The Legend of Siwash Rock
The hero, named Skalsh or Slah-kay-ulsh, of this story was a Native American of the Squamish tribe. Long, long ago he and his people heard that Q'uas the Transformer had been sent on a mission to visit every tribe in the world, hearing and perhaps granting wishes to those with favours to ask. When Q'uas was said to be approaching our hero's village, Skalsh went for a long swim of purification in the waters of the modern day English Bay. While engaged in this rite, he noticed a canoe not far off and swam towards it to greet the occupants.
Asked why he was swimming there he told those in the canoe that he was purifying himself so as to be worthy to approach Q'uas the Transformer who was expected shortly.
One of the passengers in the canoe said that he assumed then that the swimmer had a personal request to make of Q'uas when he saw him. Skalsh replied that he had nothing to ask for himself but would seek Q'uas' aid for his people.
The traveler in the dugout asked him again if he had no interest in securing Q'uas help with some individual problem or desire only to be told again that the swimmer sought only help for his village.
Then the traveler in the dugout revealed that he was in fact the same Q'uas that Skalsh was purifying himself for and that of all the people Q'uas had met, the swimmer was the only unselfish one.
So impressed was Q'uas that he transformed Skalsh into a 15. 2 metre pinnacle of rock to stand forever as an example of how all people should be.
And so to this day Skalsh stands near the shore of Stanley Park, an immortal memorial to unselfishness in the distant past of the Indigenous people.
