"The ancient god (hulu) emerged from the deep, thundering sea. Like a storm, she walked onto the eastern land, and like a storm, her soul was scattered across the vast world..."
It was almost dusk, and the fleet docked at the Veyote Lake Gardens on the east bank of the lagoon. Regarding the arrival of the exploration fleet, the Viyot people reacted calmly, just like the tepid lake water, with no vigilance or mobilization. Especially when Mikey, the knowledgeable man, presented the token of the Cedar Shaman, the old chief of the Lake Garden Department, Tu Jing, personally came forward to entertain the leaders of the fleet.
The Veyot lake garden is located at the edge of the lagoon, on the lakeside plain of reeds and long grass. There are few trees here and there is a lack of building materials. Among the two to three thousand people in the Lake Garden Department, there was not even a complete wooden house. They were all low "wind shelter huts" spread out densely by the lake.
This Wiyot hut is like a round hat worn on the ground, with a height of about 2-3 meters and a diameter of 3-6 meters. At this moment, Mickey the Knowledgeable was sitting in the hut and could clearly see that the pillars of the hut were small logs that were not too thick, and between the log pillars, there were filled branches, bamboos and reeds. Further out, there are bark, turf and soil used as insulation materials. As for the roof of the hut, it is the same thin branch roof, covered with thick long grass and reeds.
“It’s a very simple cabin, easy to put up, and the materials are easy to obtain!…”
Mickey the Knowledgeable raised his head and carefully observed the flue on the small roof, which seemed to be facing the fire pit below. There are no windows in the whole house, only a closed reed door, and you have to lower your head to enter.
"This kind of small house is very warm! It's also low and windproof... Maybe it will come in handy when we get to the far north..."
"Ahaha! Vicney is baked! And some seasonings from Chief Tujie have been added! Come on, let's eat it while it's hot!..."
With that said, the cloaked hunter Lotte happily took a few skewers of grilled eels from the fire pit and handed them to the exploration captain Zuvalo, the wise man Mickey and the old chief Tujing respectively. Then, according to his appetite, he picked up his own, the largest skewer of grilled eel, and ate it happily.
"Suck! It smells so good! Oh! So fresh! Suck! It's as expected of me baking it!..."
Yes, what the people of Wiyot call "vicney" is the specialty of the north on the west coast, the delicious eel! The knowledgeable Mickey couldn’t wait to pick up a skewer of grilled eels as thick as his arm and took a big bite! Then, the rich aroma, delicious juice, and slightly sweet taste all reverberated between his tongue and teeth, making his eyes light up.
"My lord! It's delicious! Well...it's so delicious!"
Mikey, the knowledgeable man, took a big bite, feeling the crispy skin of the eel and the tender and delicious inside. His eyes were filled with happiness, and he instantly became much kinder when he saw the caped hunter's happy expression.
"Praise the Lord God! Your roasting of Vikni is really awesome! It's really a blessing from the Lord God!..."
Chief Tujing of the Huyuan Department also stopped singing the tribal epic and ate delicious grilled eel. Although he is the chief of the tribe, he does not have much power to use the food in the tribe's warehouse. Therefore, he could only use some of the food stored at home to invite several leaders of the fleet. The "wind shelter" he lives in is only slightly larger than others, and has no special and conspicuous decorations.
In fact, the Viyot people who fish on the seashore still maintain a very ancient and loose tribal structure. The chief has very little power, and even retains many characteristics of the matrilineal clan, with the mother's origin determining the family's affiliation.
The lagoon plain where they were located had mountains to the north, east, south, and the sea to the west. Their daily life is mainly based on fishing, supplemented by planting and gathering, and there is not much hunting in the mountains. This kind of isolated fishing life does not have enough pressure, nor is it rich enough to produce enough to allow the tribe's society to move forward. Perhaps it is the survival choice of fishing for generations that makes the Viyot people peaceful and patient, unlike those hunting clans in the mountains who are sharp, decisive and violent.
"Gods are scattered in the world, making all things have spirituality! Just like the eels in our hands, they are also spiritual. In order to fill our stomachs, we have to eat it and be grateful for it. This is the cycle and gift of nature. …”
The old Chief Tujing was chattering and slowly eating grilled fish with a gentle smile on his face. After a while, everyone finished eating a pile of eels, and they all leaned against the inner wall of the hut with satisfaction, warming themselves up to the warm bonfire, looking comfortable and relaxed.
