Komo Kulshan and His Two Wives

Komo Kulshan

Komo Kulshan, a very tall and handsome young man, had two wives, as was the custom of his tribe. One was named Clear Sky; the other, Fair Maiden.
For several years Clear Sky was Kulshan's favorite wife. She was the more beautiful of the two, and she had borne him three children. Fair Maiden was less beautiful, but she was always gentle and kind.
At last she won Kulshan's love through kindness, though as a result she gained Clear Sky's dislike. Clear Sky had a jealous and bitter nature. Soon there was quarreling in the lodge.
One day Clear Sky scolded Komo Kulshan at great length and concluded,
"You should love me more than Fair Maiden. I am the mother of your children."
Kulshan smiled and said nothing.
Clear Sky became angrier.
"I'm going away," she said. "I'll leave you and the children and go away."
She expected him to answer, "Don't go away. You're the mother of my children, and I love you most. Don't go."
But Kulshan did not beg her to stay. Though he loved her and didn't want her to leave, he was too proud to say so. Instead he told her,
"If you want to, you may go as soon and as far as you wish."
Slowly, taking her time, Clear Sky packed her things. She packed all her seeds and bulbs, packed her roots and berries, packed all her flowering plants.
At last she was finished, and her children cried loudly when they saw her leaving. This pleased Clear Sky, who felt sure that Kulshan would call her back when she had gone a little distance.
She started down the mountain valley slowly, alone. When she had gone a short distance, she stopped and looked back.
But Kulshan did not say, "Come home."
She went a little farther and paused on a hill to look back at Kulshan and the children. When she stood on tiptoe, she could see them.
But still Kulshan did not say, "Come back, Clear Sky."
She went on farther south. She was still among the hills and mountains, mountains not so high as Komo Kulshan. He still did not call her, though she stood on the very tips of her toes.
Farther south she climbed to the top of a high hill, rose on tiptoe, and made herself as tall as she could. That way she could just see Kulshan and the children, and they could see her.
By this time she had stretched herself so often that she had become much taller. Sure now that her husband did not want her to return, she decided to make camp where she was. At least on a clear day she would be able to see her family.
So she put down her packs and took out all the seeds and bulbs and roots. She planted them around her, and there she stayed, cultivating them.
Fair Maiden lived with Kulshan for a long time. One day she said to him:
"I want to visit my mother. I'm going to have a baby, and I want to see my mother."
"How can you go to your mother?" asked Kulshan. "There's no trail, nothing but rocks and trees and mountains between us and Whulge."
"I don't know how I can get there, but you'll have to make a passageway for me. I want to see my mother."
So Komo Kulshan called together all the animals that have claws - the beavers, the marmots, the cougars the bears, even the rats and mice and moles - and told them to dig a big ditch.
The animals dug a deep one that was wide enough for two canoes to pass. Then Kulshan turned all the water from the mountains near him into the ditch until there was enough to float a fair-sized canoe.
Today the stream is called the Nooksack River.
Before starting, Fair Maiden gathered many kinds of food to take with her. Then she went down the river and out into the salt water of the Whulge.
She ate mussels at one of the islands and left some there. That's why mussels are found on the same island today.
She ate clams at another island and left some there.
She ate camas at another, and that's why a lot of camas grow on Matia Island today.
She ate devilfish and berries at another island and left some.
At every island on her journey she left some kind of fish or root or berry, and that's why the Indian names for these islands are the names or food.
When she got to Flat Top Island, she decided to stay somewhere near it. She stood looking over the water for a long time, trying to choose the best place. The winds blew round her tall figure and made a number of whirlpools. The whirlpools sucked many people in, even some who lived far away, and devoured them.
Fair Maiden kept on standing there, and the winds kept on blowing round her. At last the changer came to her and said,
"Why don't you lie down? If you stand, the winds will create whirlpools, and the whirlpools will suck all the people in."
So Fair Maiden lay down, and the Changer transformed her into Spieden Island. When her child was born, it was a small island of the same shape as Spieden and lying beside it.
Today it is called Sentinel Island.
Kulshan, left with his children in the mountains of the Northwest coastal range, kept stretching upward, trying to see his wives. So did his children.
The Three of them grew taller and taller and became high mountains. One is Shuksan, a little east of Kulshan and almost as tall. Some people say the others are Twin Sisters, a little west and south of Kulshan.
A long journey south of them stands their mother, Clear Sky.
You know her as Mount Rainier.
The seeds and roots she planted there grew and spread, and that's why the lower slopes bloom with flowers of every color. Often on a clear day or night, the mountain dresses in sparkling white and looks with longing at Komo Kulshan and the mountain children near him.

By Ella Clark

1953

539 photographs

How Did We Do?

