OUR ANCESTORS BELIEVED THERE WERE REALMS IN THE WORLD WHERE SUPERNATURAL BEINGS LIVED. IN THE SKY LIVED A GREAT CLAN OF THUNDERBIRDS, THE BIRDS OF THE WINTER CEREMONIAL. IN ANOTHER REALM FAR BENEATH THE EARTH, WHERE EVERYTHING WAS BACKWARDS, DWELLED THE GHOSTS. BUT THE RICHEST REALM OF ALL WAS BENEATH THE SEA. THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW OUR PEOPLE LEARNED OF THE UNDERSEA WORLD.

The people of the village were fearful. Fishng had been poor for a long time, and their stories of dried fish were almost gone. Winter aould soon be upon them, and they might starve. Every day the village fishermen went out to sea and let down their nets. They fished and fished but caught nothing. The sea seemed without life.

One day the fishermen took their canoes off Bird Island. They let their nets sink deeper and deeper into the cold waters. Then they waited. After awhile there was a strong tugging at the lines. The fishermen knew something very large must be in the net.

It took all hands to pull the heavy net up and heave it into the canoe. Tangled in the net was a strange being like nothing the fishermen had ever seen before! It was clothed in seaweed and appeared to be something like a man. It had huge front teeth and long scraggly hair.

The creature lay there making a squeaking noise. Finally it spoke. "You do not know me, so I will tell you. I am Poogweese, the Merman. I am part man and part fish. I dwell in the world beneath the sea. I am chief messenger of Goomaquay, the lord who controls all the wealth of the ocean. I am his trusted messenger. With the help of the gulls and the loons and the sawbilled ducks, I carry the will of Goomaquay throughtout his undersea domain."

The astonished fishermen listened and stared at the strange creature. They did not know what to do. They were afraid if they let Poogweese go he would tell Goomaquay about his captors. This mighty ruler of the sea might get angry and send many great storms. The fishermen would never have any luck fishing again.

"I know what you are thinking," said Poogweese. "You are thinking that if you let me go I will tell Lord Goomaquay. I can understand how you might well be afraid of me, and you certainly should be afraid of my master, but let us strike a bargain."

Then Poogweese explained that if the fishermen would release him to his ocean home he would talk to his master about the fishermen's kindness and about the poor fishing they had endured.

"When Lord Goomaquay realizes that you have freed me and that you know of his existance perhaps life will be better for you," said Poogweese. "And for my thanks I will give you my mask and my song as a gift."

The fishermen looked at one another. They knew they had no choise but to send this powerful creature back to the deep. So they accepted his offer. They could only hope their goodwill would please Lord Goomaquay and that he would improve the fishing and protect them from the storms.

So the fishermen freed Poogweese from the net. He flopped over the side of the canoe and disappeared into the water. The fishermen looked at one another. One of them saud, "He didn't leave us his mask or his song. Maybe he tricked us! Maybe he lied." Another fishermam cried, "No, the supernatural ones do not lie."

Suddenly a shower of bubbles rose from the sea, and the mask of Poogweese floated to the surface. The fishermen pulled the mask from the water and held it. Then they heard a faint sound. It was weak at first, but they listened and listened, and soon the song of Poogweese filled their ears.

The song described the great house made of copper on the floor of the sea just off Bird Island. This was the home of Lord Goomaquay and all of his retinue of sea monsters and great creatures from the depths.

The fishermen were pleased. The weather was fair and the tides were right. They cast out their nets and caught many fish. Then the fishermen carefully wrapped the mask and took it home. They kept it hidden until the next great potlatch of their people. There they showed the mask proudly and described how it had come to them as a gift from Poogweeese and Goomaquay, the Lord of the Undersea.

For all time the people would cherish the mask of Poogweese, for it reminded them of their ancestors' adventure in the beginning of time when men and supernatural spirits talked together. It reminded them why their fishermen were successful and safe upon the sea and why their villege was wealthy. Through this fateful encounter with Poogweese, the Merman, the people would feel kin to all the beings within the sea forever.