"Tribes coming from the sea! You bring the tokens of the southern shamans, and you are visitors from afar that can be trusted. What do you want to do when you come to this camp by the lake, the home of us lakeside people? …”
In the language of the Viyot people, the meaning of "Viyot" is "people", or "people by the lake".
"We, exchange, food!..."
Mickey the Knowledgeable stammered, looking at the translation book and piecing together a few words. He kept making gestures and even drawing pictures on the dirt floor in the house, sweating from behind.
However, Chief Tujing took his time and slowly looked at the simple drawings on the ground, leisurely guessing his intentions.
"Eh? My friend, are you not full? Do you need some more scallop soup? Oh! You are sweating a little, let me make you some herbal tea!..."
With that said, Chief Tujing took some American wild mint, added some dried wild strawberries, and boiled them together in a clay pot. He gave each person a wooden cup, poured hot, fragrant herbal tea, and took a demonstrative sip.
"Come! Friends! A cup of hot herbal tea, let our bodies and the spirit of the gods harmonize with each other..."
"Lord God! Language barrier, this is really..."
Mickey the Knowledgeable opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. The Wiyot people were too isolated, their language varied greatly from tribe to tribe, and its spread was limited. Even the Miwok translator from the North Bay Department could not communicate directly with them.
"Huh! Forget it, let's drink tea first. Have a cup of herbal tea... This tea is quite fragrant..."
After a cup of hot tea, everyone became more patient. Mikey, the knowledgeable man, made many gestures and pictures, and finally let Chief Tujing understand what he meant.
"Oh! Do you want to exchange the tribe's food? Well, I don't have to say this. I have to ask the elder grandfathers of each family to come over and decide together!..."
"The goods exchanged? Huh? Very beautiful stones! But they can't be eaten, so they can't be exchanged for food. Well, very sharp axes and spears, but they are not used for fishing. A big bow, strong leather A? It doesn’t seem to be of any use..."
Chief Tujing turned over the cargo of the fleet until he found the last piece of cloth, and his eyes lit up.
"Thick cloth can keep you warm! This is good, and every family will be happy to give food in exchange for it!..."
Seeing this, Mickey the Knowledgeable finally breathed a sigh of relief. Chief Tujing not only doesn't want gems, he even doesn't want copper axes, bronze spears, bows and arrows, and leather armor! It seems that the Viyot people are indeed a peaceful tribe and have no desire to fight or fight.
In later history, the peace of the Wiyot people lasted until around 1860, when the expansion of the Yankees finally reached this end of the world. Then, a brutal massacre completely destroyed the Huyuan Department and killed tens of thousands of Viyot people. The Yankee city of Eureka was built on the tomb of the Lake Garden Department. What is even more ironic is that more than a hundred years later, in order to express apology for the massacre of the Viyot people, a monument was built in this city to repent of the past killings...
No one knows what will happen in the future, and it will never happen again here. Next, there is the question of exploring captain Zuvalo. He gestured, drew pictures, and repeated, emphasizing the fleet's needs.
"Dear Chief Tujing! Witness the Lord God! We want to leave fifty people to find a piece of land along the lake around the Lake Garden Department to build a kingdom's port where we can farm and build houses!..."
"Huh? Don't be impatient, take your time, point by point... You? Fifty people? New tribe? Land? Farming? Fishing? Build a house?..."
After a while, the old Chief Tujing finally understood what Zuvalo meant. He smiled gently and nodded slowly. But this time, the request does not need to be discussed by the elders of the tribe.
"Everything has animism, and the earth belongs to every tribe."
Chief Tujing smiled and spoke, his voice gentle and kind, like an old elder. He stretched out his finger and drew a lagoon. Then, he drew a small circle, which was the location of the Lake Garden Department. Next, he drew a small circle, half a day's distance south of Huyuan Department, which is about 30 miles. There happens to be a river flowing down from the south upstream along the lagoon.
"Tribes coming from the sea! You have boats and you can fish for yourself. If you have cloth, you can exchange for some food and ask the tribesmen to help. There are no villages in the long grassland by the lake, and there are no big prey..."
"You can build a hut here, fish here, and plant some beans by the lake... Then, you strong men, marry the women of the tribe, and we will all be a family!..."
