Traditional Tla’amin Narrative

A mink is a sleek, pretty little animal: but in the olden days, mink was a real mischief-maker, always playing tricks on everyone. So the people would try to catch him whenever they got the chance. This story tells of one of minks adventures.

One day, a long, long time ago, mink and his brother were out fishing. “Hello there mink. What’s that you’re using for bait?” it was whale who had pulled along side. Now mink just couldn’t resist teasing the big friendly whale.

“oh its you, big blubber guts! We’re using your fat blubber for bait. That’s all it’s a good for anyhow!” This made whale angry, so angry he just opened his gigantic mouth and ------ slurp! Mink, his brother, and his canoe slipped right down into whale’s stomach!

It was dark in there --- dark and huge! Mink very carefully started to walk around the whale’s stomach! Over there, to one side, it was ---- a big pile of herring. Mink and his brother decided to make a nice fire to cook the herring. They got the fire burning brightly, when Mink stood up and bumped his head on something. Ouch! It was the whale’s big heart. Just then, Whale took a mouthful of water, and poof! Out went the fire. Mink bent over to light the fire. When he stood up, bang! He bummed his head again on the heart. But finally he got the fire going again. He was just starting to cook some herring when – woosh! They were drenched from head to toe in another mouthful of water.

Poor mink! His head hurt; he was cold; he was soaking wet; an d now-----Owww! He just bumped his head again. Mink now got so angry he took out his knife and cut a big piece off that whale’s heart. This really hurt whale. He started to twist and turn and struggle in pain. Mink and his brother were thrown from side to side, getting battered and bruised.

At last mink knew, now was the time to use his special secret magic words. “Take us to a good beach in front of the people.” Said Mink, and, quick as a wink, they were there.

Now, some of the people on the beach had been watching all this. They had seen whale swallow Mink and his brother. They thought now was their chance to catch the little trickster who had bothered them for so long.

They grabbed their spears and waited, waited, along the beach. Mink could see the people lined up on the beach. He turned to this brother and said, “Keep right behind me. Do just what I do and follow me. Now!: Up they crawled, up whales blow-hole, to the top of his head. Then they jumped; over they went right over the heads of all the people and into the woods, where they kept right on running.

So, once again, Mink, clever Mink escaped from the spears of the people and lived to think up more tricks and mischief.

And that is the story of Mink and his brother, and the whale.

Source: Sliammon Band Stories, Lynn Galligos and Sue Pielle 1980-81, Sliammon Treaty Society Research Department Archives, unpublished.

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