Myths and Legends of British North America/Origin of Chilcotin Cañon (Shuswap)

by Katharine Berry Judson

ORIGIN OF CHILCOTIN CAÑON

Shuswap

A VERY long time ago, when the earth was new, Coyote traveled about a great deal, looking after things and helping the Indians. Now Coyote found that the salmon went to the upper Chilcotin River. He did not like that at all, for he was a friend of the Shuswaps on the lower Chilcotin River, and did not like the tribes on the upper river. Therefore Coyote made a rocky dam across the stream, very high, so that the salmon could not leap over it. Thus the Shuswaps had all the salmon and the Chilcotins had none. But the pounding of the waters wore away Coyote's dam, and now the salmon go far up the river. This is how the Chilcotin Cañon was formed.