A tray made of Western Red Cedar from the Pacific Northwest of America. The design features 2 large salmon swimming around a beaver.
Raven and the Salmon (an Indian story) When the world was very new and Raven was looking for salmon to put into the newly formed rivers and lakes, he was told that Beaver had all the salmon and was not willing to part with any of them. In order to trick Beaver into giving him some, Raven turned himself into a beautiful boy and went to Beaver’s house. Beaver was impressed by the boy’s appearance and invited him to come and live with him, which Raven did. After a meal of salmon, Raven asked Beaver where he got the fish and Beaver replied that he had a river and a lake full of them, but he would not let Raven have any for the rivers and lakes on Earth. Raven now became very careful and very attentive to the wants and wishes of the old Beaver, and after awhile the Beaver allowed Raven to go fishing for him. Raven always brought back bigger and better fish than Beaver himself could catch. All the while the Raven-boy was catching salmon for the Beaver he was saving the very choicest fish for the rivers on Earth. When one day Raven had caught enough fish for himself, he left the house of the Beaver and took the salmon back to Earth. He put a male and female fish into each river and lake, and in due time there was an abundance of fish.
Whenever I think I’ve gotten to the end of clearing my late uncle’s house I find something new.
Now this can either be read as a Robin Hood scenario, or as a gold digging twink taking advantage of an elderly (though rich) gay man.
The legend is in the alt text.
#TwoSpiritPeople
