The origin of the Guardian Spirits and the Smoke house.
a Skokomish story told By Uncle... whos true name cannot be said now that he has died.
Smoke House was a chief long long ago; but he was not called smoke house back then. He was just called chief. He Decided to create all the animals and all the birds. So he created them and named them all. Then he told each one, " In times to come, when people have been created, they will send their children out, during the night or during the day , and you will talk to them and tell them what they are able to do. You will tell the boys they will be able to get things easily, are to be good hunters, good fishermen and so on. You will tell the girls that they will be able to get things easily. At that time I will be smoke house myself."
Then he spoke again; " I'll have no body, no head, nor will I be able to see. Who ever desires to construct me will have the right to do so. The one that made me, I will take pity on him, and I'll give him what he requests. People may approach me thus; if anyone is injured, or if he is sick or if he is poisoned, he may come to me for help and I will give it to him. Also when any one is dying he may come to me and I'll help him also. I'll help him to the next world.
So in this world I am smoke house, for the help of human beings."
a Skokomish story told By Uncle... whos true name cannot be said now that he has died.
Smoke House was a chief long long ago; but he was not called smoke house back then. He was just called chief. He Decided to create all the animals and all the birds. So he created them and named them all. Then he told each one, " In times to come, when people have been created, they will send their children out, during the night or during the day , and you will talk to them and tell them what they are able to do. You will tell the boys they will be able to get things easily, are to be good hunters, good fishermen and so on. You will tell the girls that they will be able to get things easily. At that time I will be smoke house myself."
Then he spoke again; " I'll have no body, no head, nor will I be able to see. Who ever desires to construct me will have the right to do so. The one that made me, I will take pity on him, and I'll give him what he requests. People may approach me thus; if anyone is injured, or if he is sick or if he is poisoned, he may come to me for help and I will give it to him. Also when any one is dying he may come to me and I'll help him also. I'll help him to the next world.
So in this world I am smoke house, for the help of human beings."
So in building these straw bale homes, I cant help but remember this story and think about all of the other than human persons that give their lives and bodies so we can fashion them into a home, I think of how the creator become these other than human persons so that they could take the form of these houses, I think of the tree people and the stone people, I think of the straw people, all the people, and I remember that its them and the creator that I am shaping into a home, I pray that others might be able to see this as they build these homes too.
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