Raven Brings the Light (2 page)

The Chiefs continued, “Our people have been told that one day Weget is going to leave our island, and he is going to fly over the big waters to get the Daylight Ball from the Chief of the Heavens and bring it back to us.”

Then they reached into the box and pulled out a little skin pouch. They opened it up and it was full of little rocks.

“When Weget flies over the big water, he will get tired. He should take one of these rocks and drop it in the big ocean. The little rock will change into an island where he can land and rest.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“After Weget passes over the water, he will come to a big land where there are no islands.”

The Chiefs reached into the box and pulled out another little skin pouch. They opened the pouch up carefully and revealed little red fish eggs. After closing it, they put it back in the box and continued, “When Weget comes to the big land, there will be waters running off of the land into the salt water. When he gets to the place where the waters meet, he will take these eggs and put them into the moving water. And he is to say, ‘Let all of these rivers bring forth an abundance of fish for my people.'”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chiefs took out one more bag. And in that bag was a variety of berry and tree seeds.

“When Weget gets to the big land, he is to spread these seeds all over the land. And these seeds are going to bring all kinds of trees and foods to our people.”

Weget continued to grow and the time soon came when he was ready to receive his gifts. As he slipped on the raven skin for the first time his heart was filled with courage. The Chiefs had prepared him as well as they could.

With great excitement he tucked the cedar box underneath his arm and took flight. Before long, however, Weget began to lose his way in the darkness. He became so tired flying back and forth, he was forced to drop many rocks in order to rest. Today, there are many islands along the West Coast—these are the rocks Weget dropped in the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weget finally arrived at the big land and he saw a mighty river coming down.

The river is known today as the Skeena, but in the old times it was called
Ksien
and so the people who live around it are called the
Gitksien
, which means “people of Ksien.” As Weget flew northward over the land he remembered to drop the fish eggs into the rivers, and spread the seeds all over the land.

After Weget flew over Ksien he came to
Lisims
, known today as the Nass River. The Chiefs had told Weget that this river would rise very quickly up into the mountains.

Up there, the river turned into a creek, which turned into a small rivulet, before it came to the place where the juice from the clouds fell on the mountain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Weget reached this place he was told to look straight up into the sky where he would see a little wee light …
waaaaay
up there. That was where he was to go.

As he flew higher he discovered that the pinpoint of light was actually a big hole in the sky, a hole in the heavens.

Up there, there was light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon entering the hole in the sky, Weget was afraid because everything was strange and bright. He had lived all his life in darkness and did not know what light was. It hurt his eyes but he was excited to see everything so clearly. He could see a village in the distance with smoke coming from the houses. He could see the enormous longhouse where the Chief of the Heavens kept the Daylight Ball.