STORIES RECENTLY TOLD OF MENABOZHO, AND OTHER HEROES
INTRODUCTORY—THE INDIANS’ PRESENT CONDITION
The present condition of the Indians is very different from that when
the tribes roved for thousands of miles either in pursuit of enemies or
for food.
Now they are prevented by law from fishing or hunting outside the
boundaries of their various reservations, to which they were sent by
the government for different reasons. For many years meat and flour
were given to some tribes as rations at certain periods of the year,
when they also received money and blankets. A number of tribes have
become much like the white man, and live in houses and have large
numbers of horses and cattle upon the plains or on their farms in the
east; other tribes, proud of their ancient customs, still try to live
as nearly as possible in the way of their ancestors.
Their love for their nation, tribe, and family is very great, and that
is one reason why a few of the Indian students become once more Blanket
Indians. They cannot endure the taunt that they have forgotten their
own people.
The old myths of years ago are repeated in Indian homes, and many of
the stories, like those told in the poem of Hiawatha, are familiar
tales to little children in western teepees. Hiawatha the Wise we now
know is an Iroquois hero; Menabozho, who is called the Foolish or Sly
One, is an Algonquin hero, and they are two very different characters
in the lore of two different Indian nations. Hiawatha the Iroquois is
always dignified; Menabozho the Algonquin is very powerful but full of
boyish tricks.
MENABOZHO, OR THE GREAT WHITE HARE
From the east side to the west side of America the Algonquin Indians
all have their stories of Menabozho. When the story is of some great
deed of Nanabush, or of Missaba, you must remember that these names are
only another way of speaking of Menabozho. In the different Indian
tribes the languages are different; but those who have been most among
these many tribes of red men find that nearly all have some name for
this Great Manitou, or Spirit.
Whatever was the first cause of their belief in such a being, there is
no way of knowing. All people, no matter how wild, believe in God; but
the wilder the people the more gods they believe in. It is so with the
Indian.
The red man seemed to believe every stone, every bush, and almost every
animal had its manitou or spirit. These manitous were something to be
feared, and to which prayer ought to be offered. So we will call them
the gods of the Indians. But these gods were ruled over by greater ones
that had wonderful powers.
The Indians watch the sun, moon, and stars a great deal and know much
more about them than many white people who have no time for such study.
When they saw the power of the sun in bringing life out of the earth in
the shape of growing plants from hidden seeds, then the sun seemed like
a living spirit to them.
The name Menabozho has been found to mean in the Indian language the
Great White Hare. It has been found to mean more than that. Some one
who has studied into the meanings of Indian words says that it means
the “god of light,” or “ruler of the sun.” When you read marvelous
stories of Menabozho remember then that the Indians who told these
tales first had in mind one of their strong gods,—one who was swift and
powerful as the light of the sun; one who was as kind as the sun is to
the earth, bringing food and blessing to every one.
The sun hides away every night; so Menabozho often rested. The sun is
often troubled by clouds and storms; and Menabozho has many troubles,
but usually comes out very bravely from every hindrance.
This manitou could take many forms. He very often appeared upon the
earth as a man, for that is the highest form of all life. He is said to
have many homes.
Some say Menabozho’s home is in the east. He rules over the east wind
and watches the sun that it may follow the right path through the sky.
He rules the sun. It could not leave the east without him.
The Indians in some nations have a kind of picture to represent
Menabozho. It looks something like a child’s picture of a rabbit.
People have thought of many reasons why the red men should have called
him the Great White Hare. The Indians themselves do not seem to explain
why they did it.
We know from many Indian customs and from their records, for they have
kept many records, that the red men lived in America for hundreds of
years before Columbus came. Where the first Indians came from the most
learned white man cannot tell. He can only guess.
Some of the Indian stories tell that the red man was created here in
America. That is not strange for them to say, for they have no
remembrance of another land. If they came from across the great ocean
at the west, or drifted across the one at the east, they may have
brought this story of Menabozho, the god of light, with them. Early
travelers found some tribes expecting the Great Spirit to come among
them again in the shape of palefaced men. The same belief was found far
south in Mexico. It seems very strange to us. Many have thought that it
was the coming of Menabozho the red men expected when the white men
came.
This same Great Spirit who was to come was kind and good. He would be a
brother to all creatures, man and beast. Menabozho called everything
his brother. Stories that the Indians are telling of him to-day speak
of him as calling the trees his brothers.
Those who are much among the Indians now, as the hunters in the
northern forests are, tell of how real this kindly manitou is to the
red man in his every-day life.
There is a certain little black swimming bird that looks much like a
duck, which is called a diver. When this bird rushes from the reeds by
the river into the water, the Indian who sees it often cries out,
“There goes the bird Menabozho kicked.”
If the white fisherman tells a story of some great fish that he has
caught, or that nearly came into his net, then the Indians, among
themselves, grunt and scoff at his story. They can tell of a larger
fish than any white man ever saw or brought to shore. Menabozho sailed
into its mouth in his canoe. And so this same being is as real to them
as any we have learned of in our childhood’s days.
The stories recently collected are interesting in showing how alive is
all Nature to those who live nearest to her. The Indian still seems to
understand with the heart of a poet the voices of trees, stones, and
brooks. We are glad to know that many whites have learned that the red
men have a strong love for justice and truth and can show mercy to
those who have been merciful.
The Indian is not a dull-minded being. His wits are keen, and his
judgment as fine as many a civilized man can claim. But he lives a life
far apart from the busy city or town life of the white man, and it is
hard for each to understand the life of the other.
I. MENABOZHO AND HIS THREE BROTHERS
The Indians tell that, in a time so long ago no one can tell when, four
brothers were born on this earth.
The first was Menabozho, who is the friend of all the human race. The
second was Chibiabos, who cares for the dead and lives in the Country
of Souls. The third was Wabose. He ran far away to the north and was
changed into a rabbit, but is still very powerful. The fourth was
Chokanipok, the Man of Flint.
Menabozho did not love his fourth brother, the stone man, and had many
battles with him. These battles were long and terrible. Traces of them
can be found to this day. Chokanipok’s body was as large as a mountain.
In one of these battles Menabozho’s arrows tore off many pieces of
flesh from him. These changed into flint stones when they touched the
earth, and men made fire by striking two of them together.
At last Menabozho conquered, for he had more love for man in his heart
than had his brother, and the great firestone giant fell, and his
pieces are scattered everywhere.
This gave Menabozho courage, and he traveled all over the earth
teaching men how to use stone and bone. He taught them how to make
stone axes. He showed them how to make snares and traps so as to catch
fishes and birds. He taught the women how to weave mats and beautiful
baskets.
