Coyote married a woman, and had many children by her. From these children are descended the Salish tribes. The Thompson are the descendants of one; the Shuswap, of another; Okanagan and Lillooet, of others. Therefore the languages of these tribes are related. The Chilcotin and Carriers must be of different parentage. Some say they are the descendants of Deer or Bird people. The Lower Fraser and Coast people are also different. On account of this story the Thompson and Shuswap are often called "Coyote people" in stories.
(27) OLD-COYOTE AND THE COYOTE PEOPLE.
(From Nicola Valley.)Old-Coyote (he is called "Uncle Coyote" by some) was the ancestor of all the Indians. He had many wives. From some are descended the Thompson, from others the Okanagan, from still others the Shuswap. One of his sons (probably Ntli'kisEntEm) had two wives, Lu'la and Tce'xa (varieties of ducks). The latter had a simple-minded sister, the Frog, who acted as her servant. She followed her wherever she went. Like Coyote himself, many of his sons had magical powers. Many of them left descendants. As Coyote travelled over a large part of the world, he left children in many places. The Salish, Kalispel, Nez Percés, Yakima, and Blackfeet, and all the interior tribes, have sprung from Coyote's children. Because these tribes sprang from Coyote, they are called "Coyote people."
Some say that the people were not actually descendants of Coyote, but that he was their chief. The descendants of Coyote spread over the country, and occupied many parts that were not formerly inhabited. At one time they all spoke the same language. It was like Shuswap. Some of them were bad people, but most of them were good. Some of them settled in the Thompson Valley and in the surrounding country. At a later date Old-One separated the good people from the bad. He transformed all the bad ones into coyotes. The good ones he led forth, and made them settle at different places, wide apart. Afterwards, when the people met, they spoke different languages. For this reason coyotes abound in the region inhabited by Old-Coyote's descendants, and in the country over which he travelled but nowhere else.
Coyote was living somewhere in the Interior. He was a chief and father of the people. No one knows whence he came. For some reason a flood came, and covered the whole country except the tops of the highest mountains. Some say the flood came to put out a great fire which raged in the world. Others say it was made to clean the earth. Many people and animals were drowned. Some fled to the high mountains, but the flood rose so rapidly that they were overtaken. Some reached the tops and were saved. Some drifted about on logs. No one knew how to make canoes.
Only Coyote made a canoe of horse-tails or grass. He and some of his friends embarked in it. They drifted for many days, and at last struck a mountain on the south side of the Thompson River, called Zokê´ski.2 The flood receded rapidly. Coyote descended to the Thompson River, and for a time, took up his abode there. On leaving his canoe, he transformed into stone. It may still be seen near the top of the mountain. Its about thirty feet long, and there were figures of three persons in it. It is said that some of these have now disappeared.
The water-mark of this flood may still be seen on some parts of the mountains. Owing to the flood, water and fish are now found all over the mountains. Before the flood the country was dry, and there were no 1akes above the level of the low valleys. The survivors of the flood are the ancestors of the various tribes. Some of the people from Coyote's canoe settled here and there, -- at Lytton, at Nicola, and other places.
1 JE 8 : 295.
2 At the head of Thompson Creek.
