Reading Diary B: Pacific Northwest

The second half of the reading of the Pacific Northwest unit had some stories that I was excited about reading because the locations in the titles and stories themselves are locations that I've visited! It was really cool to read about a place and its history knowing that I had been there and seen the settings with my own eyes.

One story I particularly enjoyed was The Memaloose Islands. From the additional article at the beginning of the story, I realized that I had passed the island on a kayaking trip last summer! I didn't see any Indian burial tombs, but I wasn't really paying attention. It was just such a neat connection! I think the story is a fascinating one. I'm a sucker for love stories, so of course this one was a really enjoyable read. I was saddened by the fact that the chief died in the beginning, but it was sweet that the maiden and her lover got to be together for one more night. It was also unfortunate that the maiden was impatient when it came to the supernatural baby. That part kind of reminded me of Pandora's box. Seeing these kinds of connections across tales from different cultures is always so fun to me.

Another story that I was particularly interested in was Falls of the Willamette. My boyfriend's alma mater is in the Willamette Valley, so of course the title jumped out at me. The story itself was very interesting. I love that natural geographical elements in this area have been attributed to the work of Tallapus. In my opinion, he could have built his fire and just ignored the full trap. I understand, though, that that's not usually how myths work, which in turn makes them more interesting and amusing to read.

(Leaping salmon at Willamette Falls)