“She Who Watches” (“Tsagaglalal”) Native American pictograph overlooking the Columbia River near Horsethief Lake; Columbia Hills State Park, Columbia River Gorge, Washington.
There was this village on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge. And this was long ago when people were not yet real people, and that is when we could talk to the animals.
And so Coyote — the Trickster — came down the river to the village and asked the people if they were living well. And they said “Yes, we are, but you need to talk to our chief, Tsagaglal. She lives up in the hill.”
So Coyote pranced up the hill and asked Tsagaglal if she was a good chief or one of those evildoers. She said, “No, my people live well. We have lots of salmon, venison, berries, roots, good houses. Why do you ask?” And Coyote said, “Changes are going to happen. How will you watch over your people?” And so she didn’t know.
And it was at that time that Coyote changed her into a rock to watch her people forever.
Source: Lillain Pitt, Pacific Northwest Native American Artist, “lillianpitt.com” website, 2011.
