It
isn’t just the Mormon pioneers that hold the seagull in honor, who else does?
a.
The Puritans
b.
The Quakers
c.
The Natives
d.
The ‘49ers
Yesterday’s answer:
(D) Sego Lily
The Sego lily is Utah’s state
flower. It was adopted by legislative enactment in 1911. The Utah Indians have
an interesting legend concerning its origin:
Many, many suns ago, the Indians lived in great numbers in these valleys
of the mountains. They grew corn and berries in abundance, but as they
increased in yield, the Indians envied one another and vied with each other to
see who could gather the most food for their winter living when snows were deep
and days were cold. Then they warred, and the tomahawk took the place of the game
stick, and many Indians were killed. The Great Spirit was displeased, and sent
a heat over the land, and the corn and berries dried up. The children were left
without food, the sky became dark with great clouds for many moons, the earth
refused to yield, and the sands blew over all the land. The Indians sorrowed
and prayed to the Spirit. One day the sun shone brightly, and up on the hill
the people saw a little plant, growing everywhere, even into the canyons, and
far above to the very peaks, The Great Spirit had heard the prayers of the people.
And when the Indians tasted the root, ever after they never fought where the
lily-bulb grew, and they called it the little “life-plant” of the hills.
Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Chronicles of Courage (Salt Lake City:
Utah Publishing Company, 1994), 5:385-386
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