Tlingit Indians of Southeastern Alaska

 

Alaska Multimedia Education Program
Alaska State Museum
Juneau, Alaska 99801

RAVEN TURNS HIMSELF INTO A WOMAN

Introduction

Raven has lost his wife, the Fog Woman. He wants to get married again, so that people will look after him, and he won't have to work hard for his food. This time he decides to turn himself into a woman and become a wife.

Raven is lazy and a bad wife: She steals from the Killerwhale people in the village where she lives. Then she decides to kill her husband and all the Killerwhales in the village.

After you read this story, go on to the story of Raven and the Fish hawk which is a continuation of the same theme.

RAVEN TURNS HIMSELF INTO A WOMAN

Now Raven started on from this place crying, "My wife, my wife!"

Coming to some trees, he saw a lot of gum on one of them and said to the tree, "Why, you are just like me. You are in the same state." For he thought that the tree was crying, just as Raven was crying for his lost wife the Fog Woman.

Raven went to another place and turned himself into a woman. Then she (for Raven was a woman now) thought to herself,

"I must get married and have someone to look after me. But to get a husband, I must say my father was a great chief. Whose daughter shall I say I am?"

She looked around thoughtfully, and her eyes rested on a sea-gull sitting on a high rock. In those days, a chief would always pick out a high place in the village, and would sit there in the morning. The sea-gull sitting on the high rock reminded her of a chief, so she decided, "I will call the sea-gull my father. From now on I will call myself Sitter-on-the-High-Cliff's daughter!"

Some time later, a canoe came along filled with men of the Killerwhale clan who were returning to their village. Raven waved to them, talked to them, and finally convinced one of them to marry her.

The canoe continued on its journey, with Raven a long this time. When it approached the village, a man on the beach saw it coming and shouted out, "Where is your canoe coming from?"

One of the Killerwhales in the canoe replied, "We have been after a wife, and we have her!"

"Which chief's daughter is she?" people asked when the Killerwhales arrived in the village. They knew that Raven must be a chief's daughter, for in those days people never went to fetch a woman by canoe unless she were the daughter of a chief.

"It is Sitter-on-the-High-Cliff's daughter," the Killerwhales replied. And all the villagers believed this.

Raven made herself at home in the Killerwhales' house. Soon, the Killerwhales began to notice that their food was disappearing very rapidly, even though they were always out fishing and hunting, and had their house piled full with boxes of grease.

They wondered to each other, "What is wrong? What has become of all the grease and fat in these boxes?" They could not find out for a long time.

Raven wore a labret in her lip in those days. It was set with abalone shell and was very valuable. One day, the Killerwhales found this labret in one of the boxes of grease and said, "Just look at this labret here in this box. We know who it belongs to!" And they went to Raven and asked her how the labret got into the box.

Raven exclaimed, "Oh, my labret! That's always the way with my labret. Whenever it feels like doing so, it will leave my lip and go off anywhere it chooses!"

For the moment, the Killerwhale people believed Raven.

By and by, Raven said to the Killerwhales, "I wonder what is wrong that I have such bad dreams. I dreamed that all the people in this village were asleep, and my husband went to sleep too and never woke up. My dreams always come true. Whatever I dream will surely happen."

The people looked at each other with frightened eyes.

Late the next night, Raven got a stick, sharpened the ends, crept to where her husband slept, and killed him!

Early the next morning, the village people woke and heard her crying, "Oh, my husband! My husband!" Raven told the people that her husband's last words had been, "When I'm dead take my body to a place some distance from the town". The Killerwhale people did this.

Then Raven said, "When you hear me crying, I don't want any of you to pass the place where I am mourning for him. Leave me alone to cry in peace. Now, tie up the fingers of my right hand, so that may eat with my left hand only. You people must wait on me. You must bring me everything I eat. Also paint my face black."

As she was a widow, they had to do everything just as she told them. These are the rules that people have observed from that time.

Raven stayed there pretending to be mourning for a long time. She was fed by the Killerwhales and had a very easy life for a time. And whenever anyone heard her crying near the spot where her husband's body had been laid no one dared to go near. She lived there a long time, crying. But really she was crying for joy, because she intended to kill all the Killerwhales...

But that is another story...

RAVEN TURNS HIMSELF INTO A WOMAN

Discussion

These are questions for you to discuss with your friends or your teacher. Or, you could write out your answers if you wish.

1. What does this story tell you about Raven's character?
2. What does the story tell you about some Tlingit customs of the past?
3. What sort of wife is Raven? Is she different from the Fog Woman in the way she behaves?
4. Discuss the ending of the story. Why do you think Raven killed her husband?

