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Show DAILY Sunda, Ae30,206 HERALD THE HISTORY PAGE GOT HISTORY? The Daily Herald is looking for interesting stories about local history for this weekly page. Make or submit material by email to Executive Editor Randy Wright, Fright(@heraldextra.com. Or mail to the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 717, Provo, UT 84603-0717. No phone calls please. Mysterious monsters inhabited Utah Valley waters D. Robert Carter I: this dayand age, a cry of “Walla-la-loo-loo” wafting across the nighttime air would not cause a normal Utah Valleyresident to tremble with fear. However, during skin covers and clutch their buffalo hide beanie babies a little closer. For that sound was the call uttered by Pawapicts, or Water Babies, whom native Timpanogos warrior. It may hate also curdled the milk of an earlier timein Utah Valley, that cry would likel¥ have senta chill through the breech cloth of many a Shinob-fearing their heads eeeeal Americans believed inhabited the waters of Utah Lake, Provo River and other aqua pura. There are various Utah Indian tales relating how these water beings came into existence. According to one account published by the Uintah-Ouray Ute Tribe in the book Stories of Our Ancestors, Pawapicts came into existenceas the result of a wrestling match between a very stout man named Pahah- pooch and Wildcat. It is possible thatthis account and othersimilar tales were attempts on the part of the Native Americans to \—“Verizannicices We neverstop working for yous explain what happenedto their people who had drowned. Beforechallenging Wildcat toa wrestling bout, Pahahpooch had thrown all of his other contestants and had neverlost a contest. Whenthe prearranged match began,the two grappled beside a large expanse of water. The feline creature eventually threw Pahahpooc! into the middle of the lake and said, “You will stay in the water all the time now and peoplewill call you WaterIndian.” 's life in the water must have beena very lonely one, and eventually he tempted or forced others into the waterto become WaterIndians like him. Then it becamethe task of the new WaterIndians to lure other people into the water or swallow them andcarry them into the depths. The lakes or streams into which they were submerged became the victims’ homes. Utes apparently believed Pawapicts camein various shapes andsizes. MostUte ac- counts agree that they had long black hair andcried likeinfants. However, Ute sources quoted in Anne M. Smith's book, “Ute Tales,” variously described themeitheras being the size of a man’s handoraslarge as a three or four-year-old child Sometimes, they even appeared in the shape andsize ofan alluring full-grown woman. Theselast mentioned creatures,like their humancounterparts, sometimes trapped their victims by using devious meth- ods. In one story, a young man wentto the river and watered his horses. Hefelt overcome with fatigue and wentto sleep on the bank of the stream. $129.99 2-year agreementprice less $50 mail-in rebate. New 2-yearactivation required. Whenthe man awoke, he be- came aware that someone was lying beside him. He opened his eyes and saw a seductive woman ina greendress lying next to him. He fell in love with her, and she coaxed him to go with her under the water to meet her people. His family never saw him again. Someofthetales in Smith's book revealpersonal experiences Utes had with these inhabitants of the deep, or in Utah Lake's case, the not so deep. For example, John Duncan, a Ute whose Indian name was Red Sunrise,related a story of a Water Baby thatlived near Provo. Duncan said thatin his youth he knew a boy whoneither believed in Water Babies nor thought they were bad. He wanted proofof their existence. Once John andhis friend Motorola RAZR V3c traveled to Utah Valley and wentfishing. They saw Water Babiesona flat rock in the Provo Riverdrying their long hair. The Pawapicts looked Also available in grey. Shopfrom home. Free shipping is isjust a call sai verizonwireless.com : 1 e 877.e 2 BUY VZW 1.877.228.9899 Hablamos espajiol VERIZON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS STORES str nour: w-Sat sam-tom; Sun 1am-Gpm. Mall hous vary. AUTHORIZED RETAILERS rioes, rebates & return ayton Hills Mal ee ee 6191 S. State St pilin ‘ashion Place Mall Nearthe food court :4] S] 801-593-8220 MIDVALE * Family Center at 801-568-5154 3) #0026Fort uno inion Middle of the mall Meier & Frank 250 E. 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