Earth Song
As you listen to Shane Sater’s podcast, he will bring you the songs of birds that you can see and hear all around. One of the birds he recorded is Robin. If you take the time to watch Robin, it is revealing as to how he became an action hero of Nez Perce folklore.
I began to pay attention to Robin once my grandmother pointed him out as we sat on a bench together. She instructed me to just watch quietly to see if another one will land in the yard and see how they act towards each other. Another Robin did land and as they began chasing and fighting in great earnest, Grandma said, “That’s why they call him, The Mighty Robin.”
My grandmother is responsible for most of the Nez Perce mythology that I know and in every tale she relayed about him, Robin fights and wins each battle, restoring good to the world around him while saving others from life threatening danger. Centuries before Superman and all the other superheroes there was, The Mighty Robin. In the tales about him, Robin always kicks the villainous opponent, thus vanquishing the threat to humankind; and if you spend enough time watching Robins, you will see this very kick in action. When I see a Robin kick, I always think of this Mighty Robin tale where he kicks a tree, making it fly through the air to strike down Grizzly, thus saving the human villagers from getting eaten.
Many types of birds appear in Nez Perce Tales besides Robin. The way they function within Nez Perce mythology are as the knowers of all things. Since birds fly around all day, they can see all the landscape from above and are thought of as seeing and knowing everything. Meadowlark is the main omniscient figure within the entire pantheon and appears as, Auntie Meadowlark. Auntie Meadowlark has succeeded in solving everyone’s dilemma and has saved countless mythological figures from certain doom and humankind from extinction throughout the entirety of Nez Perce folklore. Her male counterpart is Magpie who always brings Coyote back from the dead by pecking on his eyes or brow, and assists him by relaying the knowledge necessary to overcome every obstacle or enemy he faces. Magpie also appears as Old Man Magpie, who is a starving grandfather with a lot of starving grandkids; they are always trying to get food. You can imagine how this figure came to be created the next time you see magpies swooping with great speed towards the dropped French fries in a parking lot somewhere.
Other birds appearing throughout the tales are a Steller’s Jay as Grandfather Blue Jay, who saves his grandchildren by stretching his leg across the river to create a bridge for them to cross. Several versions of Geese appear as Goose Brothers, Goose Sisters, and a Canada Goose who is sometimes Eagle’s wife. When Duck-Man sings, everyone listens because he tells who is doing the wrong things so that they can correct their errant behaviors. A village of hummingbirds are crazed murderers who kill everyone passing by, but they are defeated by Coyote with Magpie’s help. Fish Hawk, Osprey, is a figure who is used to teach children to pursue the activities that they are good at to foster their natural talents into an expertise, and he also teaches how to be a good friend.
During the furred and feathered Animal Council, Chief Prairie Chicken represented all the winged creatures during the deliberation to decide if there should always be darkness, or daylight. It was he, who said that night should be for sleep and day to be awake. The birds all said “Yes, that is how it should be,” and flew away thus creating night and day. The next time you see Chief Prairie Chicken, remember that he saved us from the six months of night that Grizzly Bear fought the Animal Council so fiercely for, and remember the good manners taught by Fish Hawk and thank him.
Jeanette Weaskus
6/8/2023