Cloud-watcher

[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsgo]

A Tlingit supernatural power spoke through him. After he had acted as shaman for a while, and, when all were at Tꜝā′łdi, the son of the chief of the salmon spoke through him. At that time there were no salmon on this island. Then the salmon came like a strong wind.

At that time he used to go into a deep place. His moose-skin blankets had pictures of salmon on them. He also wore a dance hat. He had a dancing skirt. He had rattles of puffin beaks.

At that time the chiefs refused to allow him [to go down]. They told him he would swim away forever. Then he became disgusted, so they said the salmon would be lost, and they let him go down. They let one who was always truthful go with him.

Then he lay still in the creek like a dog salmon. Lā′ma thought he would swim away, and he held the lower edge of his moose-skin blanket in his hand. After he had stayed in the water for a while, he jerked like a dog salmon sending out eggs. After he had done this four times he stood up. He was not wet in a single spot. All that time they sang for him in the house.

Then there were great numbers of dog salmon in the creek. When he stood up in the house all looked at him. He was not wet in the least. Then dog salmon nearly surrounded the coasts of this island. Before that there were few salmon, but a strong man dried three dog salmon during a season. The strongest man got five. They put two away, and, taking one along as provisions, they spent the winter in the neighborhood of mussels.

He had them get a large drum off of the east side of a big cedar. They used to hang that up.

After they had sung a while for him he ceased to use these things and wore different ones. At once he again stood up for the dance. After this dance had gone on for a while there, they came to Sea-grass town.

When they went to Metlakahtla to gamble he became angry with one opposite him, and, when he stood up, he became ten. For that reason his elder brothers were afraid of him.

They came in dancing. Then, when they came in, he looked at them from where he stood in the rear of the house. He looked to see if anyone were sick. If one smiled a little, he said: “The people have untroubled minds.”

Here is all of this.

The name Cloud-watcher occurs in one other place, in “The story about Him who destroyed his nine nephews.” He belonged to the Town-of-Djī′gua people, an important Eagle family at the old town of Kloo.

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