Week 9: Review

Happy Easter! 

Eater Flowers: Found on Class Announcements

Another week accomplished and completed. I was able to get all my work done in time to spend the weekend with great friends! I look forward to the new week and the challenges it brings. Remember not to walk to fast, you might miss the view! (In other words check your work and back it up!) 

Week 9: Storytelling: When the Rainbow Was Torn

Coloring Earth 

Long ago before humans and animals roamed the earth it was colorless. The only thing living on earth was plants, shrubs and trees. Along with the natural elements of wind, fire, air, earth, and weather. The elements were special for they could obtain color. The fire was able to burn a piercing red. The wind had a blue tint to it as well as the rain. The lighting was able to hold a glowing yellow. The one that stood out the most was the rainbow. The rainbow held seven outstand colors; radiant red, outstanding orange, great green, yeasty yellow, bold blue,  illusive indigo, and  vast violet. All the other plants and elements were jealous. They wanted to have the color like the rainbow did.

Rainbow: By Barb Ver Sluis

For many years, the rainbow made sure he never touched any other plants on the ground. The rainbow was careful to place his ends in clear open spaces on the ground. The rainbow feared that the other plants would steal his color. 

Until one day the storm clouds were very upset and it rained and rained for days on end. Every time the storm clouds would let up the rainbow would come out. He would shine his bold and brilliant colors. After a month of training, the rainbow grew very tired. He was exhausted after showing himself and letting his colors rain down to earth. It wasn't always easy being a rainbow. He needed his rest as well. 

One day the storm clouds let up for a break to take a rest. It was time for the rainbow to come out and shine. Due to his exhaustion, he was not paying close attention to where he set his ends down. It was too late, though, by the time he noticed he was about to place his end on a bed of flowers. The rainbow was too weak to pull up his end, so he fell on the bed of flowers. The moment his end touched them the flowers broke out into color. 

The rainbow was in a mess, he began to panic that this was the end of him. His color would vanish and the flowers would take it all. There would be no more rainbow to shine after the rain. Or would there?

When it was time for the rainbow to pull up from earth he was shocked. He pulled up and realized he hadn't lost a bit of color. He was ecstatic and joyful once again. He had actually felt better than ever before. For the rainbow had gained energy from the flower he landed on. He also noticed that the flower was now colored. They held as much beauty as the rainbow did. 

Instead of being mad the rainbow was happy. He looked down on the flowers and saw how stunning they looked. It was a much better view then looking down and black and white all day. From that day, the rainbow took the job of painting the world. He asked the rainclouds to continue to rain while he helped add color to the world. He landed in a new spot day after day. He decided to paint the pines green, the water blue and give the flowers the color of their choice. As days went by color flourished over the ground. All the other elements loved the view. 

This is the story of how the color came into the world. With a simple accident, that lead to wonders. 

Colored the Flowers. By, Ian Sane on Flicker

Authors Note: I took the original story of When the Rainbow Was Torn. In the original story, there were cactus flowers that were white. The colors belonged to the rainbow. When the rainbow touched the ground everything around it soaked up its color. The cactus flower always hoped the rainbow would touch down on them. Yet the rainbow was afraid the towns would poke him. In the original story, the rainbow was heavy from all the rain drops and fell down on the cactus flower. It wasn't able to lift up due to the weight of raindrops. This is how the cactus flowers gained their color. In my story, I wanted to take away all color from earth. I gave the rainbow all the color and made him a selfish character, who didn't want to share. Until one day he grew too tired and fell on the flowers. I then turned the rainbows character around and made him giving. Once he realized he wouldn't lose his color and he could share it with everyone. Making earth a beautiful place to look at. 

Story Source: From the Tejas Legends: When the Rainbow Was Torn. Form When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends retold by Florence Stratton and illustrated by Berniece Burrough (1936). 

Week 9: Reading Diary extra credit: The Cloud That Was Lost

Just like all people and living things, clouds also need rest. Be careful where you wander though because you might now come back.

The story of The lost cloud is just as it sounds. It's about a cloud that got lost. The clouds would come down at night to rest. They would place themselves in mountain tops and tree tops. This is why there is fog. One day a little cloud was chasing his tale and ended up far from any other clouds. As night fell the little cloud as very tired. There was nothing but an open field below.  The cloud couldn't take it so the cloud laying down on the field. Below he was a white flower that was tired of begin white. The cloud had a light pink/lavender color. The flowers took their chance and drank from the cloud. They did so until there was no cloud left.

So we are left with the story of how the flower known as the phlox got their soft color.

Phlox: From the story The Lost Cloud

Story from: Tejas Legends Unit: The Cloud That Was Lost By, Berniece Burrough (1936) 

My favorite part of this story is how the flowers got their color. I like how in many Native American stories everything comes from something already. Such as the flower got their color from the cloud. 

