The Creation of Mouse Mountain, as told by Emma Baker

The land mark that we have is Mouse Mountain. And right across where Mouse Mountain is, there use to be an Indian village. And back in the old days when a young girl came into puberty they had to live away from the people. They were isolated from the people, and the only ones that were allowed to see them, was their mother, to bring them food and water.  And these two young girls were living in this house by themselves away from the village.  And one day they had a rope going from their home to their mother’s home.  And when they pulled on one rope their mother brought them water and if they pulled on the other rope their mother brought them food.  One day they pulled on the ropes and nobody came and they didn't know what was going on.

So they decided to sneak into the village to see what the matter was. And when they got to the village they found that this giant cannibal had killed all the people.  He had them hanging up to dry just like you would with smoked fish. When the cannibal saw the girls, he was going to kill them and eat them, and they begged him to spare their lives and they would become his slaves so he spared their lives. And they waited on him hand and foot and looked after the cannibal.  One day, he decided that he was going to eat them and they said "Well before you eat us, let us build a fire for you because we have to cook for you." So cannibal said, “Ok." So they dug a great big pit and put some rocks in it and they built a fire and they said, "Before you kill us, let us have a ritual dance." 

And they started dancing around the fire and they made two long sticks, and they danced around the fire. They shoved him into the fire and pinned him down with their sticks.  As he was being burned up, he put a curse on them and said my ashes will rise and eat you forever. And when he uttered those words the ashes rose out of the fire and turned into a field. His left finger couldn't be burnt because that was where his heart was, so one of the girls picked it up with a stick and threw it across the lake and she said "From now on you'll be known as Lhkwetsilcho”. Where it landed across the lake, it turned into a mountain.

© Carrier Sekani Family Services 2017 on Behalf of Emma Baker as published in Aboriginal Health Sciences (2004). All rights reserved.

Photos of Mouse Mountain/Lhwetsilcho Courtesy of David Luggi

Carrier Sekani Family Services and University of Northern British Columbia. (2004). Aboriginal Health Sciences, Aboriginal Health Philosophy FNST 282-3. Unpublished Curriculum. Carrier Sekani Family Services and the University of Northern British Columbia.