The Cloud People – A Sia Legend.

The Cloud People, along with the Lightning People, Thunder People, and Rainbow People, accompany the Sia into the upper world. However, not everyone from Tinia, the middle world, leaves the lower world. Only a select group is sent by the Spider to work for the inhabitants of the upper world. The Cloud People are so numerous that, despite the immense demands of the Earth people, many still roam Tinia for leisure. These Cloud People travel on wheels, with the children using smaller ones and the adults using larger ones. They always wear masks, whose designs vary depending on their numbers and tasks. The Henati are the drifting white clouds under which the Cloud People pass for enjoyment. The Heash are cloud formations resembling plains, behind which the Cloud People labor to bring water to the Earth.

Water is collected by the Cloud People from springs at the mountain bases, using gourds, jugs, and vases carried by men, women, and children. They ascend through the tree trunks to their tops, reaching Tinia, and then move to the designated areas to sprinkle water. The priest of the Cloud People holds a position above even the priests of the Thunder, Lightning, and Rainbow Peoples. The Cloud People conduct ceremonies similar to those of the Sia, and the arrangements on Sia altars mirror the seating of the Cloud People during their rituals. When a priest of the Cloud People seeks help from the Thunder and Lightning Peoples, he informs their priests but maintains oversight. The Lightning People then shoot their arrows to intensify the rain, with smaller flashes coming from the children’s bows. The Thunder People, with human forms and knife-like wings, create loud noises by flapping their wings, urging the Cloud and Lightning People to work harder.

The Rainbow People were created to enhance the beauty of Tinia for the people of Ha-arts, the Earth, to admire. The elders craft the stunning rainbows, with assistance from the children. While the Sia are unsure of the composition or construction of these rainbows, they do know that war heroes always travel upon them.

This is a retelling of a living tradition belonging to the Sia people.

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