While he traveled he saw the huge creatures whose bones are now dug up
from far under the ground. Menabozho slew these animals himself and hid
them away. He opened the pathway for the rivers between the hills and
mountains. He made the earth ready for the Indian.
Menabozho placed four spirits at the four sides of the heavens. The
spirit which he put in the north sends snow and ice so that the Indian
may hunt during the cold moons. The spirit in the south sends the warm
wind and gives the red man corn, melons, and tobacco. The spirit that
stands in the west sends the rain, and the spirit in the east gives
light to the earth.
Some Indian legends say that Menabozho now lives on an ice mountain in
the great sea. If he, by any chance, were driven from his home all
things would burn if he should touch his feet to the ground to spring
into the air. The end would come, for the sun could never shine again
without Menabozho to guide it from the east to the west.
When this great manitou walked on the earth his steps measured as long
as the steps one tribe would take in one day. He could step over
mountains and think they were only ant-hills. He could step over a
large lake. If he wished, he could make himself as short as a man. He
had great power.
It is told that a little child once outwitted him. The boy was playing
outside his mother’s lodge and dared the manitou to do as he did. The
manitou loved the child and waited to see what it did. The boy lay down
and put his toe into his mouth. Menabozho tried to do this same thing
and could not.
He told the boy to wish for anything and that he should have it. The
boy wished for long life. Menabozho changed the child into a
white-cedar tree, and the tree stood for hundreds of winters in the
place where the child had stood when he wished for long life. It was
not far from where he lay by his mother’s wigwam when he dared the
great Menabozho to a deed the manitou could not perform.
It was in this way the wise manitou punished the boy. It is not well
for any one to be wiser than a manitou, for even the flint stones show
that these spirits are very powerful.
II. STORY OF THE DELUGE
(Chippewa, 1900)
Menabozho, the great land manitou, did not like the water manitous or
spirits. One day he saw the chief of the water manitous asleep on a
rock, and he shot and killed him with a magic arrow; then the little
water manitous called the big rivers to help them and chased Menabozho
up a high hill.
The water reached halfway up the hill; the water manitous called all
the little rivers then to help them. The water chased Menabozho to the
top of the high hill. He climbed up a tall pine tree, but the water
came up to his chin; it could not go over his head, for there is not
water enough in the whole world to drown the great Menabozho.
He waited a long time while he stood on the top of the pine tree. The
rivers would not go back, and he could not see any land.
A loon flew over his head and then dived into the great water.
Menabozho said: “Brother Loon, come to me. I must make land for us to
stand on. Will you dive down and bring me a little sand?”
The loon put down his head and went through the deep water, but it was
too deep even for the great loon-bird. He came up again, but he had
left his breath in the deep water. Menabozho caught him as he floated
by the pine tree, but he found no sand in his bill nor on his feet.
An otter put his head out of the water close by Menabozho.
“Brother Otter, dive down and bring me up a few grains of sand. We must
have land to put our feet upon.”
The otter knew he must do as Menabozho told him, so he put his head
down into the deep water. He came up, but he had no life any more, and
Menabozho could not find any sand in his paws.
A muskrat came swimming by just then. “Brother Muskrat, you are very
brave. Will you dive down to the sand under this deep water and bring
me a few grains? I must make land for my brothers,” said Menabozho.
The muskrat was brave, for he dived down, but he came up just like the
otter. He had no more life, but he had a little sand in one front paw.
Menabozho held the sand in his own hand and dried it in the sunshine.
He blew it with his breath far out on the water, and it made a little
island. Menabozho called the sand back to him. He dried it in his hand
again and then blew it to its place on the deep water. He did this for
two days, and the island grew larger every time it was sent back.
Menabozho left the tree and walked on the land.
He called to his brothers, who are the trees, animals, and everything
on the land, to come and live on this land. The water had to go back to
its place.
III. MENABOZHO CAUGHT
(Chippewa, 1895)
Menabozho killed a large moose when hunting. He put the meat in boxes
made of birch bark and hid the boxes by a sweet-water tree, which the
white men call a maple tree.
There was much moose meat, and it would last many weeks. There was much
moose fat, so Menabozho made more birch-bark boxes and hid the fat in
them near an oak tree. He hung the mooseskin in the branches of the
tree.
Menabozho sat on the ground and ate much moose meat; while he was
eating he heard a noise over his head and saw that two trees were
pulling each other. A tall tree had fallen into the top of a small
tree, and it was caught. The wind tried to pull the tall tree away, but
the little tree held it tight, and the branches made a noise like
something alive. Menabozho did not like to hear such a loud noise when
he was eating.
He climbed into the little tree and tried to pull the tall tree away.
His arm was caught between the two trees, and he was like a bear in a
trap. The two trees pinched Menabozho’s arm very hard.
While he was in the trap trying to get loose, a wolf came along under
the trees; she had two young wolves with her.
“Look out!” said Menabozho; “don’t go near that sweet-water tree. There
is nothing for you in these woods.”
The old mother wolf knew Menabozho and his tricks. She found the
birch-bark boxes and called to her little ones.
“Come down and eat, Brother Menabozho,” said the old wolf. She knew she
was safe, for the trees held him close.
The wolf and her young ones played with the empty boxes when the meat
was gone; they broke them all, then ran toward the oak tree.
“Don’t go there; the tree may fall on you!” said Menabozho.
“Come, children,” said the wolf, “use your noses and you will find more
food.”
They found the moose fat in the other boxes. Wolves can eat all the
time. These wolves ate up the sweet moose fat, and Menabozho fought
with the trees to get out of the trap they made for him. He tried to
pull up the tree he was in by the roots, but he could not do it with
one hand.
When the wolves were done eating, a great wind came and blew the trees
apart. Menabozho came down the tree very fast, but the wolf and her
young ones were very strong from their good dinner. They ran away where
no one could find them.
Menabozho liked to play tricks on everything. He did not like it when
they played tricks on him, and now he had no meat nor fat. There was
only the moose head left.
He put his head into the moose head to eat the meat. He could not get
out, and there he was caught again in a trap, and this time he could
not see, but he could use his arms and feet.
“I don’t care,” said Menabozho. “It is a good trick. I will get away.”
He ran against a tree. Menabozho put his arm around the tree and said:
“What is your name, Brother Tree?”
“My name is White Oak,” was the answer.
“White Oak does not grow near water; I must go further,” said
Menabozho.
Soon his moose head struck another tree. “O my brother, what is your
name?” asked Menabozho.
“My name is Basswood,” said the tree.
“Basswood grows near water,” said Menabozho.
He ran along a little further and fell over the bank into a river, and
he swam with the strong current down the stream. He knew there were
many Indians in a teepee village near that river, and they would help
him.
