Native American Legends
Origin of the Sierra Nevadas and Coast Range
A Yokut Legend
Once there was a time when there was nothing in the world but water.
About the place where Tulare Lake is now, there was a pole standing
far up out of the water, and on this pole perched Hawk and Crow.
First Hawk would sit on the pole a while, then Crow would knock
him off and sit on it himself. Thus they sat on the top of the pole
above the water for many ages. At last they created the birds which
prey on fish. They created Kingfisher, Eagle, Pelican, and others.
They created also Duck. Duck was very small but she dived to the
bottom of the water, took a beak full of mud, and then died in coming
to the top of the water. Duck lay dead floating on the water. Then
Hawk and Crow took the mud from Duck's beak, and began making the
mountains.
They began at the place now known as Ta-hi-cha-pa Pass, and Hawk
made the east range. Crow made the west one. They pushed the mud
down hard into the water and then piled it high. They worked toward
the north. At last Hawk and Crow met at Mount Shasta. Then their
work was done. But when they looked at their mountains, Crow's range
was much larger than Hawk's.
Hawk said to Crow, "How did this happen, you rascal? You have
been stealing earth from my bill. That is why your mountains are
the biggest." Crow laughed.
Then Hawk chewed some Indian tobacco. That made him wise. At once
he took hold of the mountains and turned them around almost in a
circle. He put his range where Crow's had been. That is why the
Sierra Nevada Range is larger than the Coast Range.
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