creator for another day.
The sound of a footstep behind him startled Grandfather."Good morning, Laura," Grandfather said. "I'm surprised to seeyou up so early!"
24 32
Lau
ra s
mile
d. S
he w
as h
appy
to b
e w
ith h
ergr
andf
athe
rag
ain.
As
they
wal
ked
back
to th
e ho
use,
Gra
ndfa
ther
and
Lau
rata
lked
abo
ut h
er s
choo
l. Sh
e ha
d al
way
s be
en a
goo
dst
uden
t, an
dG
rand
fath
er w
as v
ery
prou
d of
her
. He
aske
d he
r w
hat
she
had
lear
ned
in s
choo
l abo
ut A
mer
ican
Ind
ians
."M
y te
ache
r is
ver
y in
tere
sted
in I
ndia
n cu
lture
," L
aura
said
."H
e of
ten
asks
me
abou
t my
Indi
an h
erita
ge."
Gra
ndfa
ther
was
sur
pris
ed b
ut p
leas
ed. "
Do
you
tell
your
clas
s ab
out t
he M
aidu
peo
ple?
" he
ask
ed.
"I d
on't
know
that
muc
h ab
out t
he M
aidu
s,"
Lau
ra s
aid.
"But
I w
ant t
o le
arn.
" G
rand
fath
er n
odde
d bu
t sai
d no
thin
g."T
ravi
sse
nt m
e a
copy
of
the
pape
r he
wro
te f
or h
is h
isto
rycl
ass.
He
said
that
you
told
him
the
Mai
du c
reat
ion
stor
y."
"Tha
t's tr
ue,"
Gra
ndfa
ther
sai
d."I
sup
pose
that
with
you
livin
g so
far
aw
ay, w
e ju
st h
aven
't ha
d th
e ch
ance
to r
eally
talk
abou
t bei
ng a
Mai
du I
ndia
n."
"Gra
ndfa
ther
, ple
ase
tell
me
som
e of
you
r st
orie
s,"
Lau
rasa
id.
"I r
eally
do
wan
t to
know
mor
e ab
out t
he M
aidu
s an
d ou
rhi
stor
y." "S
ure,
" G
rand
fath
er r
eplie
d."L
ater
, whe
n th
e ch
ores
are
done
and
ther
e is
tim
e to
talk
, I w
ill s
hare
a s
tory
with
you
. But
you
mus
t pro
mis
e to
liste
n ca
refu
lly. T
hat w
ay y
ou c
an te
ll it
to
253
3
your teacher the next time he asks you about your Indian heritage.One day, you might even tell the story to your own children!"
3426
6
LAURA LEARNS ABOUT LIZARD AND BAT
It was mid-afternoon when Grandfather finally announcedhe was ready for storytelling. Laura quickly appeared and satdown near Grandfather. Even Mary settled into a chair to listen,hoping to hear one of her favorite stories.
"The story I want to tell you," Grandfather began, "happeneda long, long time ago. It was a time when all of the animals andpeople spoke the same language. The Maidus and the animalpeople were living here in the foothills." Grandfather paused to seeif Laura was listening, then continued with his story.
One day Lizard and Bat sat talking. They enjoyed talkingabout their beautiful world. They liked the warm days and the coolnights. Even the rain was not so bad, because it brought the talltrees and the beautiful wildflowers. The red sunsets made theperfect ending to the day, Lizard and Bat agreed.
235
Sudd
enly
, a s
urpr
ised
look
cro
ssed
Bat
's f
ace.
Tal
king
abo
utth
e re
d su
nset
s re
min
ded
Bat
that
whe
n th
e pe
ople
mov
ed to
the
foot
hills
, the
y fo
rgot
to b
ring
fir
e w
ith th
em. B
at a
nd L
izar
d ta
lked
and
talk
ed, u
ntil
fina
lly B
at d
ecid
ed o
n a
plan
to b
ring
fir
e to
the
foot
hills
. "Liz
ard,
" B
at s
aid,
"th
e an
imal
peo
ple
livin
g by
the
ocea
n ha
vefi
re. R
un a
s fa
st a
s yo
u ca
n to
the
coas
t and
bri
ng b
ack
som
e fi
refo
r us
." "You
r pl
an is
a g
ood
one,
" L
izar
d sa
id to
Bat
. "I
am a
ver
y fa
stru
nner
. I d
o no
t min
d m
akin
g th
is tr
ip to
the
coas
t. I
will
vis
it th
ean
imal
peo
ple
ther
e an
d br
ing
back
som
e fi
re f
or u
s."
