TOLOWA INDIANS

THE TOLOWA TRIBE STILL ARE IN THEIR TRADITIONAL TERRITORY IN SMITH RIVER AND ELK VALLEY RANCHERIA. THEY LIVED IN EIGHT EIGHT VILLAGES THAT WERE PERMANENT. IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN OREGON. THEIR LANGUAGE WAS ATHABASKAN. THEIR SUBSTANCE WAS ORIENTED AROUND RIVERINE FISH, OCEAN FISH AND SEAWEED AND ACORN.

THEY HAD A SOCIAL ORGANIZATION THAT WAS LED BY A HEADMAN. JEDIDIAH SMITH AND HIS LIFE PARTY WERE THE FIRST TO CONTACT THE TRIBE IN 1828. DURING 1850'S OVER 1/2 OF THE TOLOWA DIED FROM DISEASES AND MASS MURDERS BY ANGLOS. IN 1860 ALL 600 TOLOWA WERE FORCIBLY RELOCATED TO THE COVELO RESERVATION.

A TOLOWA LEGEND

THERE WAS A GREAT RAIN A LONG TIME AGO AND IT WAS A GREAT RAIN A LONG TIME AGO AND IT WAS TERRIFIC. THE NATIVES FLED TO THE HIGH LANDS. THE WATER ROSE AND ALL BUT ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN DROWNED IN THE FLOOD. THEY CLIMBED TO THE HIGHEST PEAK AND WERE SAVED. THEY ATE FISH FROM THE RIVER WATERS ONCE THE FLOOD WAS GONE. THE CHILDREN OF THESE INDIANS DIED AND BECAME SPIRITS OF DEER, BEAR , AND INSECTS, AND SO THE ANIMALS CAME TO EARTH AGAIN. THE MAN AND WOMAN HAD NO FIRE. THE SPIDER AND SMOKE INDIANS PLANNED TO STEEL FIRE BY WEAVING A LIGHT BALLOON AND FASTENING A ROPE TO THE EARTH. THEY CLIMBED INTO THE BALLOON AND STARTED FOR THE MOON. BUT INDIANS OF THE MOON WERE SUSPICIOUS AND SAID WE CAME TO THE SPIDER INDIANS AND GAMBLED WITH THEM. THEY SAT BY THE FIRE.

THE SNAKE INDIANS SENT A MAN TO CLIMB UP THE LONG ROPE FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON. HE CLIMBED THE ROPE DARTED FROM THE EARTH AND TO THE MOON. HE CLIMBED THE ROPE AND DARTED FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON. HE CLIMBED THE ROPE AND DARTED THROUGH FIRE BEFORE THE MOON INDIANS UNDERSTAND WHAT HE HAD DONE. HE SLID DOWN TO THE EARTH AGAIN. AS HE TOUCHED THE EARTH HE3 GAVE FIRE TO EACH THING HE PASSED. EVERYTHING HE PASSED. EVERYTHING HE TOUCHED BECAME FIRE. SO THE WORLD BECAME BRIGHT AGAIN. THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY PUT TO DEATH, SINCE THE TRIBES WERE AFRAID THE MOON INDIANS WANTED REVENGE.

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