Raven's Nest History

Our tribe is descended from the great Raven. Here is our story:


When the great spirit created the world he put everything he had created into boxes. He put the mountains in one box, the rivers in another, trees in one and so on until every part of the world was in a box. He gave a box to every animal. The animals looked in their boxes and opened them so that the wonders could be share by all. All the boxes had been opened but one, Seagull was given the box with all the worlds light in it, the sun, moon and stars and he did not want to share. The world remained in darkness. The other animals tried to convince him to open the box but he would not. Finally Raven crept up on him and plunged a thorn deep in his side, causing him to drop the box and spill all the light into the world.


Raven travelled all the world, one day he found a giant clamshell full of naked animals. He freed them and they became the poeples of the Earth. They were not as well suited as the animals having neither fur nor feathers to protect them from the cold and not being able to fly high or run fast. Raven talked to Eagle about the people, he thought that they should help them but Eagle refused. Raven knew Eagle had a magic bag that held many things that would help the people so he crept into Eagles nest and stole it. When he opened it he found fire, tools and weapons he knew the people would need if they were to survive. He hid these things where the people could find them and they learned to use them and prospered.

Raven was very clever and whatever he said or dreamed would come to pass. The people began to call him "he whose voice is obeyed". The people loved Raven as his trickery brought them the essentials for existence in a harsh world - game and fish and fowl, fire, clothing, shelter - and with them the rituals that would protect them from the dark spirits.

A great flood came to cover the world and the people fled to the top of a great mountain. When the waters had receded the people came down from the mountain, they got stuck in the deep mud and died. Seeing this, Raven was saddened, as he loved the people he had brought into the world. He landed on the mud and gave his spirit to the people so that they may live again.

We are the descendants of those people and we remember Raven's great lessons:
- If you are selfish and do not share we will become a thorn in your side.
-We have the tools, weapons and shelter we need to survive.
-If we can dream it, we can make it happen.
- Our spirit is the spirit of the great Raven.