Menabozho kept the moose head out of the water and made a great noise.
He heard the Indian boys whoop and knew they had seen him. The hunters
got their canoes and came out to him with their tomahawks, for they
thought it was a moose and they would get much fat meat.
The Indians broke the moose head with their tomahawks and found
Menabozho. He was always good to the Indians, and many times he helped
them in their hunting.
“It is a good trick,” they all said; then Menabozho laughed, and they
were glad to see him.
The chief made a great feast in his teepee. Menabozho told many
stories, but he did not tell how the wolves, the trees, and the moose
head all played tricks on him.
Ooranah, Chippewa Indian, near Ashland, Wis.
IV. HOW THE KINGFISHER GOT HIS RING AND HIS RUFFLE
(Chippewa, 1895)
Menabozho had a wolf who hunted for him.
“My brother,” said Menabozho, “never cross the water, for the water
manitous will catch you.”
One day the wolf was tired and saw a narrow stream in his way, so he
threw the goose he had caught over his back and tried to leap across
the stream. The water manitou caught him, and Menabozho had no supper
and never again saw his wolf.
The next day Menabozho saw the kingfisher sitting on a tree near the
stream.
“My brother,” said Menabozho the Sly One, “can you tell me where
Menabozho’s brother wolf is?”
“What will you give me if I tell you?” said the kingfisher.
“I will put a fine collar around your neck if you will tell me,” said
Menabozho.
“First put the collar around my neck, then I will tell you,” said the
bird.
Menabozho fastened around the bird’s neck a beautiful white collar,
which he wears to this day; then the kingfisher told him how he had
seen the wolf caught while leaping across the water the day before, and
said:
“The great water manitou comes out when the sun is hottest to rest on
the shore. He will sleep on the wolfskin. The mud turtle will sit on a
stone and keep watch for Menabozho. The bear will stand by this tree
and watch. I will sit on this tree and watch, too. We are all friends,
but maybe you are Menabozho?”
The bird jumped, but Menabozho caught its head in his hands. The
kingfisher twisted his head out of Menabozho’s fingers, gave a laugh,
and flew away; and that is the way he got his ruffle.
Ooranah.
V. HOW THE WOODCHUCK HELPED MENABOZHO
(Chippewa, 1895)
Menabozho watched for the water manitou, and he stood just like a stump
of a tree. The bear which was watching for Menabozho did not see him.
The mud turtle which was watching did not know that he was the stump,
so they went to sleep; then Menabozho got back his wolfskin from under
the manitou, and the manitou did not need it any more.
All the other water manitous gave chase after Menabozho to avenge their
brother. He called to a woodchuck to dig fast into a hill.
Menabozho pulled into the hole all the dirt that the woodchuck threw
out. The water manitous found no hole in the hill, and Menabozho got
away.
Menabozho gave the woodchuck long claws and soft hair. He told him that
the corn is good. He called the woodchuck his brother because he helped
to hide Menabozho from the water manitous.
Ooranah.
VI. MENABOZHO SWALLOWED BY A LARGE FISH
(Chippewa, 1895)
One day Menabozho went fishing with hook and line in Gitchee Gumee, the
Big Sea Water. A large fish came along and swallowed the hook and line,
swallowed Menabozho and his canoe, swallowed everything, just like a
big sea cave.
When Menabozho waked out of his sleep he saw a squirrel sitting on the
canoe beside him. The fish had swallowed him, too.
Menabozho said: “Brother Squirrel, where are we?”
The squirrel answered: “Menabozho, we are in a great fish.”
Menabozho found his bow and arrows in the canoe and shot an arrow
upward. It killed the great fish. The body of the fish began to rise to
the top of the water. Menabozho prayed to the Great Manitou that the
wind might blow from the south. The Great Spirit heard his prayer and
sent the south wind. It blew the great fish to the north shore of
Gitchee Gumee, where Nokomis lived.
The great fish floated on the water like a little sun-fish; when it
touched the shore the birds fed on its flesh, and Menabozho came out
and went to his grandmother, Nokomis.
After their greeting was over Menabozho went back and found the birds
still feeding on the fish.
“Go away, my little brothers,” he said.
Each bird took a piece of the fish and flew away, and Menabozho then
cut up the great creature and made much fish oil; he had a great plan
in his mind and was glad to have this oil.
A wicked manitou lived on an island in Gitchee Gumee. This island had
miles of blackest pitch on all of its shores; not even a water manitou
could swim through this pitch. Menabozho carried the fish oil over and
poured it on the pitch; wherever the oil touched the pitch it was never
sticky again.
Menabozho found the wigwam of the wicked manitou. All day long he shot
arrows at this wigwam. The manitou came out and laughed at him.
A woodpecker called out, “Hit him in the back, Menabozho!”
The manitou just then turned to run, and Menabozho hit him and he fell.
The woodpecker flew down by Menabozho. His white feathers were stained
by the pitch, but Menabozho painted his head with war paint. He is one
of Menabozho’s brothers.
Ooranah.
VII. THE THUNDER-BIRD OF THE DAKOTAS
(Sioux, 1895)
“What is thunder?” a white man asked a Sioux or Dakota Indian.
“Thunder is a big bird flying in the air. It makes tracks like fire.
You can hear it clap its wings. It is the young thunder-birds that hurt
the Sioux. The old birds will not touch us. They are our friends.”
“Did you ever see a thunder-bird?” was asked by the white man.
“I never did, but my father’s brother, Little Crow, saw one fall dead
out of the sky. It had wings wide as a white man’s house, and it had
lightning on its wings. It had a face like a man; its nose was like an
eagle’s bill.”
“Who else ever saw one?” was the next question.
“One fall our tribe was out hunting, and a thunder-bird flew down on
the ground just a little way from them. It did not hurt them; they saw
that it had on snowshoes. They found the track of the shoes when it
flew away. Our tribe had good hunting that winter. They killed many
bears.”
“We have only one God; why do you have so many?” was next asked.
“The Great Spirit is the god of the Dakotas,” said the Indian. “He made
everything but wild rice and thunder. We must do as our fathers have
done or the spirits of the dead will punish us. It is not good to
change. We believe what they told us when we were children. We worship
the Great Spirit.”
“Who rules the water?” asked the white man.
“Unktahe, the spirit of the water.”
“What do you call the thunder?”
“Wahkeon. He and Unktahe are always fighting. It is a great battle;
when there is a storm Unktahe sends the thunder-birds back to the sky,
sometimes.”
“Tell me more about the thunder-birds,” said the white man.
“Wahkeontonka is the father of all the birds. He is Big Thunder. He
lives on a great mountain in the west. His wigwam has four doors. A
caribou stands at the north door. He is swift like the north wind. At
the south door is a red deer; he is very beautiful. His eyes are like
the little lakes in summer.
