There was an interesting page in News @ Nature yesterday. Ruth Ludwin, a researcher at the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network at the University of Washington in Seattle, has been studying stories from the Salish people of the North American west coast about a’yahos, a spirit associated with shaking of the ground and rushing, muddy water. All very nice but even better, by tracing the tales to specific locations, she’s able to tie the stories to evidence of ancient landslides.

Nature notes:

Ludwin is keen to continue her work, but says she is having difficulty securing funds from the US Geological Survey. “I think they feel it doesn’t strictly fall under their mandate,” she explains. “It kind of falls somewhere between the humanities and the sciences.” She says she will look for alternative sources of funding.

If you’re interested she has a webpage Cascadia Megathrust Earthquakes in PNW Indian Legend. The reference to her current letter is:
Ludwin R. S., et al. Seismol. Res. Lett., 76. 431 – 436 (2005).