Welcome To Bandon Visitors Guide 2012

• Face Rock Legend

Published: Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 Face Rock Legend A truly "Bandon" experience includes a visit to view Face Rock and learn the Native American legend of the beloved monolith and surrounding offshore rocks.

Visitors to Face Rock Viewpoint on Beach Loop Drive often have to gaze long and hard to make out the profile of the uplifted face, the only part of the beautiful Indian princess Ewanua's stone body that isn't enveloped by the cold Pacific Ocean.

Legend from the Nah-So-Mah Tribe has it that Ewanua was visiting tribes on the coast with her father, Chief Siskiyou, and in celebration of their visit, a great potlatch took place.

The local tribes were in great fear of Seatka, the evil spirit of the ocean, but Ewanua and those in her tribe, who lived in the mountains, were not afraid.

After the feast, while others lay sleeping, Ewanua carried her dog, Komax, and her cat and kittens in a basket and wandered down to the ocean.

She danced and played with delight, and soon placed her pets in their basket on the beach and swam into the ocean, far from shore. Unaware of any danger, she was suddenly grabbed by a fearsome creature that came out of the water.

Komax, knowing his mistress was in danger, swam out to her with the basket in his mouth and bit Seatka. Howling with rage, the monster kicked off the dog and threw the cat and kittens far out to sea. He tried to get the princess to look at him, but she refused, knowing his power was in his eyes.

Now, the beautiful Ewanua lies in the ocean, looking skyward, refusing to look at Seatka, who sits nearby. Her beloved Komax and her cat and kittens lie to the west, waiting in vain for their mistress to arise.


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