“A butterfly watches at the east door of the wigwam. He is like the
morning light. A bear watches the west door, and when the wind blows
from the west even the white people can hear the bear growling. This is
true.”
“What has Wahkeontonka done for the Indian?”
“The thunder spirit gave the Indians thunder and wild rice. They eat
rice and are strong. He showed them how to use the bow and arrow.
“He dug iron from the ground and made tomahawks. He made spears. The
Indians know Wahkeontonka is wise.”
The Dakotas believe that their god of storm lives on Thunder Cap, a
high promontory in Minnesota overlooking Lake Superior; from here he
sends the rain, hail, or snow.
Thunder Bay lies at his feet; on its shore lies the great giant turned
to stone, who, ages ago, dared to defy Big Thunder. Wahkeontonka is the
Dakotas’ Jupiter.
VIII. HIAWATHA THE WISE
HOW HE UNITED THE FIVE NATIONS
Many, many moons ago three Indians sat on the bank of the great river
with many islands. These three Indians had come on a long trail from
their country, and it was a new trail, for they had made it themselves.
Nobody had been on it before they cut their way through the thick
forest.
The fathers of these Indians had been told of this river in the north
which was filled with islands. The three Indians had said to their
fathers that they would seek it; now they sat on a little hill, and it
was before them.
The night sun had changed into a shape like a canoe three times since
they had started on the long trail. Their moccasins were torn, and
their feet were very tired; but the river was very beautiful, and it
made their eyes glad to see it.
While the three Indians sat watching the river, they saw a white canoe
coming straight toward the little hill where they sat. It seemed to
come from the place of the setting sun.
The three Indians saw a white-haired chief alone in the canoe, and he
had no paddle. The canoe came very fast, but it needed no help. The
white-haired chief told the canoe to stop by the little hill on the
shore where sat the three Indians; it came there and stopped.
The three Indians knew by the strange canoe that the Great Spirit had
sent him, and they were afraid.
The white-haired chief said: “I am Hiawatha. I will help you and your
people. Tell me what your nation can do. Tell me of your hunting.”
The three arose and told Hiawatha of their nation. They had thought
their people very strong; now they seemed like wild rabbits for
weakness. They told him of their hunting, but they were not proud, for
Hiawatha was wiser than any chief, and he knew what was in their
hearts.
Hiawatha said: “Go back to your people. I shall come, and you will see
me when you have made my lodge ready. I knew you were coming, for I saw
you in the dark forests. I saw you on the great rocks in the forests.
Go back and tell your people I am coming. Tell them to make a wigwam
for Hiawatha.”
The three Indians could not talk to each other. Their hearts were full.
They found the trail they had made and followed it back to their own
land; there they told their chiefs of the wise one in the white canoe.
The chiefs made ready for his coming.
“He will come in a white stone canoe,” said the chiefs.
The wigwam was built by a lake, and it was made of the finest skins of
the deer. It was a white wigwam, with the door left open. No one
watched to see who should shut the door.
One morning the door was shut, and a strange white canoe was in the
water. The people came out of their lodges, and soon the doorway of
skins in the white wigwam was opened. Hiawatha had come to the Onondaga
nation. His wigwam was on the shore of Tiota or Cross Lake, in the land
of the Onondagas.
Heyanwatha means the Wise Man. Hiawatha the people call him now. He
taught the Onondagas many things, for he had lived with the Great
Spirit. He was sent to help the Indian tribes.
Hiawatha taught the people how to plant corn and beans. They learned
much about planting, and they learned how to store food for winter
time.
While he was with the Onondagas the runners brought word that a great
band of warriors was coming to fight them. The young braves put on
their war paint.
“Call a great council of all the tribes,” said the wise Hiawatha. “Let
them meet on the hill by the lake.” It was Onondaga Lake.
Swift runners carried word to four tribes. Their chiefs and great
braves met on the hill by the lake, and their wives waited with them.
All the people waited for three days, but Hiawatha did not come to the
council. The chiefs sent men to Hiawatha on the morning of the fourth
day to ask why he made them wait.
Hiawatha answered: “The Holder of the Heavens has shown me that if I go
to this council great sorrow will come to me. I was sent to teach you
peace. I shall show you how to make war. I will come.”
Then Hiawatha stepped into his white stone canoe, and it went to the
place of the great council, where the chiefs waited.
All the great chiefs and the people shouted when Hiawatha came. He
stood still in the council circle. His daughter stood beside him, but
no one had seen her before. When her father looked at her she went to
her place among the women.
The first day of the council the chiefs told their plans, and Hiawatha
listened. The second day he arose in the council, and the people
listened. Hiawatha said wise words. All the chiefs remembered the words
of Hiawatha. He made this speech:
“My brothers: You are from many tribes. You have come here for one
cause. It is to live in safety. We must join ourselves together. The
tribes that are on the warpath are strong. Not one tribe here is equal
to that great people. Make yourselves a band of brothers. Then you will
be stronger than they.
“The Mohawks that sit in council by that great tree shall be the first
nation. They are the warlike people.
“The Oneidas who sit by the great stone that cannot be moved shall be
the second nation. They are a wise people.
“The Onondagas that live at the foot of the great hills shall be the
third nation. They are great in speech making.
“The Senecas who live in the forest, and whose trails are found all
over the land, shall be the fourth nation, for they have much wisdom in
hunting.
“The Cayugas live in the open country. Their wigwams are the finest,
and their beans and corn grow like the grass on the plains. Their name
is known for great wisdom; they shall be the fifth nation.”
Hiawatha sat down in the council, and the third day the chiefs talked
with one another; then they all said: “We will do this thing. We will
be one nation. We will be called the Five Nations.”
The council was ended. Hiawatha went to his canoe and called softly to
his daughter.
As she left the women a great cloud came in the sky. It was a
thunder-bird. The great cloud took the daughter of Hiawatha, and she
was gone.
The white stone canoe came to the landing place. There was music in the
air like the wind blowing through the pine trees. All the sky was
filled with the sweet music.
The people mourned for Hiawatha, for he was gone. His wigwam by the
lake Tiota was empty, and he was never seen again.
The Five Nations say that he went to the Islands of the Happy Ones.
Owayneo, the Great Spirit, called him. His daughter had gone before
him.
The Five Nations were strong. They were a wise people. Many moons after
the white men came the Tuscaroras sat with them around the
council-fire. Then they were known as the Six Nations. The white people
have often called them the Mingos.
Arranged from Schoolcraft and Horatio Hale.