The
ani
mal
peo
ple
livin
g on
the
coas
t wer
e ha
ppy
to s
eeL
izar
d. T
hey
wel
com
ed h
im w
ith f
ood
and
drin
k. T
hen,
bef
ore
hele
ft, L
izar
d w
as g
iven
a to
rch
to c
arry
the
fire
bac
k to
the
Mai
duco
untr
y. "But
how
will
you
kee
p th
e fi
re f
rom
goi
ng o
ut?"
som
e of
the
anim
al p
eopl
e as
ked
Liz
ard.
"I a
m a
gre
at r
unne
r,"
said
Liz
ard
to th
e an
imal
peo
ple
livin
gon
the
coas
t. "I
will
run
as
fast
as
I ca
n to
rea
ch th
efo
othi
lls b
efor
eth
e fi
re g
oes
out."
"How
will
you
kee
p ot
hers
fro
m s
teal
ing
the
fire
fro
m y
ou?"
Liz
ard
was
ask
ed.
3.6
28
"No one will see me," Lizard laughed. "I am too fast for themto catch me anyway!"
So off Lizard ran, over the hills between San Francisco andthe Sacramento Valley. He was very careful to protect the torch,so the fire would not go out. Lizard ran so fast that he was sure noone could see him. But he was wrong.
Lizard ran right through a. group of Sand Hill Cranes whowere playing a hand game. He was sure they could not see him,because he was so fast. But they did-see Lizard and his torch.
"That fire would be very good for us," said one of the Sand HillCranes. "We should take that fire for ourselves!" The other SandHill Cranes agreed and took off after Lizard.
The Sand Hill Cranes ran after Lizard so fast that theynearly overtook him. Lizard became frightened and tried to runeven faster, but he tripped and fell. The torch fell from Lizard'shand and the fire caught on some nearby grass. Quickly, the grassfire spread across the valley.
The grass fire was so large it could be seen for many miles.Even Bat saw the fire. He thought it was just the flame from thetorch. Bat was so excited that he couldn't wait for Lizard to reachthe foothills. He decided that he wanted to look at the fire up close.Bat caught sight of Lizard and flew down toward his friend.
Bat drew too close to the fire and his eyes were burned by thehot flames. He was in trouble! He could not see at all! Lizardquickly raced to his friend's side. He found Bat badly burned andall black from the fire. Bat's tail was completely burned off and hiswings were singed almost all the way through.
Worst of all, Bat's eyes were burned. He was nearly blind.Lizard put pitch in Bat's eyes, hoping it would bring back Bat'seyesight, but it didn't help.
"That is why bats can't see well even today, and why bats areblack with paper-thin wings," Grandfather said, bringing his storyto an end. 'That is also why they have such.tiny eyes. What do youthink of my story of Bat and Lizard and their search for fire,Laura?"
He had been watching Laura closely as he told the story. Shehad given her full attention to Grandfather. Even Mary had beencaught up in the tale. Grandfather was pleased at their interest.
"It was wonderful, Grandfather!" Laura said. "Can you tellme another Maidu story?"
Grandfather laughed. "All in one afternoon?" he asked."You'll be here for a few more days. I think there will be plenty oftime for stories, don't you?"
32 4 0
Laura nodded, but she was disappointed. Then, with atwinkle in her eye, she said, "Promise me another story afterdinner then!"
It was Grandfather's turn to nod his head. "I already knowwhich story to tell," he said. "Tonight I'll tell you all about SaltMan."
