Kwakiutl

“Hey Juan, I was just reading about the Kwakiutl Indians. Do you want to grab another ride in the time machine? Since it’s Saturday, we can pack a lunch and stay all day.”

Lights flashed on the time machine as Pedro and Juan strapped in. “Tell me about the Kwakiutl. What will we see?” questioned Juan.

“They lived in Canada around 1890. Salmon was their food of choice. They had canoes made of wood, and they even carved totem poles. I can’t wait to find out if all this information is true!”

Beep. Beep. Whir. The time machine came to a soft landing. Pedro, an amazing pilot, had landed them right in the middle of a thick forest. They were right next to a large totem pole. As the door opened, they heard music and laughter. Ducking behind the colored totem pole, they watched the villagers dance around the fire.

Directly in front of them was a long house made of split logs. Some of the boards appeared to be missing on the roof, and smoke was billowing out of the hole in the roof.

“The women must be smoking salmon for a feast,” whispered Pedro. “I want a taste of that!” Pedro, in a trance, began to walk toward the lodge.

The dancers stopped and watched in amazement as a strange boy walked up the path leading to the lodge. Juan grabbed Pedro and shoved him roughly into the time machine. Fortunately, he’d seen Pedro fly it and remembered the correct buttons to press. Whir. Beep. Buzz.

As Pedro stared out the window he sighed, “So close, and yet so far. I just wanted to taste one bite of freshly-smoked salmon!”

Juan reached in his pocket and grinned, “You can dream about salmon all night long, but I’m sure none of the dancers knew what to make of our time machine. However, I did use my knife to cut off a piece from the totem pole, and I am taking it home as a souvenir!”