IX. WAMPUM OR INDIAN MONEY
Hiawatha was on his way to the country of the Mohawks. He went from one
nation to another to teach them the things they needed to know. While
on his journey he came to the borders of a lake. It was too deep to
wade across, and he stood still thinking whether he should call his
magic white canoe to help him or go back. He had come on a long trail
and was very tired.
While he was wondering which way was best, the sky was filled with wild
ducks. These birds flew down upon the lake and began to drink and to
swim. In a few minutes they flew up into the air again, in one great
black flock.
Behold! the lake was dry, and its bed was a mass of shells.
Hiawatha knew that the lake had been made dry ground for his sake. He
gathered some of the shells and, striking them with sharp flints,
strung the pieces on strings of sinew. This was the first wampum.
He carried the strings of wampum to the Mohawks, and they believe their
tribe to have been the first to use it.
They showed the other tribes how to make the long strings of bead
money, and many bands went on strange trails to find the rivers or the
lakes where the shells were hidden under the water.
Mounds like small hills have been found by the white men near lakes and
streams. When these mounds were uncovered, it was known that they were
only heaps of broken shells. The flint stones were not good tools, and
the Indians would use only perfect beads.
X. LEGEND OF THE ARBUTUS
(Chippewa, 1894)
An old teepee stood by a frozen river in the forest where there are
many pine trees. The tops of the trees were white with snow. The teepee
was almost covered with the snow. An old chief sat in this teepee; his
hair was like the icicles that hang from dead pine-tree branches; he
was very old.
He was covered with furs. The floor of his teepee was covered with the
skins of the bear and the elk. He had been a great hunter. His name was
Peboan. Peboan was faint with hunger, and he was cold. He had been
hunting for three days. He had killed nothing. All the moose, deer, and
bear had gone. They had left no trail. Wabasso, the rabbit, had hidden
in the bushes. There was no food, no meat for Peboan.
He called upon the great Menabozho for help.
“Come, Menabozho, come help Peboan, the chief of the winter manitous.
Come, for Mukwa the bear has gone from me. Come, or Peboan must go to
the far north to find Mahto the white bear. Peboan is old, and his feet
are weary.”
Peboan crawled on his knees over the furs to the little fire in the
middle of the teepee. He blew on the coals with his faint breath, and
the coals grew very red. His breath was like a wind; the coals made the
wind warm like a south wind. The deerskins that covered the teepee
trembled like leaves, for the warm wind blew them.
Peboan sat on the furs on the floor of his teepee and waited. He knew
Menabozho would hear him.
Peboan heard no sound, but he looked toward the door of his teepee. It
was lifted back, and he saw a beautiful Indian maiden.
She carried a great bundle of willow buds in her arms. Her dress was of
sweet grass and early maple leaves. Her eyes were like a young deer.
Her hair was like the blackest feathers of a crow, and it was so long
that it was like a blanket over her shoulders. She was small; her feet
were hidden in two moccasin flowers.
“Menabozho heard Peboan, the winter manitou. He has sent me. I am
Segun.”
“You are welcome, Segun. Sit by my fire; it is warm. I have no meat.
Sit down and tell me what you can do.”
“Peboan may tell first what he can do,” said Segun.
Peboan said: “I am a winter manitou; I blow my breath, and the flowers
die. The waters stand still; the leaves fall and die.”
Segun said: “I am a summer manitou; I blow my breath, and the flowers
open their eyes. The waters follow me on my trail.”
Peboan said: “I shake my hair, and the snow falls on the mountains,
like the feathers of Waubese, the great white swan.”
Segun said: “I shake my hair, and warm rain falls from the clouds. I
call, and the birds answer me. The trees put on their leaves, and the
grass grows thick like the fur of the bear. The summer sky is my
teepee. Menabozho has said that the time has come for you to go.”
Peboan’s head bent over on his shoulder. The sun melted the snow on the
pine trees; it melted the snow on the teepee. Segun waved her hands
over Peboan, and a strange thing happened.
Peboan grew smaller and smaller. His deerskin clothes turned to leaves
and covered Peboan on the ground.
Segun looked, but Peboan was gone. She took some flowers from her hair
and hid them under the leaves on the ground. There was ice on the
leaves, but it did not hurt the pink flowers. Segun breathed on the
flowers, and they became sweet.
She said: “I go, but the flowers shall stay to tell of Segun’s visit to
Peboan. The children shall find them and know that Segun has sent
Peboan away. It shall be so each time the snows melt and the rivers
begin to run. This flower shall tell that spring has come.”
Peboan’s teepee was sweet with the breath of the flowers, but Segun was
gone.
XI. THE ONE WHO LOVED HIM MOST
The Great Spirit whispered to the heart of a warrior that he must go
and seek the Happy Hunting Grounds. His squaw shed many tears when he
told her. His children wailed loudly, for they knew no one ever
returned from that journey.
“We will follow you on the long trail,” said his squaw.
The warrior hid his arrows and his bow, put on the new moccasins that
lay by his wigwam door, and started. Behind him followed in the same
trail his squaw, his sons, and his dog. He sang the death chant, and
their voices echoed the chant. The dog knew its meaning and howled for
sorrow.
After a time the younger boy grew weary and hid himself. They did not
miss the child, and he ran back to the wigwam, lay down, and fell
asleep.
Soon the older son missed his brother. He said:
“I will go back and find Keweenaw. He is small; I will care for him.”
The father and mother were not alone. The dog walked softly behind
them. The warrior did not look back, but his squaw called to him: “I am
here. I am strong. I will follow you to the gate of the Happy Hunting
Grounds.”
Then the trail became rough and steep. The wild cactus tore their
moccasins. The thorn tree caught their blankets and tore their flesh.
The wife was weary and cried: “Let us rest. Let us wait.” She fell on
her face in the trail.
When she arose no one was before her. She said: “I will go and find our
children; then I will come back to the trail and find my husband.”
The warrior was now alone. No, not alone, for his dog, footsore and
heated with the long journey, kept at his heels. His master had not
known that he had followed. Now in the dark night his dog pressed his
head against him to comfort him.
The trail led westward, but the morning sun cast no long shadows of the
wife and children. They had not taken up the trail again.
And still forever toward the west went the two, the Indian and his dog.
Moons and suns rose and set. At last, across the wide plains, he saw
two great rocks, like tall trees. These marked the gateway of the Happy
Hunting Grounds. Tired, sick, and nearly fainting with weariness, the
Indian kept on his way. Tired, hungry, and very weak, behind him came
the faithful dog.
At the gateway the Indian raised his voice and cried: “I am here. The
Great Spirit called me; I have come.”
The watchman opened the gate and, taking the brave by the hand, led him
past the two great rocks that held the wonderful gate.
“Where are those who were with you at the first?” asked the watchman.
