ʼMimkwamlis (Village Island)

ʼMimkwamlis (Village Island)

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About Mamalilikulla

ʼMimkwamlis (Village Island)

ʼMimkwamlis (Village Island)

Click on the map to enlarge photo

ABOUT MAMALILIKULLA

Mama̱liliḵa̱la
ʼMimkwamlis (Village Island)

The Creator was going from one place to another changing and transforming the world into the shape we see today. He was at a place called Snake-Receptacle when he saw a man sitting on a rock. That’s what the Yuʼtłinux believe; the Mama̱liliḵa̱la say that the man was swimming along Archer Place. The Creator watched this man and realized that he was feeling around as if he were searching for something. He was blind. So, the Creator spoke to him and asked what he was doing. The man replied he was starving and was searching for something to eat.

So the Creator said, “Dive into the deep water and stay under as long as you can.” And when the man did this, the Creator chanted,” Mali, Mali, Mali.” When the man came to the surface, the Creator called out, asking him if he could see. “No,” said the man sadly. “Well dive again and stay under just as long as you possibly can!” said the Creator. And when the man dove deeply, the Creator chanted again, “Mali, Mali, Mali.” But, the blind man did not really stay under water for very long. And when he came to the surface, he told the Creator that he still couldn’t see. But in fact he could see. The Creator’s cure had worked, but the Creator did not know this.

“Well, we will have to try it one more time,” said the Creator. So the man dove a third time while the Creator chanted, “Mali, Mali, Mali.” And the man dove so deep and stayed so long that he could even see the monsters in the darkest depths. And when he came to the surface, the Creator asked if he could see our world. The man replied that he thought he could start to see a little light even though he was able to see very, very well indeed. So the Creator told him to dive one more time, and chanted Mali loudly while the man was submerged. And, as soon as the man came to the surface, Creator called out to him, “Your name will be Mama̱liliḵa̱la.”

So, Mama̱liliḵa̱la built a house at the place called Two-Headed. He was the first of the Mama̱liliḵa̱la.