According to Flathead Indian legend, the bitterroot flower, from which the valley, mountains, wilderness, national forest and river take their names, was created when one morning at dawn, the rising sun found an old woman weeping by the river for her starving people. The sun took pity on her and sent a beautiful guardian bird to comfort her. “Your tears will cause a new plant to rise,” said the bird. “The flower will have the white color of your hair and the rose of my wing feathers. Though you’ll find the root bitter from your sorrow, it will nourish you.”