“The way was long. Their feet were weary,” was the answer.
“Who is this that stands watching you, with eyes that show the tears
they cannot shed?”
“He who loved me best,” said the Indian.
The watchman put his hand on the head of the hound. The dog gave a
joyful leap, and the gates of the Happy Hunting Grounds shut both the
Indian and his dog into the Land of Rest, from which there is no
return.
XII. THE MARTEN AND THE WHITE RABBIT
(Micmac)
A white rabbit ran away from town. He was afraid of the dogs, and the
children pulled his ears. He found it was better to live among the
animals in the woods, but he did not like to say so to them. He was
always telling of the fine things he had left.
The wild rabbit is gray. The white rabbit said no one wore gray in
town. The best people had white clothes and very fine; that was why his
fur was so soft and like the snow.
“Ours was the best family in town,” the white rabbit would say very
often.
The marten is small and brown. His fur is worn by the best people, and
he knows they think much of him. He could not understand why the white
rabbit should think himself any better than a marten.
He met the white rabbit in the woods one day. They had a long talk, and
the rabbit invited him to come to his heap of little dry bushes and eat
dinner with him. He would answer any questions the marten would ask,
because those who come out of a town always know a great deal. It is
kind to tell what you know.
The marten was seen by the gray rabbits to brush his fur and wash his
face and paws very carefully. They watched him go into the white
rabbit’s brush heap. The gray rabbits put their ears very far back and
ran away. “The marten is wise, but he will know more when he comes
home,” said the ones in gray.
The marten ate with the white rabbit. He thought they ate too fast, but
it was not polite to say so. He tried to eat like the rabbit and
watched his mouth. After a time the marten began his questions.
“What makes the slit in your lip?” asked the visitor.
“My family in town all ate with knives and forks. My knife slipped and
cut my lip,” was the answer.
“What makes you keep moving your mouth and whiskers?”
“Because I am always planning and worrying. My family always worried.
We do not think enough about what might happen out here in the country.
Perhaps a great fire might come and burn up all these trees; perhaps
the river may come and drown us. The birds make us forget these things.
We are too happy.”
The marten shook his head, but he said some grass had touched his nose.
He did not want the rabbit to think him different from town people.
The two went out to walk under the trees.
“What makes you hop?” asked the marten.
“My family always hop. People in town never step along like country
people. See how well I look and how clumsy that moose cow is over
there.”
Just then they heard a soft step on the brown pine needles; the marten
flattened himself down on the ground, and his brown fur could not be
seen. The white rabbit ran away with great jumps. He hid in the bushes.
The two animals met again that day. “Why did you run so fast?” asked
the marten.
“I used to run races when I was in town. The boys and the dogs all
played with me. Every one goes fast when in town. I forgot how slow the
country people are.”
The marten walked and ran by the rabbit’s side.
“Why is it that your tail is so short and your ears are so long?” he
asked.
“Every one in town wears something on his head. I wanted to be like the
rest, and now I have long ears; but I have only a little ball of fur
for a tail. It is all that was left when my ears were done.”
The marten ran to the tallest pine tree. He climbed up where he could
see the white rabbit and then he screamed, “I do not believe one word!”
The little gray rabbits heard him and laughed with the squirrels.
Educated Maine Indian’s Story.
XIII. HOW LIGHT, FIRE, AND WATER FIRST CAME TO THE WORLD
(1894)
A long time ago the only place where light could be seen was in the
teepee of one old chief.
This chief had light, fire, and water. All the other Indians in the
whole world suffered from cold and darkness and had no water.
All the Indians came to this old chief’s teepee and begged for a little
light. He would not give them any. The Indians went away and told the
wild animals, and asked their help.
The animals and the Indians held a great dance around the old chief’s
teepee. They chanted songs and all begged for light. Each one sang his
own song.
One young fox kept singing, “Khaih! Khaih!” which means “light.” He
believed it would bring light, and the men and the animals were helped,
he was so strong. Their voices made a great noise.
At last a faint color was seen in the east. The old chief came out and
drove the little light away.
Then the young fox called, “Khaih! Khaih!” louder than before. The men
and the animals began again. They called and called for the light to
come.
At last a little color was seen in the east again. The old chief had
not slept. He was tired and he said: “You may have all the light you
want.”
Now the light comes every morning. Some of the animals still call for
it to come before it is day.
A young caribou said that he would get the fire from the old chief’s
teepee. The Indians tied a great dry branch to his big antlers. The
young caribou put his head into the fire teepee and tried to reach the
coals, but he could not do it. The wise chief drove him away.
But when the old chief was driving back the young caribou, a muskrat
crept into the teepee. He reached the precious coals of fire and caught
one in his mouth. He ran back into the woods with it. Before he could
reach his own burrow he had to drop the burning coal. It fell on the
dry leaves and set the woods on fire. You can see now where the muskrat
burned himself.
All the world had fire now, and there has always been enough since the
muskrat dropped the first coal.
The fire melted the ice in the rivers and lakes. The light showed every
one where to find water.
The old chief has never been seen since that time.
Hudson Bay Indian’s Story.
XIV. HOW THE COPPER MOUNTAIN CAME TO FALL
(Portage Indians, 1894)
There is a noble priest who has long been a missionary among the
Portage Indians, near the Lake of the Woods. He has won their respect,
given them a written language, and taught them many of the white man’s
secrets; in return they have told him many of their stories and their
secrets. They have told him why they no longer own copper mines, but
must get copper from the Kaidahs, a stronger tribe.
This is the story:
Many moons ago the Indians living about Hudson Bay all went to a
certain place in the west for their copper.
A great mountain of copper stood there, and it was in the middle of the
water. The Portage Indians tell that each tribe wanted the mountain; at
last, when many tribes were working together to get out the copper, it
was agreed to let one tribe own it; but which tribe? No one could tell.
It was left for the copper mountain itself to decide who should be its
master. All the tribes began to shout for it to come to them. The
mountain did not move for a long time.
At last it trembled; then the Kaidah Indians, who have big heads and
loud voices, shouted louder than any other tribe. The top of the
mountain fell toward the Kaidahs.
“And that is why we go and trade with them for the copper with which to
make the rings we give our women and children,” say the Portage or
Carrier Indians of Manitoba.
XV. THE SUN AND THE MOON
(Dakota, 1894)
The Day Sun has a twin brother that is white. He is not a strong
warrior like the Day Sun, who is as red as war paint. The Day Sun can
make an Indian fall down in the hot days of summer. The Indian is made
weak by the arrows the Day Sun makes in the summer morning. Sometimes
he lets you see these arrows. They are very long. They are around his
head like the war bonnet of a very great chief.
