The First Cowichan Peoples - as told by the Cowichan Elders part 3

Syalutsa was to spend many years living an travelling in the Cowichan Valley by himself before the next "first person" fell from the sky, his younger brother Stutsun. Even though there was a great abundance of natural wealth represented by the many fish, animals and trees, Syalutsa had nobody to share his new world with and so became very lonely for companionship.

Each night , as he fell asleep he wondered why he had been made first and every morning that he woke there was still nobody to share the beautiful creation that he inhabited. Then one evening, hile deep in slumber, Syalutsa awoke as the silence of the night was disturbed by something that had fallen to the earth. He qquickly investigated and found to his dismay somebody standing before him in human form, not unlike himself.

"Who are you and where did you come from?" asked Syalutsa. "I do not know how it was that I came to be on this earth" came the reply. "But the name they gave me before I came here was Stutsun," answered the stranger. Syalutsa immediately embraced his new found friend and welcomed him with open arms. Raising his hands as if to motion to the four corners of the earth, Syalutsa proclaimed to Stutsun "ALL of this belongs to us here on this earth -- it is ours for all time. We have been put here to take care of this great natural abundance". With that, Syalutsa quickly adopted Stutsun as his younger brother and invited him to his spunuw'thw or pithouse burried deep in the earth.

After a most hospitable feast by the reassuring warmth of the fire, Stutsun began to ask about the surroundings of his new homee. "What is this earth like?" He inquired. "Ah my dear brother, " smiled Syalutsa, "There is an incredible abundance of everything here such as salmon, deer, bear and just about everything that walks the face of the earth."... "You will never go hungry," he promised "but you must not kill for the sake of killing- only for food." Stutsun agreed to follow his older brother's advice, but openly wondered how he could have learnt so much without a human teacher to guide him. To this question Syalutsa simply replied "There is a reason why we are here" and with that began to warn Stutsun on the course he must take to recieve his own understanding of the natural world.

Cont....