Raven Survives the Flood

“Raven,” interrupted Eagle. “Don’t become enamored with your own storytelling.”

            “The water had washed nearly everyone away,” Raven remembered. “I saved my mother by wrapping her in a duck skin. Many people wrapped themselves in duck skins so they could float. Others found their canoes. All of them asked if this would be their last moment in life. The torrents carried nearly all of them away, except those who fled to the mountains and those with the duck skins and those in their canoes.”

            “Excellent, Raven,” said Eagle. “Now put it to song.”

            Raven sang.

Reach out so that we may be together. We step into the canoe to begin our journey. We dip our paddles into the water so that we may move forward in unity and build the world again.

Kuh.éex/Potlatch