American Indian tribe maps * Indigenous Canadians * What's new on our site

Native Languages of the Americas:
Thompson Legends, Myths, and Stories

This is our collection of links to Thompson stories and folktales that can be read online. We have indexed our American Indian folklore section by tribe to make them easier to locate; however, variants on the same legend are often told by American Indians from different tribes, especially if those tribes are kinfolk or neighbors to each other. In particular, though these legends come from Thompson mythology, the traditional stories of the Okanagan and other Salishan tribes are very similar.

Enjoy the stories! If you would like to recommend a Thompson legend for this page or think one of the ones on here should be removed, please let us know.

Sponsored Links

Important Thompson Mythological Figures

Coyote: The trickster hero of Thompson Indian mythology. Coyote is foolish and boastful, and so Thompson stories about him are often humorous in nature; however, he is a well-meaning creature who usually acts for the good of humankind.

Thompson Indian Folklore

*Thompson River Indian Traditional Stories:
    Three Thompson legends.
*The Origin of Fishing:
    Nlaka'pamux myth about how the Transformer taught the people to fish.
*The Youth Who Joined The Deer:
    Thompson legend about a man who married a deer.
*The Bag Of Winds:
    Thompson myth about a man who caught the wind.
*The Dog Children:
    Uta'mqt (Lower Thompson) legend about a woman who married a dog.
*The Girl Who Married The Crow:
    Thompson legend about a crow woman.
*The Woman Who Became A Horse:
    Thompson story about a shape-shifting horse woman.
*The Fish-Man:
    Thompson legend about a woman who married a fish.
*A Man Eats His Sisters' Berries:
    Light-hearted Thompson story about a man who fooled his sisters.

Recommended Books of Thompson Myths
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links

*Traditions of the Thompson River Indians:
    Collection of Thompson River myths and legends.
Salish Myths and Legends:
    Anthology of legends and traditional stories from the Thompson and other Salish tribes.

Sponsored Links

Additional Resources

 Interior Salish rituals and traditions
 Indian religion and beliefs
 Thompson language
 First Nations of British Columbia
 Great Plateau
 Interior Salish languages
 Indian tribe names list



Back to the Thompsons homepage
Back to Animal mythology
Visit our Native American author index



Indian crafts * Indian names * Native heritage * Haida Indian * Native American designs

Would you like to help support our organization's work with endangered American Indian languages?


Native Languages of the Americas website © 1998-2020 * Contacts and FAQ page