Land Sky River Stars. New Myth #46

by Willi Paul, NewMythologist.com

The Two Peak Tribe migrated to the northern range of the Oregon coastal mountains from Salt Lake City some 23 years ago, initially bound together as a Permaculture Guild. Tomu is a former ARMY grunt from South Chicago was squatting on the land adjunct to the river canyon when the missionaries showed up.

Cascadia, 2040 AD

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Tomu needs a way over to the sunny side of the river canyon. The Tribe’s current shady side is alongside a splashy waterfall and on top of a soil-poor land fertile enough to grow a food forest - and new stories for his people. 40 precarious feet to the next phase of their lives without a ladder or a leap of permie faith.

Visioning

One night, Tomu dreams of a great black eagle who offers to help the Tribe cross the divide if he can raise his chicks in safety on the warmer mountainside. Eagle tells the Tribal children to gather hair and dried grasses so a strong twine can be spun.

Then Tomu wakes up!

He doesn't know if the master bird is coming in real life but he starts in on the hybrid rope bridge just in earnest.

The shady side of their half of the twin mountains was never warm to the Tribe. The shadow of its sister peak kept their village cool with a sparse afternoon sun. Only a limited number of crops grow. Think “year round partial eclipse”; many hugs but few fruits or raps:

A one eyed-patch mythology?

The river is roaring or trickling depending on the season. The Tribe sources fish and water at the falls, bathing and meditating.

Nesting

Building such a connection between old land and the new world brings danger and rewards. A young woman, a runner with long black hair and toned muscles named Zollum earned the right to throw the rock with the twine over the chasm attached to a small team of Tribe builders waiting to tie the two lands together as vision for the outpost and bi-directional barter path requires.

The tribe engineered a cabin built of young trees, lashed tight by strong reeds that grow along the river banks on the beams in the middle of the canyon. Something like the open carriage that Kings traveled in with long handles in ancient times. A grail on poles, graced by mist; a security outpost passing permaculture code between the dark and light. Fishing without the bears is a real joy and remains of the catch enhance their compost.

Tribefolk now come from many regions to chart the stars and Moon cycle from the roof portal, a river drenched observatory cooed by the rushing sounds of the water below and ancient wind through the sparkling canyon.

Barter Path

Tomu and the Tribal Council eventually decided to integrate gates at both ends of the sky river outpost. The “passage barter” requested brought much needed goods and services to the Tribe and word of the friendly passage spread throughout the territory. Like the defunct Panama Canal in the old world, the observation deck and bridge brought much needed security to the mountains. And if hostiles come their way, they have the handy option to cut the bridge down quickly to prevent their advance.

Food Forest

The tribal dream for many, many years - for both elders and their children – was ample sun and soil for a food forest. Landing on the other side of their sister mountain brought this yearning into a beginning.

The sign at the Food Forest Deer gate says:

Night Shade - Sun Shine
Water Capture - Release
Plant Diversity - System Security

Education - Enchantment