The Legend of Qu'appelle Valley



"The Legend of Qu'appelle Valley" is a poem written by E. Pauline Johnson that tells the tale of a young Indian who, upon returning from a hunting trip, hears a voice. He replies: "Qu'appelle", or "who calls", but receives no answer, save his echo. When he does return, he discovers that the young woman he was to marry died suddenly and with her dying breath cried out his name. And thus, the Qu'appelle Valley received its name. Although fictional, this story is based upon the unusual phenomenon reported by Metis trader Daniel Harmon, in which the Indigenous people of the area, whenever they heard (or thought they heard) a voice would reply: "Kâ-têpwêt?", "who calls?", or "qui appelle?", "Who Calls" in Cree, English, and French.