I also wanted to highlight the story, How Sickness Entered the World. In the beginning, there was no sickness. People lived a healthy life unti\ll they grew old. One day the old medicine man fell dying, The Great Spirit decided that he would send a messenger down so the man could share his wisdom. Yet, the old man was too weak to meet the messenger. So he sent to young boys to meet the messenger. When the boys were waiting they saw a snake. In fear, they attacked and killed the snake. Then they continued to wait for the messenger. He never came and the boys went back to tell the medicine man what happened. The medicine man was raged for they had killed the messenger (the snake). The medicine man told them there would be great trouble ahead. That night the mate of the snake come into camp and laid eggs everywhere. When the eggs hatched each snake carried a sickness into the world. This was how sickness came into the world. 

I liked this story because it shows that with every action you take there will be consequences. Also, that thing are not always as they seem. Such as the messenger being a snake. 

Week 9 Reading Diary Continued: Origin of the Tribes

The Creation of the Tribes (Chinook) from the Pacific Northwest unit

I always find it fascinating  how Different Indian's have creation stories. From most of the creation stories I have read, they start with animals. I find it that this could be a reason why Indians respect animals so much. Maybe another reason why they see then as an equal, Instead of superior to.

In this creation story, it started out with a monster beaver and a coyote. In Lake Cleellum. They story is told of how animal people would try to fish in Cleellum but Wishpoosh the beaver would drag them down to the bottom of the lake.

One day the Coyote the wisest and cunningest of them all decided he would change this. He went fishing in the lake but his pole was no ordinary one. Coyote had fastened a spear to his wrist with a strong cord. When Wishpoosh attacked him the coyote speared the beaver. Then Wishpoosh dragged him to the bottom of the lake. Yet, the coyote would not go down without the fight for his life. The two had an epic battle. They fought and fought dragging each other through the water.

The two had fought so hard that they began to tear out the banks of the lake. Water began to rush through the mountains. With each stop, that coyote and Wishpoosh made a lake was formed. Then when they started back up again in motion a new bank was torn out. Water flew downstream. The water then rushed down to a meeting place, of the Yakima, the Snake, and the Columbia Rivers,

Coyote was beginning to get short of breath. He would not stop fighting, though. He had to take down Wwishpoosh. This is when coyote reminded himself of who he was, cunning and wise. Coyote turned himself into a branch. He drifted toward Wishpoosh and then he was swallowed. Once inside of Wishpoosh he changed back into a coyote. Coyote took his knife and cut the inside of Wishpoosh.

Coyote was very tired and Muscat came to help him. The two tore apart and Wishpoosh and threw the pieces over the land. The creation began with each piece.

From the Head of Wishpoosh Coyote made the Nez Perces- Great in Council 

From the arms, he made the Cayuses- Powerful with a bow and war club

From the legs he made the Klickitats- Famous runners 

From the ribs, he made the Chinooks- Short, fat people

Map of Nez Perce, found on Wikipedia

With each piece of Wishpoosh, the monster beaver coyote made a tribe. He created something that would level the playing field. He created the Tribes of the Pacific Northwest.

This story gave me some create ideas for when I rewrite my creation story of the Cherokee Indians for my storybook. It also started off with two animals in a fight. In this creation story, I liked how with each piece of the killed (sacrificed) animal something was created! There is never any waste.

Story from the Pacific Northwest unit: Origin of the Tribes by Katharine Berry Judson (1910)

Week 9 Reading Diary: Ashish

Ashish was the one who always shot straight. 

Story from Pacific NW: The Story of Ashish

I enjoyed this story and choose to highlight it for its tale. The tale how certain characteristics will reveal one's true identity. In the beginning, it told how when each one was to gamble they would build a fire. AShiish's for was a purple-blue. The sly silver fox's fire was only yellow.

They story goes on of how gamblers are placed and, in the end, Ashish always wins. The others are out of things to bet by noon and return to their lodges. As the story goes on it tells of how the silver fox tricked Ashish into climbing a tree to hunt an eagle. Yet, when Ashish climbs up the tree it grew higher and higher up. When he reached the top he only found young eagles. He knew he was tricked. He grew very weak and turned into bones.

Down on the ground, the silver fox turned into Ashish, or so he tried to. Shortly after AShish's wives knew he wasn't Ashish. They told the other gamblers and asked the so-called Ashish to shoot. Claiming that Ashish always hit the target and shoots straight. He missed his mark. Then they really knew something was up. The next step was to have the so-called Ashish build his fire. Once he did it burned only yellow and the true identity was shown.

I liked how the moral of the story was that the ones who really know you will found out. They care about you and can tell when something is wrong. It also shows that each and every person is a unique individual. It also helped that in the story everyone had a different color fire. So in the end, they were able to prove to everyone the fox was trying to be Ashish.

As for Ashish, he was found by butterflies. He told them his story and they were able to nurture him back to health. They brought him up food and water. Then they carried him back down to the ground. In the end, everyone got what they deserved and true identity was discovered.

Story by: Katharine Berry Judson (1910) 

Ashish's Fire

Tech Tip: Quote Maker

Pictures and quotes are two of my favorite things! 

Personal photo made on Canva

This is a photo I took, at Grand Teton National Park. It was taken in the summer of 2015 on a hike. I choose this quote to go with it because it simply what is said. Everything you do in life has a reason and purpose. If you work hard you will be rewarded. Just like an echo, you send out your hard work, then the reward comes back. The author of the original quote is unknown.