Traditions of the Thompson River Indians (cont.)COLLECTED BY JAMES TEIT.
[Nkamtci'nEmux and Cawa'xamux.]
At one time, very long ago, the earth was very different from what it is at present. There were no trees, and many kinds of bushes and plants were wanting; neither was there any salmon or other fish, nor any berries. The people who lived during this age were called spêta'kl. They were mostly animals, who, nevertheless, had human form. They were gifted in magic; and their children used to reach maturity in a few months.33 There were among them many cannibals, and many mysterious persons.
After a time certain men successively appeared on the earth, travelling here and there, working wonders, changing and modifying the existing order of things. Gradually many of the spêta'kl who were bad were shorn of their powers, driven out of the country, or were transformed into birds, fishes, animals, and trees. The greatest of these transformers was the Old Coyote who, it is said, was sent by the Old Man to put the world in order, so that the people might live more easily and happily. At the same time three brothers called Qoa'qLqaL traveled all over the country, working miracles. At that period there lived still another transformer. His name was Kokwe'la. The brothers were finally transformed into stone, while the Old Coyote, after having finished his work, disappeared. Then the Old Man traveled over the country. He saw that there were still many bad people on the earth; therefore he gathered all the people together, and began to separate the good from the bad. Having done this, he transformed all the evil ones into birds and animals, cursing them and assigning them to the different spheres which they were henceforth to occupy, while the good people he led forth over the country, settling them in different places.
Thus ended the age of the spêta'kl, and since then the earth and its inhabitants have been much the same as they are at present. All the animals, birds, and fishes were originally people, whilst the Indians of the present day are the descendants of the good people who were left on the earth by the Old Man.
These events are told at length in the legends of the Coyote, Qoa'qLqaL, Kokwe'la, and the Old Man.