3341
7
SAL
T M
AN
Din
ner
had
been
eat
en a
nd th
e di
shes
cle
ared
away
whe
nG
rand
fath
er f
inal
ly a
gree
d to
tell
anot
her
stor
y. T
he c
old
nigh
t air
com
bine
d w
ith a
Mar
ch w
ind
to tu
rn th
e lit
tle h
ouse
col
d. A
fter
stok
ing
the
fire
with
woo
d to
war
m th
e liv
ing
room
, Gra
ndfa
ther
settl
ed in
to h
is f
avor
ite c
hair
. He
bega
n th
e st
ory
very
sud
denl
y.C
oyot
e ha
d be
com
e ve
ry h
ungr
y on
e ni
ght.
So h
e w
ent t
o th
eM
aidu
peo
ple
to a
sk f
or th
eir
help
."I
am
ver
y hu
ngry
," C
oyot
e sa
id.
"I w
ould
like
a s
alm
on to
eat.
Will
you
cat
ch a
sal
mon
for
me?
""W
e'll
try,
" sa
id th
e M
aidu
peo
ple,
"bu
t we
may
not
be
able
toca
tch
a sa
lmon
." T
o th
eir
surp
rise
, the
y ca
ught
a ve
ry la
rge
salm
on. T
hey
brou
ght i
t bac
k to
the
foot
hills
and
coo
ked
itov
er a
huge
fir
e. E
very
one
join
ed in
the
cele
brat
ion
exce
pt C
oyot
e. H
est
ood
back
and
wat
ched
whi
leev
eryo
ne e
lse
ate.
The
Mai
du e
njoy
ed th
e ta
ste
of th
e sa
lmon
so m
uch,
they
bega
n to
eat
the
fish
ver
y qu
ickl
y. P
iece
s of
sal
mon
beg
an to
fal
lon
3543
the ground. One c' the elders of the tribe was especially messy. Allaround the ground where he sat there lay large chunks of salmonmeat.
Coyote spoke to the sloppy elder. "See those chunks of salmonyou dropped on the ground?" he asked. The elder nodded. "Pickthem up and eat them. See if they taste good to you."
The elder did as he was told. When he picked up the pieces ofsalmon, he noticed that they had small, white rocks on them. Buthe ate the salmon anyway.
"The meat is very sweet and good," the elder said to Coyote.Coyote pointed to a white, shadowy man among the group.
"That is Salt Man," Coyote explained. "If you like the taste of thesmall, white rocks on the salmon, then you must catch Salt Man."
The Maidus immediately put down their salmon and chasedSalt Man. He was a very fast runner. The Maidu people ran afterSalt Man for several miles. Finally, Salt Man tripped and fell. Hefell down at a place near present-day Lincoln, California. Whenhe hit the ground, Salt Man broke into thousands of pieces.
Grandfather ended the story, saying, "If you go over toLincoln today, you will find the many pieces of Salt Man."
Mary nodded. "I remember the place, Dad," she said. "Wewent there when I was a kid."
36 44
Grandfather looked at Laura. "You see, that's the way withus Maidu," he said. "We have these old stories that explain ourpast, our land, and our ways. This is our history. I hope you willremember these stories about Lizard, Bat, and Salt Man."
Putting his arm around Laura's shoulders, Grandfathersaid, "If you like, you can come with me tomorrow. Travis' schoolis not on vacation. His teacher has invited me to tell a story to theclass."
"I would like that, Grandfather," Laura said as she gave hima good-night kiss. "Thank you for sharing these stories with me. Ilook forward to hearing more stories tomorrow."
"You know, Dad," said Mary after Laura had gone to bed,"Laura has really been looking forward to this trip. Ever sinceTravis sent his paper to her, she's wanted to hear some of yourstories."
"I wonder if she'll remember what she has heard tonight,"Grandfather said.
"I think so," said Mary. "I know I will never forget yourstories." She smiled at Grandfather. "You are the best storyteller Iknow."
3745
8
GRANDFATHER IN THE CLASSROOM
The students became very excited when they saw Travis'grandfather enter the classroom. Ms. Smith stood in front of theroom, trying hard to get everyone's attention. Slowly, silencesettled across the room.
