Accounts of the legend vary significantly, but most agree that Tahquitz represents evil or death, and his spirit makes its home on Mount San Jacinto.
The tribal group's web page dedicated to the canyon describes The Legend of Taquitz as follows: Tahquitz was the first shaman created by Mukat, the creator of all things.
He made his home high in the San Jacinto Mountains in a secret cave below the towering rock known today as Tahquitz Peak.
The strange rumblings heard deep within the San Jacinto Mountains, the shaking of the ground, and the crashing of boulders are all attributed to Tahquitz as he stomps about the canyon.
[3] Author Lowell John Bean, in his book Mukat's People; The Cauilla Indians of Southern California, applies a different orthography, rendering the name as Taqwuš instead of Tahquitz.