Raven and Clam Northwest Myth
A Wood Sculpture by Bill Reid, 1970
qwaxwqx ?astaw s?axu tas?
asutelciba cicaxw tebixw
The Raven Broke Open the Magical Clam
An Amazing New World then Began
By Michael Peter Garofalo
In the Time Before Everything Changed
the Transformers and Changers
lived in the Ocean's Womb
before the Waters receded.
Then They Came, and Everything Changed.
The Raven Broke Open the Magical Clam
An Amazing New World then Began.
Both inside and outside the Magical Clam
Coming Forth, Coming From, Coming, coming
Then They Came, and Everything Changed.
People and new plants were created
New mosses, mushrooms, camas bulbs,
and huckleberries appeared to two eyes.
New cedars, spruces, firs,
and salal berries appeared to two eyes.
Enemies, diseases, and famine appeared,
to two eyes.
People learned from the Transformers/Changers/Teachers:
Raven, Coyote, Honne, Xwane, Turtle,
Bear and Thunderbird.
How to become Human Beings
in a dangerous World.
How to become heartless at times.
How to gather, hunt, and fish for food.
What plants to eat, what not.
What to Believe and Do
in order for their tribe to survive.
All kinds of beings emerged-created.
People lived, worked, Spoke and mated.
Coyote howled and cheered!
Thunderbird ordered the rain and thunder.
Shape-Shifters played and plundered.
Xwane saved two girls from blunders.
The Magical Clam: A Singularity Opening,
Beginnings Beyond the Understanding
Of Ordinary Times and Minds.
From Something New Came Something New.
The Raven cawed, gurred, mmmured, croaked
then hid in trees away from folks.
The Raven Broke Open the Magical Clam
An amazing New World then Began
qwaxwqx ?astaw s?axu tas?
asutelciba cicaxw tebixw
Raven and Clam Northwest Myth
A Wood Sculpture by Bill Reid, 1970
Coyote lied, then he angrily sat outside
Coyote
bit our leg as we passed outside
Coyote rained piss on us
when we came outside
Coyote stole our dried salmon then snuck outside
Coyote howled at us as we cried outside
Five Times, Five More Times,
Trickster Troublemaker Coyote's Crimes.
At Potlaches hosted by Chiefs,
couples made matches,
villagers ate,
men played games and gambled,
people laughed, enjoyed easy days,
drummers and dancers rested,
babies smiled, people mingled,
they
talked about someone who died.
The Raven Broke Open the Magical Clam, April 2023
From: At the Edges of the West: Highway 101
Northwest Native American Lore, Myths, Poetry
Olympic Peninsula Native American Lore
All by Michael Peter Garofalo
Michael Peter Garofalo (1946-) grew up in East Los Angeles, was educated in Catholic Schools, lived with two other brothers, graduated (B.A., M.S.) from local universities, married Blanche Karen Eubanks, served in the US Air Force, worked in and managed many City and Los Angeles County Public Libraries, raised two children, socialized, traveled, and learned. Retired as the Regional Administrator, East Region, Los Angeles County Public Library in 1998. We moved to a rural 5 acre property in Red Bluff, in the North Sacramento Valley, CA. Webmaster since 1999. Worked part-time for the Corning School District (Technology and Media Services Manager); and as a yoga, Taijiquan, and fitness club instructor until 2016. Traveled extensively in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. We both retired, and we moved to Vancouver, WA, in 2017. Currently in 2025: reading, writing, gardening, harmonica playing, string figures playing, home chores, yurt camping, exercise, traveling in the Northwest, web publishing, family events, poetry research, photography, Northwest research, Nature mysticism, walking, sports events, and other projects.
Exhibits at the Cyber Gazebo: Text Art and Concrete Poetry
By Michael P. Garofalo
This document was last edited, revised,
reformatted, added to, relinked,
changed, improved?, or modified
by Mike Garofalo
on January 6, 2025.