WILLARD RHOADES - PIT RIVER STORYTELLER

SARA WAS PICKED UP AT THE REDDING AIRPORT BY FRIENDS OF WILLARD. HER INTERVIEW WAS IN AND AROUND HIS TRAILER. HE WAS UNDER ONE OF THE SIX CARS IN HIS DRIVEWAY. HE IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE 11 BANDS OF THE PIT RIVER NATION. HIS WIFE WORKS AT THE RANCHERIA PIT RIVER NATION'S CENTER FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL PROGRAMS, AND SHE HEADS A CENTER THAT BRINGS FOOD TO THE ELDERLY TRIBAL MEMBERS AT HOME. SHE IS WINTU. CRAIG WHO CONNECTED SARAH WITH WILLARD SAID THAT THE HOPI ARE THE LEAST CORRUPTED NATION - HE IS A TRADITIONAL MESSENGER.

WILLARD TOLD HIS FAVORITE COYOTE STORIES. OLD COYOTE WAS A SMART FELLOW. IN THE BEGINNING THERE WAS A THERE WAS ANOTHER WORLD WHERE WE HAD EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE EVEN MORE THAN YOU HAVE TODAY. IN THE OTHER WORLD YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO WORK. THERE WAS EVERYTHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT. THEN THEY SAID I FORGOT THE OLD MAN AND WE DON'T NEED HIM NOW. THE OLD MAN GOT MAD.I FIXED ANOTHER WORLD, HE TOLD HIS HELPER- THE SILVER FOX. FOX SAID TO GATHER ALL PEOPLE , BUILD A WEB WITH A POUCH IN IT AND PUT THE PEOPLE IN IT. THE WEB WILL TAKE YOU TO ANOTHER WORLD. BUT COYOTE BEGGED TO COME. HE THOUGHT THEY WOULD DESTROY THIS WORLD. THE OTHERS SAID WE CAN'T TAKE YOU BECAUSE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE DONE. YOU HAVE CAUSED PEOPLE TO DO BAD THINGS. COYOTE'S FINAL ARGUMENT WAS THAT YOUR FATHER SAID YOU CAN'T KILL YOUR OWN BROTHER SO THEY BROUGHT HIM. THEN THEY SAID IF YOU DO THE WRONG THINGS AGAIN WE'LL HAVE TO DESTROY THE PEOPLE AGAIN AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. THE OLD MAN FROZE THEM AND REBUILT THE WORLD. THEY KEPT DOING THE SAME BAD THINGS AND ALL OVER AGAIN. THEY ARE FORGETTING.

SO THIS TIME HE FLOODED THEM; BUT BEFORE THE FLOOD HE TOLD HIS HELPER TO BUILD TWO BOATS AND GET THE SEEDS OF ALL THE PEOPLE AND THE ANIMALS SO THAT HE COULD REBUILD THE WORLD AGAIN. COYOTE BEGGED AGAIN AND THE OLD MAN GAVE IN AND BROUGHT HIM. WHEN THEY LANDED HERE COYOTE JUMPED OFF AND SAID WHAT ARE WE GOING TO EAT. THE OLD MAN SAID YOU TEACH THEM THE WAY YOU DID BEFORE. THEY DID THE SAME THINGS TO REBUILD THE WORLD THEY DID THE THINGS TO REBUILD THE EVENT WORLD. AND WHATEVER YOU DO I WILL NOT DESTROY YOU BECAUSE YOU CANNOT HELP WHAT THEY DO. AND THAT'S THE WHOLE PROBLEM WITH THIS WORLD IS THAT THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN. THEY ARE THEY ARE GOING TO THE MOON AND TO THE STARS AND THEY DON'T NEED THE OLD MAN ANYMORE.

AND IT CONTINUES ABOUT HOW THEY PLANTED A DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. THEY WERE TOLD HOW TO PRAY. HE SAID THAT HIS PEOPLE GOT UP IN THE MORNING AND PRAYED ONCE AND THAT WAS IT.

THE WOMEN OF OUR TRIBE TEACH THE CHILDREN ABOUT WHAT THEIR CULTURE IS ABOUT UNTIL AGE 10-12. THEN THE MEN TEACH THEM CERTAIN THINGS. WHEN A MAN MAKES A DECISION HE HAS TO GET THE WOMEN'S APPROVAL. THEY'D MEET IN A BIG SWEAT HOUSE. AND TALK OVER THINGS. MOSTLY THE DOCTORS SMOKED AND RARELY THE OTHERS DID. WILLARD IS MOSTLY A TEACHER AND AN ADVISOR.

COYOTE SAID "I'LL RUN AND JUMP ACROSS ACROSS FALL RIVER AND HE HIT THE BANK!

WILLARD'S MOM WAS A DOCTOR. HE HAD A CUT ON HIS EYE AND SHE PUT A PATCH OVER HIS EYE AND TOLD HIM TO GO TO BED. ALL OF A SUDDEN A BIG CLOUD CAME DOWN AND IT FELT HEAVY WHEN IT HIT ME. SHE TOOK THE PATCH OFF AND HIS EYE WAS HEALED.

ANOTHER CHILD HIT HIS HEAD ON A BIG ROCK AND HIS MOM BROUGHT HIM OVER. SHE PUT SOMETHING ON HIS HEAD AND TOLD HIM TO LIE DOWN. THE MOTHER WENT HOME FOR A FEW HOURS. WHEN SHE CAME BACK HE WAS COMPLETELY HEALED!

ONCE HIS MOM STARTED GOING TO CHURCH SHE COULDN'T HEAL ANYMORE. THE OTHER INDIAN DOCTORS DO NOT ASK FOR MONEY THEY JUST PREFER TO HEAL YOU

HE TOLD A SNAKE STORY - THERE WAS A SILVER AND A GOLD SNAKE. THE TWO SNAKES WERE ON A PIECE OF MOSS AND TWO INDIANS SAW THEM. SO THEY PICKED THEM UP AND TOOK AND BROUGHT THEM HOME. THEY FED THEM MOSQUITOS. WHEN THEY WERE BIG THEY TOOK OFF ON THEIR OWN. THE GOLD SNAKE WENT AND THE SIVER SNAKE WENT SOUTH. AS THE LEGEND GOES THEY ATE EVERYTHING IN THEIR PATH AND EVENTUALLY THEY DESTROYED THEMSELVES.

COYOTE IS STILL A TRICKSTER IN THEIR LAND. HE CAME BACK HUNGRY AND ASKED TO EAT A CHILD AND THEN HE WOULD LEAVE. IF YOU DON'T I'LL KILL YOU. SO THEY GAVE HIM A CHILD. AND HE CAME BACK HUNGRY. SO THAT'S WHERE THE TRIBE IS TODAY. HE IS STILL TRYING TO GET TO THAT NEXT CHILD.


SANDY JOHNSON