"We are very lucky today to have a special guest," Ms. Smithannounced. "Travis' grandfather is a Maidu Indian elder wholives here in our community. He is a well-known storyteller, andhe is here today to share a Maidu Indian story with you."
Grandfather walked in front of the teacher's desk. Some ofthe students clapped, but others squirmed in their seats. Theywere not sure they wanted to hear Indian stories. Travis andLaura were proud of Grandfather. They thought he was verybrave to speak in front of the class.
"The Maidu people have hundreds of stories," Grandfatherexplained. "As I drove down Indian Hill Road, I tried to decidewhich story I would tell you. Then I heard some thunder in the
394.7
distance. The thunder reminded me of the story of Thunder Boy.It was one of my favorite stories as a child. I'd like to share it withyou today."
Laura looked around the room. She was pleased to see somany students listening to Grandfather. He had captured theirattention with only a few words.
Grandfather explained that the first Maidu Indians lived inmany villages in northern California. Strange things began tohappen in one of the larger villages. People started to disappearwithout explanation. Women would go out to collect firewood orcarry water, and they would not return. Men would go out on ahunt and never return. Even boys and girls began to disappear.
The entire village lived in fear. They needed food and waterand firewood to survive. But every time someone left camp to getwood or to hunt or fetch water, they disappeared.
Finally only an old man and his two grandchildren were leftin the village. They hid in their lodge because they were veryfrightened. But soon they became cold and hungry. The old manannounced that he would go hunt some food. The children beggedhim not to go, but their grandfather would not listen to them.
Of course, the old man never returned from his hunting.The little boy and his older sister were very sad. The winter winds
40 48
began to blow, and the weather became bitterly cold. The childrenwere weak from hunger and numb from the cold.
The little boy finally decided that he must leave the lodge andsearch for firewood. His sister agreed to let him go, but only if hepromised not to wander too far away from the village. The boynodded his head as he left the lodge.
After only a short time, the little boy returned with anarmload of firewood. His sister warned him not to carry so muchwood at one time. She was afraid he would hurt himself. But oneach trip, the little boy returned with a huge log or stump. Hissister was amazed at the mighty strength of her younger brother.
Although his sister warned him of the great danger lurkingin the woods, the little boy was curious. He wondered what hadhappened to his grandfather and the other villagers. One day, hiscuriosity overcame him. The little boy wandered far away fromhis lodge.
All at once, the boy came upon a frightening sight. There ona flat rock in front of him were the villagers. They lay in lifelessforms on the rock, frozen in time. A spell had fallen other theIndians, as though someone or something unseen had control overthem.
4149
.A
s th
e bo
y st
ared
. at h
is .f
rien
ds a
nd f
amily
mem
bers
, ast
rang
er a
ppro
ache
d.' H
is, r
iam
e w
as L
izar
d M
an. H
e lo
oked
angr
y an
d m
ean.
"Wha
t are
you
doi
ng h
ere?
" L
izar
d M
an d
eman
ded.
"Not
hing
at a
ll,"
repl
ied
the
boy.
' "Pe
rhap
s yo
u ar
e lo
okin
g fo
r a
figh
t," s
aid
Liz
ard
Man
.T
he b
oy a
nsw
ered
Liz
ard
Man
in a
cal
m v
oice
."I
did
not
com
e he
re f
or a
fig
ht,"
he
said
."I
nam
e to
fin
d m
y fr
iend
s an
dre
lativ
es. B
ut I
will
fig
ht'y
ou-i
fyou
insi
st o
n a
battl
e."
Liz
ard
Man
ioun
eed
en th
e bo
y an
d th
e tw
o be
gan
to w
rest
le.
At f
irst
Liz
ard
Man
see
med
to b
ewin
ning
the
figh
t. B
ut th
e lo
nger
they
fou
ght,
the
stro
nger
, and
' mor
e sk
illfu
l the
boy
bec
ame.
Fina
lly h
e de
feat
ed L
izar
d M
an.
