The Three Sisters

Here stand The Three Sisters on a sunny spring day. Having grown up at the feet of the Olympic Mountains, I am still getting to know the Central Oregon Cascades as my home range. I was curious about the story behind the three sisters, so I did a little research. European settlers in the area gave them the names Faith (North Sister), Hope (Middle Sister), and Charity (South Sister), but their collective name as “The Three Sisters” came from local Native American myth. One Warm Springs Tribe story I came across described how the mountains of this range were once people who were on a march due to the conflict between Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood and stopped as a result of Coyote’s trickery, becoming mountains where they stood. I also came across a modern myth and series of art pieces by artist Lani Asuncion, during his residency at the Caldera Arts Center, detailing the competition and treachery of the three sisters vying for the affections of Mt. Bachelor, and their lessons learned.

 Here is a link to the Warm Springs Native American Story:  

The Grandfathers’ Story of Black Butte and Green Ridge

And here is a link to a blog written by artist Lani Asuncion on The Three Sister’s Mythology.