The Night Sun is cold and cannot hurt even an owl. He has to do all the
things his twin brother tells him to do. He is not strong, and he
breaks to pieces trying to do so much. He hides his face and tries to
go away, but he always comes back and is glad to start again.
The strong Day Sun comes every morning from the wigwam of Hannanna the
Morning Light. This wigwam is made of the smoke of burning rivers. You
can see this smoke go up from the water if you will sit still and
watch. The Day Sun can burn up a little river. He paints the smoke of
the rivers with rainbows that have come and gone. They are saved to
make the Place of the Morning Light so beautiful that men will watch
for the coming of the Day Sun.
All the animals and the birds call to Hannanna in the morning to open
the door of his wigwam and let the red light come. There is no war
paint on the land that is as red as the Day Sun. When Hannanna has his
wigwam by the water you can see more than when it is over the land. The
Day Sun is happy by the water.
When the red warrior of the sky goes out of sight in the west he rides
in a canoe behind the trees and hills to his place in the east. On his
way he talks to the Night Sun. You cannot see the canoe of the Day Sun.
The Night Sun does not care if men see that he rides in a canoe like an
Indian. He comes from the White Land in the east. He walks over the
Bridge of Stars, the pathway of the spirits. The Night Sun helps the
spirits that walk on this path to the happy Summer Land. He does much
good.
The Day Sun makes the corn grow. He makes all the seeds and the trees
grow when it is summer. The Night Sun has to take care of them when he
is gone.
The Indians dance the sun dance when the Night Sun is round and white.
He looks at the Indians and tells his brother of the dance. The Day Sun
is glad to know that the Indians give thanks for his gifts to them.
XVI. CUSTER’S HEART
(Dakota, 1895)
The red man remembers the brave paleface as well as the warrior of his
own race and color.
The wild charge of Custer and his men and their utter defeat will be
often told and retold in the wigwams of the tribes who fought him.
The Indians claim that the strange plant that is now found on the
Custer battle ground has been created by some spirit which knew of the
mighty courage of the white brave with yellow hair.
This plant is called Custer’s Heart. It has long, slender leaves curved
exactly like a saber; the edges of these leaves are so sharp that they
cut the hand that attempts to tear them from the plant.
If you touch the plant you will feel a chill, for each leaf is cold.
The blossoms come in the hot summer days. The flowers are heart-shaped
and yellow as gold, with a center of scarlet that looks like a drop of
blood.
But whoever plucks the flower must hold it gently, for if it should be
crushed, the scarlet stain, the Indians claim, could never be washed
away.
It may be that this flower is known only in the dreams of Indian
braves, but the new legend shows how the memory of the brave general
lives in the hearts of his red enemies. It shows that it is always in
the heart of man to admire the brave deeds of another, even though the
hero is an enemy.
This story tells us also that there are those among the red men who,
while they may be dressed in paint, buckskin, and blankets, have
thoughts like those expressed by the white man’s poets.
WORD LIST
KEY TO MARKS OF PRONUNCIATION
a: fāte, făt, câre, ärm, a̤ll, pȧss, whạt.
e: mēte, mĕt, whêre, hẽr, the̱y.
i: dīne, dĭn.
o: nōte, nŏt, fôr, do̤, sȯn, wọlf.
u: tūbe, tŭb, tûrn, rṳde, pụsh.
oo: so͞on, go͝od.
obscure sounds: a̯, e̯, i̯, o̯, u̯.
c unmarked or ꞓ as in ꞓan.
s unmarked or s̞ as in ros̞e.
Silent letters indicated by italics, as a in head.
Ăz′tĕꞓ
Căl′ĭ fôr′nĭ a̯
Cā nŏn′i̯ ꞓŭs
Champlain
(shăm plān′)
Chĕr ō ke͞e′
Chĭb′ĭ ä bōs′
Chŏk′ȧn ĭ pŏk
Dĕl′a̯ wâre
Ĕsh kŏs′sĭm
Flăt′hĕad
Gĕn e̯ se͞e′
Ī′e̯ tȧn
Kȧ bĭb o nōk′kȧ
Kē′neū
Kē′we͞e na̤w
Kĭꞓk a̯ po͞o′
Kĭ măn′che͞e
Kī′o̯ wȧ
Kwä′sĭnd
Louisiana
(lo͞o′ē zē ä′na̯)
Măs′sä soit
Mĕn dō′tȧ
Mī′ăn tō nō′mo̯h
Mĭs sä′bȧ
Nä′nä bụsh
Nătch′ĕz
Nē nē mō′she͞e
Ŏn ŏn dä′gä
Ō pē′che͞e
Săm′ō sĕt
Sĕn′e̯ ꞓa̯
Shĭn′gē bĭs
Skĭ kĕl′lĭng
Squän′tō
Tä ꞓō′mä
Tähl ē quäh′
T chä′kō be͞ech
Tē ꞓŭm′se̯h
To͞on kän′
Ŭnk tä′hē
Wä bōse′
Wäh bē gwän′ne͞e
Wä păk′ō
Wĭn nĭ wĭs′sĭ
Yăn′nȧ
GLOSSARY
Ā dō′ be̱. Sun-dried brick used by the Indians and others in the
southwestern part of the United States in the making of walls and huts.
Ăl gŏn′ quin (kĭn). A very large division of the North American
Indians, including Ojibways, Delawares, Pottawottomi, Blackfeet, New
England tribes, and some other branches. They were the friends of the
French in the early colonial wars, and often the enemy of the Iroquois.
Ăm pā′ ta. The name of a squaw.
A păch′ ē. A warlike western tribe, related to the Tennay. Many of the
Apaches were sent to a reservation in Arizona in 1874.
Căl′ u met. French name for pipe of peace.
Car′ i bo̤u. American woodland reindeer, the flesh of which is excellent
meat.
Cayuga (Kā yü′gä). “The people of the marsh”; a tribe which once lived
at the foot of Cayuga Lake, N. Y.; they are now living upon
reservations in Indian Territory, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Can.
Cayuse (kī ūse′). Indian pony, formerly used by the Cayuse Indians of
the northern Rocky Mountains.
Chaska (Shăs′ ka). First son of a Dakota Indian.
Chĭp′ pe wa. The Ojibway nation.
Dā kō′ tȧ. This name means “united.” The Dakotas were strong tribes and
were called The Seven Council Fires. Their home was in Montana, North
and South Dakota, Minnesota, and the Northwest Territory. They belong
to the Sioux nation.
Ĕs tu′ fä. Spanish name for the kiva, or secret room; also the family
room in Zuñi houses.
Gitch′ ee Gu′ mee. Indian name for Lake Superior, the Big Sea Water.