There are many ways that we can assess student learning.  We want to make sure our students are learning and we are not just wasting their time and our time.  Tests are not the only way we can measure academic levels.  They are not the only way to see what strengths we can build upon and what the needs of the students are.
We can use many types of assessments to measure the needs of our students.  Tests do not take into consideration the diverse needs or the learning styles  of our students.  We know that our students come from a different walk of life from each other and some of the measuring sticks that we use do not take that into account.  There are many types of assessments to show progress of each of our students.  I believe one way is through  portfolios.  This would be a way to show progress over a period of time, the student could make a decision on what would be best to put in the portfolio.  This way when they show growth and they are proud of what they have accomplished their work goes into the portfolio.  If they need help they will get it before they complete the task for their portfolio. 
Another way our students can be assessed is to arrange the them in groups.  This is a great way to make observation of work ethics.  Students can work together on culminating projects.  Working together builds collaboration skills and the students learn from each other.  This group work allows the teacher to make observations and give feedback on group dynamics.
As with most schools in the beginning of the school year we give assessments to get a baseline of our students strengths and needs to guide our instruction.  At this time it would be a great idea to meet with previous teachers. Previous teachers of our students are a great resource for us.  They know them and want them to succeed as well.  They can enlighten us more than an assessment could tell us about our students.
When we test our students we are testing our pedagogy.  How did we prepare our students, did we given them the best chance to showcase their abilities.
As teachers we must take into considerations all learning styles, we must differentiate our instruction for those that need it, we must understand cultural differences, and most of all know we need to be aware of what drives our students.
Tests are not the only objective assessment when we think about tools that identify our students levels, not every student is the same.

Technology Infused Classroom

Unlike the traditional classroom setting the technology infused classroom has students actively engaged and moving about the room, collaborating and creating products that they can be proud of using these technological devices.  Textbooks are replaced by these devices to keep the students motivated and using their high order thinking skills.  The students and teachers can go beyond the walls of the classroom without leaving the building.  With the low funding for the classrooms the teachers can bring real life experiences to the students without leaving the room to get experiences they might not otherwise  receive if they did not have the connectivity.  When we look around we can see that our students come from a different way of life other than that of the students from just a few years ago.  They are engaged in  a way of life that allow them to use digital objects.  We can engaged our students in our classrooms with the tools thaat they enjoy.  A classroom that is infused with technology has a Smart Board, computers, laptops, digital cameras and digital videos.  With these tools we can capture our students attention.  When we incorporate technology in our lesson plans this supports the student learning.  With our digital learners we must infuse technology into our content area that support a positive and meaningful experience that help us as 21st century teachers.
With my classroom I use the Smart Board to inspire learning and keep my students engaged with interactive lesson plans.  I use my digital camera to take images of my students when we are working on projects to be displayed for all to enjoy.

Visual Learners Have Arrived

We want our children to be literate  in the 21st century not just in reading and writing, we want them to be literate in visually as well.  We want our children to be able decipher what is being said by looking at the images that are being presented to them.  When we as teacher understand that most of most our students are visual learners as we will find out  it would be a great teaching tool to given them images that assist us in teaching them.  When we want our students to be engaged in what we are teaching them, we have to bring them into the discussion and get them motivated.  What better way to do that, for the learning style of the child is to bring in images, videos or other forms digital technology for them to experience.  We really need to get our students excited.  When we get our students thinking and asking questions the right questions we know we are doing our job.  In the classroom of today we have to incorporate the technology .  Our students are the digital natives and they learn in different ways tha that of the students before them.  The technology will help us help them to  become productive members of society.  Technology is everywhere and it is not going away.  Technology is everywhere and in almost everything that we do. Properly used, technology can assist us to help our students with expereince and knowledge that t they need to get along in the years to come. We can not afford to lag in this department.

Cut and Paste No More

In my classroom I use different strategies to get my lessons across to the students.  I only see my students a few moments out of the week and want them to get the most out of what I want them to learn.  Most of my students are visual  learners which makes it an easy task when I want images from the computer to share visuals of what we are learning.  I can remember when we did not have technology in the classroom, we would have to cut and past images, and make our own stencils for the bulletin boards, etc.  I do not take advantage of my computer, but I do appreciate what it has to offer me and I use it when I am teaching.  I do use it for many things.  Our students come from a digital age and they are use to a quick learning style.  I am slow at making sure that the I am continually incorporating the technology in my classroom but I know that is possible and needed.  I want our students to do a podcast with one our departments.  We can share this with the families and they too can continue to enjoy what the students are learning.

Students become the teachers!!!!

I  like to create my own materials to teach my students.  I do not have a materials that are available to me, so that makes it fun to devise my own materials.  I like to use my Smart Board when delivering my lessons.  The students can see, hear and repeat what they are learning.  Some of the topics that I cover for the students are:

• Things around the house
• Greetings
• Classroom Directives
• Weather words
• Numbers
• Animals
• Relatives
• Emotions
• and much more

In order for my students to use and practice what they have learned in class we make hands on activities to bring home to share with families, then they become the teachers.