The Myths and Legends of the First Peoples of the Americas
Pacific Northwest Indian Legends People have long told myths and legends These myths explained the origins of people and their cultures as well as explaining natural phenomena Myths often helped early civilizations make sense of their lives their environment and such things as sickness and death Let’s take a look at some of the myths and legends of the first peoples of the Americas who are sometimes called Native Americans Indians or indigenous peoples The Legend of Wishpoosh Beavers hold an honored position with many tribes of Native Americans Historically some tribes believed beavers had created humans Others believed that people who died came back to life as beavers Beavers were eaten by some tribes but only on special occasions Native American hunters always traveled far from home to capture Opposite Many cultures including Native American cultures create myths to explain natural phenomena Pacific Northwest Indian Legends 5 1
Native Americans said that a hungry beaver named Wishpoosh is the origin of many tribes beavers for these feasts because the beavers living near a Native American community were considered friends of that community When the fur traders came to North America Native Americans attitudes toward beavers began to change The traders offered goods to the Native Americans in exchange for beaver furs the Native Americans captured The more pelts captured the more goods the Native Americans received Although the Native Americans had survived for many years without the kinds of goods the 6 The Myths and Legends of the First Peoples of the Americas
white traders brought they soon grew dependent on the goods The need to capture beavers in order to obtain the goods they wanted and needed sometimes led to violent confrontations with other Native Americans and with white people One legend about a great beaver named Wishpoosh was told by Native Americans of the mid Columbia River region of the Pacific Northwest It had two purposes to explain a great flood the Native Americans believed had once taken place and to explain the origins of the tribes The Legend of Wishpoosh takes place in what is now Washington state Pacific Northwest Indian Legends 7