Writing

1. Image you could change into something else -- like a raven. Describe what you would like to be and write about an adventure you might have.
2. The story begins with these words:
   "How Raven started on from this place crying, 'My wife, my wife.'" Imagine that you are Raven and write a description of all the sad thoughts that go through your mind after your wife has left you. You could use these first words of the story to start with, if you wish.
3. Write your own story about Raven. Draw lots of pictures to go with it.
4. Raven loved eating. What are your favorite foods? Write a list of all the things you like to eat most. Then try to describe their tastes. You could even write a poem about the food you love most. Or write a story about somebody who simply can't stop eating -- like Raven. Then draw pictures of the food you've written about. Use color!

Drawing

1. Draw a picture of Raven when she was a woman. (It might look funny!)
2. Draw a picture of Raven stealing grease from the boxes.

RAVEN AND THE FISH HAWK

After that Raven began to travel. One day he came upon a Fish Hawk. "Oh, my friend!" cried Raven, as if the hawk were his dearest friend. Raven entered Fish Hawk's house, looked around and saw a great amount of food. He smiled broadly when he saw the food.

Raven said to the Fish hawk, "I will stay with you all winter! We will be partners and share our work and our food!" Fish Hawk agreed.

Raven stayed and stayed; but after a while. Fish hawk became very tired of his visitor. Raven shared the food all right, but he did not share in the work!

When Raven noticed that Fish hawk was becoming weary of him, he said, "The time for me to work hasn't come yet. When it's my turn to work, you'll have plenty of rest. You won't have to do a thing! This beach will be covered with all kinds of fish. There will be so much fish, you'll get tired of eating it!"

Fish hawk beleived what Raven said. He started thinking about all the things Raven would do for him, and he forgot about how lazy Raven had shown himself to be. He let Raven stay at his house.

Meanwhile, as he was waiting for Raven to be ready to start working, Fish hawk was working all time harder to supply his guest with food. Once in a while he would get angry at Raven all over again for not sharing in the work.

Then Raven would say, "I remember when we first met, Fish Hawk. I was very impressed by you, for I knew then that you were a very wealthy person -- and now I see that I was correct! You are very wealthy and deserve all my respect!" Fish Hawk was pleased. He forgot about his anger. Clever Raven knew how to use flattery!

Still, Raven stayed on and on. And he ate more and more.

But he never kept his promise; he never did any work. He never brought home food.

Then one day the little hawk decided he had had enough. He refused to feed Raven any more. He left his house and he left Raven to find his own food!

RAVEN AND THE FISH HAWK

The man who told the story you've just read said this about it: "This is the way it is nowadays with persons who have no respect for themselves. They go from house to house to be fed by others. Such persons are greedy, great eaters and lazy.

"People tell their children that those who lead this kind of life are not respected. A person who tells the truth is always known because he keeps his word. There was a boy I knew who wouldn't do anything. They used to say to him,

"'You're so lazy that you will he left in some village alone!'

"That is why the Tlingit tried hard to earn their living and make things comfortable for themselves."

RAVEN AND THE FISH HAWK

Discussion

1. What sort of person was the Fish Hawk?
2. What did Raven do to make Fish Hawk tired of him?
3. The story doesn't say where the Fish Hawk lived. Where do you think he might live?
4. Why do you think Fish Hawk believed Raven when he was only flattering?

Writing

1. Have you ever been away on a visit to somebody else's house? If you have, write a description of your visit.
2. Make up a story about a child who goes a long way from home, and stays with people in a strange place. Imagine you are that child if you like, and write the story from your point of view.
3. Withmout looking at the story again, write the story of Raven and the Fish Hawk in your own words.
4. The Fish Hawk was very kind to Raven. Have you got a friend who is kind to you? Describe your friend and draw a picture of him or her.

Acting

1. 1. Act out the story of Raven and the Fish Hawk. It will only need two people to act out!
2. Imagine somebody comes and stays at your house, and starts eating all your food, and just lays around being lazy. He is a nice person, but you do wish that he'd help around the house. Act out a play about what happens.

"RAVEN TURNS HIMSELF INTO A WOMAN" was adapted from John R. Swanton's Tlingit Myths and Texts (1909) page 114-116.

"RAVEN AND THE FISH HAWK" was adapted from John R. Swanton's Tlingit Myths and Texts (1909) page 116-117.


Illustrated by Nancy Logue.

MATERIALS LIST & GOALS
SECTION 1: Tlingit Country
SECTION 2: Clans
SECTION 3: Summer Camp
SECTION 4: Tlingit Economy: Surplus
SECTION 5: Wrap Up

APPENDIX A: Brief Description of Tlingit Culture
APPENDIX B: A Sample Winter Clan House
APPENDIX C: Northwest Coast Materials in ASD AVS Center
APPENDIX D: Juvenile Literature on Northwest Coast Cultures
APPENDIX E: Art Bibliography
APPENDIX F: Northwest Coast Cultures Bibliography
APPENDIX G: Schools Which Own Northwest Coast Study Prints
APPENDIX H: Raven Stories (reprints)
APPENDIX I: Recorded Versions of Clan Crest Stories
APPENDIX J: Some Northwest Coast Art Activities