 Tlingit Indians of Southeastern Alaska
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RAVEN, THE OLD WOMAN OF THE TIDES, & THE
SEA URCHINS:
A Puppet Play
Produced by the
Alaska Multimedia Education Program
Alaska State Museum
Juneau, Alaska
Written by
Tom Lowenstein
RAVEN, THE OLD WOMAN OF THE TIDES; & THE
SEA URCHINS.
(A Puppet Play)
| Narrator: |
One day as Raven was traveling along, he came upon Shark,
who was swimming with a long stick in his mouth.
"I think I could use that stick", said Raven
to himself. So he took the stick, and pushed it down into the sea, and
then climbed down the stick, using it as a ladded to get to the bottom.
When he got to the bottom of the ocean, Raven walked
around and picked up a whole lot of prickly sea urchins. When he had gathered
enough sea urchins to make a good feast, he climbed back up the stick,
and found himself on a sandy beach.
|
| Raven: |
Mmmmm....I think I'll sit down here and eat some of these
sea urchins.
Ouch! What prickly skins they have....
Oooh, I?ve got one sticking to my finger.
I must be careful not to swallow any of the prickles.
(With a knife, Raven carefully scoops the flesh out of
the sea urchin, throws the skin away, and eats with
a loud gulping noise.)
That tastes good!
I think I'll have another....
(Raven repeats action of eating and loud gulping noise.)
That tasted good too! Just one more, maybe; (gulping more)
Mmmm....
It was worth climbing to the bottom of the sea for these...
but how cold I am after eating all those sea urchins....
(Suddenly there is a slow creaking noise, like a door
opening and closing behind him. Then Raven hears
a long nasty laugh, quiet, coming from the cliff.)
|
Voice:
(of old woman) |
Heh, heh, heh..! Heh, heh, heh!
During what tide did you get those sea urchins, Raven?
|
| Raven: |
I heard a noise. A door opening and closing! Then I heard
a voice. The voice of an old woman.
Who could it be? Could it be the Old Woman of the Tides?
|
| Voice: |
On what tide did you get those sea urchins,
Raven? On what tide did you gather them? |
| Raven: |
(Softly to himself.) I won't take any notice of her for
a little while
Then I'll see if I can trick her!
(Eating with gulping noise, then out loud.)
Oh how cold I am after eating those sea urchins...!
|
| Voice: |
Was it at a low tide that you got them, Raven?
I'll have to keep the tides higher in the future... |
| Raven: |
(Gulping down another sea urchin.) Delicious!
What de'licious food!
(Gulp, gulp, gulp.) |
| Voice: |
On what tide did you get those sea urchins
that you're making so much noise about? |
| Raven: |
None of your business!
Keep quiet, or I'll stick the sea urchins all over your bottom! |
Enter Eagle
| Raven: |
Ah, here's Eagle. Come here, Eagle, (Goes on
eating.) Gulp, gulp, gulp
You can help me. The Old Woman of the Tides is in this cliff. |
| Eagle: |
Yes, I know. That's where she lives.
She sits there behind the rock and brings the tides
in, or sends them back, whenever
she pleases. |
| Raven: |
I think it's time to teach that old woman a
lesson.
Then she'll make the tide go lower, and we can get
our food off the beaches easily. Have some sea urchins, Eagle! |
| Eagle: |
Thank you... (Both Raven and Eagle munch, and
chew and gulp greedily.) |
| Voice: |
How did you get those sea urchins, Raven? Tell me, tell
me! Tell, tell, tell...
(With a roar, Raven takes the knife he has been using
to eat the sea urchins with, and slits open the cliff.
There is a loud CRASH of rocks. The Old Woman
of the Tides appears.)
|
| Raven: |
What an old nagger you are! Don't you ever stop asking
the same questions? I'll tell you what tide I got them on: I got them
on NO TIDE.
I went to the bottom of the sea for them.
And now I'm going to make you do exactly what
we tell you to.
(Raven picks up some of the sea urchins' shells, and sticks
them in the Old Woman's bottom)
|
| Old Woman: |
Stop! Raven! Stop! Stop! ST-o-o-o-o-o-o-p!!!!!!!
If you go on sticking these prickles in me, the tide will start going down! |
| Raven: |
That's exactly what I want to happen! (Sticks
more spines in her) |
| Old Woman: |
Ouch! Oh, dear! Oh, it's agony! |
| Raven: |
Eagle, go and see if the tide's gone down. |
| Eagle: |
(Goes to the edge of the stage and peers down,
looks from side to side, raises his hand to his eyes, as though looking
very carefully into the distance.) The tide's beginning to go down! |
| Raven: |
(To the Old Woman) Make it go further! |
| Old Woman: |
Ow-ee-ow! |
| Raven: |
Where's the tide now, Eagle? |
| Eagle: |
The tide's further down! |
| Raven: |
Further! (Gives the old woman more pain.) |
| Old Woman: |
Ah, aha, aha! You're hurting me! |
| Raven: |
Where's the water, now, Eagle? |
| Eagle: |
It's even further down. |
| Raven: |
It must go further! (Pricks the Old Woman harder.) |
| Old Woman: |
Ow! Ow! Ow! |
| Raven: |
Is it low tide, yet, Eagle? |
| Eagle: |
It's really low. It's uncovered everything
on the beach! |
| Raven: |
(To the Old Woman.) Are you going to let the tide rise
and fall repeatedly, through the months and years, old woman?
Are you going to give people regular tides, so they can
gather food on the beach?
|
| Old Woman: |
Yes, Raven. Yes, I will, I will.
I'll do just as you say; only please take those sea urchins
off my bottom!
|
| Narrator: |
So everything became dry.
It was the lowest tide there ever was and everyone came
down onto the beach to gather food. All kinds of salmon, whales, seal,
and other sea creatures lay on the sand.
And ever since that time, the tide has been rising and
falling, regularly, repeatedly, just as Raven asked.
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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
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