Dur
ing
the
stru
ggle
, the
1cL
y ha
d fo
und
his
pow
er. H
e w
asab
le to
unl
ock
Ilza
rd M
a/1.
s ;s
pell
over
the
peop
le. B
efor
e th
eyw
oke
up, t
he b
oy r
aced
bac
kito
hid
sis
ter.
.She
hel
ped
him
cle
an h
isw
ound
s as
the
boy
expl
aine
d w
hat h
ad ta
ken
plac
e.."
I m
ust l
eave
you
now
," th
e.bo
y sa
id to
his
sis
ter.
"I
mus
t go
toth
e V
alle
y A
bove
the
Ear
th."
t!
"But
why
mus
t you
leav
e?"
aske
d th
e si
ster
, sho
cked
at h
isw
ords
.:
51.
"I c
anno
t say
," a
nsw
ered
the
boy,
"ex
cept
to te
ll yo
u th
at th
eV
alle
y A
bove
the
Ear
th is
my
new
hom
e, B
ut I
will
alw
ays
rem
ain
clos
e by
you
."H
is s
iste
r be
gan
to c
ry. S
he d
id n
ot w
ant h
er b
roth
er to
leav
e.Sh
e w
as a
frai
d-sh
e w
ould
nev
er s
ee h
im a
gain
."W
hen
I re
ach
my
new
hom
e,"
he s
aid,
"I
will
let y
ou k
now
Iha
ve s
afel
y ar
rive
d."
With
that
the
boy
was
gon
e.W
hen
the
villa
gers
ret
urne
d to
thei
r ca
mp,
the
girl
told
them
wha
t had
hap
pene
d. A
s th
e pe
ople
gaz
ed u
p at
the
sky,
clo
uds
form
ed o
ver
the
mou
ntai
ns. T
hen,
for
the
firs
t tim
e, th
ey h
eard
'th
e ro
ar o
f th
unde
r. T
he th
unde
r ro
ared
aga
in a
nd a
gain
. The
nth
e pe
ople
und
erst
ood
that
the
boy
had
been
cal
led
to th
e sk
y to
beco
me
Thu
nder
Boy
."T
hund
er B
oy e
vent
ually
gre
w in
toa
man
," G
rand
fath
ersa
id.
"Tod
ay h
e is
kno
wn
as T
hund
er M
an. H
e st
ill r
oars
over
head
, som
etim
es d
ista
nt a
nd s
omet
imes
loud
and
cra
shin
g."
As
Gra
ndfa
ther
spo
ke, t
he r
umbl
e of
dis
tant
thun
der
coul
d be
hear
d. "
Do
you
hear
?" G
rand
fath
er a
sked
with
a sm
ile.
"It i
sT
hund
er M
an s
endi
ng y
ou h
is g
reet
ing.
I th
ink
he e
njoy
edou
rst
ory.
" From
the
look
s on
the
face
s of
the
child
ren,
they
see
med
toag
ree!
4553
A stirring story unfolds as Grandfather shares with Travis, Laura,and the students of Newcastle Elementary School a series of Maidu Indiantales. Travis relates to his classmates the Maidu creation story, told to himmany times by Grandfather, which features Coyote, Earthmaker, andRobin. Grandfather then shares Maidu stories with his granddaughter,Laura who is an urban Indian. Finally, Travis' classmates at NewcastleSchool learn about Thunder Boy. Join the many colorful characters fromthe Maidu Indian past in this delightful book.
Lee Ann Smith-Trafzer holds the B. A. and at A. degrees in 9-fistory fromWashington State University. She is a professional writer and attorney. CliffordE. Trafzer is Professor and Chair of Ethnic Studies at the 'University of California,fiver side, and an award-winning author of several books on Native Americans.
Ross Coates is Professor of Art at Washington State University, where he and hiswife, Marilyn Lysohir, create their art. The noted artist also illustratedGrandmother's Christmas Story, Grandmother Stories of the Northwest,and Grandfather's Monster Stories, also produced by Sierra Oaks PublishingCompany.
ISBN: 0-940113-18-X
'1 belong to the Earth out of which I came." Toohoolhoolzote (Nez Perce)This Sierra Oaks Book is printed on recycled paper
Sierra Oaks Publishing Company1988
D4