Hăn năn′ nä. The dawn, or morning light.
Hī′ ȧ quȧ. Siwash shell money, made of tusk shells; not wampum.
Hī a wäth′ a. A wonderful personage, still much honored by the
Iroquois. He was very dignified, very wise, and believed to be more
than mortal. There are no stories of his childhood.
Hi′ nun. The spirit believed by the Senecas to rule the clouds and air.
I̤ ä go͞o. The boaster, the story-teller.
Iroquois (Ir′ o quoy). The French name for the united tribes of central
New York. The Iroquois were the friends of the English in 1775. They
are a division by themselves, akin to the Sioux.
Käcluge (Ka cloozh′). The Navajo butterfly spirit.
Kāi′ dah. A Canadian tribe.
Kiva (kee′ vah). The secret room or sweat-house of the Pueblos. The
priests of the tribe use these kivas in giving instructions in the
secret rites of their religious orders to the young men of the tribe.
Leel′ i naw. An Indian girl who became a tree, according to a Lake
Superior myth.
Len i Len napes′. One of the Algonquin tribes. They were called Loups,
or Wolves, by the French, as their chief totem was the wolf. The
English called them Delawares, for they found them near the Delaware
River. Their chiefs were celebrated for their wisdom. Their name is
sometimes spelled Leni-Lenapes.
Lodge. An English name for a wigwam, teepee, or other dwelling built by
Indians.
Mah′ to. The white bear.
Man′ i tou. A spirit, whether good or evil. All created things were
once believed by some tribes to have their manitous which lived in
them. The Great Manitou ruled over all of them. An Algonquin word not
used by other nations.
Mechabo (Me sha′ bo). Another French form of the name of the Ojibway
Foolish One. Also spelled Missaba, Mesaba; and there are some other
similar forms. The Ojibways also give him a name which means the Great
Hare.
Mē maing′ gwah. The butterfly.
Men a bō′ zhō. The French form of the name of the Foolish One of the
Ojibways. He was believed to be the creator of the land after the
deluge, and ruler of all creatures upon it. He is constantly doing many
tricks to annoy the water manitous, who annoy him in return. The land
creatures often attempt to outwit him; many humorous stories told of
him by the Ojibways have become famous as a part of the story of
Hiawatha.
Me̱′ sä. Spanish name for a broad, flat river-terrace or tableland.
Me tik′ o mēēsh. The oak tree.
Min ne hä′ hä Falls. A cascade sixty feet high in Minnehaha Creek, near
Minneapolis, Minn.
Mo′ hawks. A tribe which lived in northern New York. Their name is
derived from Mukwa, meaning “bear.” They were the first tribe to use
firearms.
Moki or Moqui (Mō′ kee). A tribe of the Pueblos. The United States
government has recently decided to use the form Moki instead of Moqui.
Their true name is Hōpitah, or People of Peace. Many call them the
Hōpi. Moki is a Navajo word of reproach.
Mŭk′ wa. The bear.
Navajo (Nä′ vä hō). Spanish name for the Tennay, a very intelligent
tribe of North American Indians now living on reservations in Utah, New
Mexico, and Arizona.
Nĭb a năb′ as. Little water spirits, so called by the Chippewas.
No kō′ mis. Chippewa word, meaning “grandmother.”
O jib′ ways. The Chippewa Indians. They are a strong tribe of the
Algonquins, who, with others, have been driven by the wars with the
Iroquois to the regions about Lake Superior. Many live on reservations
in Minnesota and Wisconsin. From the Ojibways and other Algonquin
tribes the whites learned to make maple sugar, hominy, and corn cake.
They have for generations raised corn, beans, and pumpkins.
Olla (ol′ la or ol′ ya). Spanish name for the earthenware water jar
commonly used in the southwestern part of the United States by Indians
and others for the cooling of water.
Oneidas (O nī′ das). One tribe of the Iroquois.
Paw nee′. Indian tribe always at war with the Sioux; now living in
Indian Territory.
Pē bō′ an. The manitou of winter.
Pu eb′ lo. Spanish name for village.
Puk wud jin′ nies. Fairies in the woods.
Sault Ste. Marie (Soo′ sent mä ree′). French name for the river which
connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
Sē′ gun. The manitou of summer and spring.
Se-quoy′ ah. Guesser, a famous Cherokee Indian.
Shaw on dä′ see. The south wind.
Sioux (Soo). The French name for the people called by the Algonquins
nadiwe-ssiwag, or the treacherous ones, from their manner of warfare.
The Sioux nation comprised the Dakota and Assiniboin tribes; those
Indians living in the middle west of the United States from the Rocky
Mountains to the Mississippi River; and also many tribes in Virginia,
Kentucky, North and South Carolina, and Mississippi. They are noted for
bravery and intelligence.
Sī′ wash. Sauvage. Indians living near Puget Sound and northward.
Suc′ co tash. Indian corn and beans cooked in one dish.
Tä män′ ous. Siwash word for guardian spirit.
Tee′ pee. Indian circular house or tent made of poles covered with
skins or cloth.
Ten′ nay. See Apache and Navajo.
Ti ō′ ta. A lake in central New York.
Tom′ a hawk. An Indian battle ax.
Tŭs ca ro′ ras. A tribe from North Carolina which joined the Iroquois
in 1712. They now live upon a reservation in western New York, near
Niagara Falls, and are noted for their fine farms, schools, and
churches.
Wä bas′ so. The Chippewa word for rabbit.
Wau bē′ sē. The wild swan.
Wee′ di goes. Mythical giants. A Chippewa word.
Wick′ i up. A brushwood tent-like house used by the Apaches and other
roving tribes. It is made of short poles or brush bent over, fastened
together, and covered hastily with skins, blankets, or other covering.
It is never carried from place to place as the teepee and wigwam are by
other tribes.
Wig′ wam. A circular tent-like house made of birch bark or other bark
by the New England tribes and others. It is easily rolled and carried
from place to place.
Zuñi (Zoon′ ye). A semi-civilized Pueblo tribe, perhaps the best known
of any of the Village Indians of the United States. They have a
governor and lieutenant-governor of their own; good laws, good farms,
and are a remarkable people. Very few of them can understand English.
PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY OF WORDS NOT FOUND IN THE GLOSSARY
Ȧ rā′ bi an
Ăr i zō′ nȧ
Ăz′ tĕꞓ
Cā nŏn′ i ꞓus
Cham plain (shăm plān′)
Chĕr′ ō ke͞e′
Chib′ i ä′ bōs
Chŏk än′ i pŏk
Cō rō nä′ do
Dah′ min
Del′ a ware
Esh kŏs′ sim
Gen′ e se͞e′
Goh weh (gō′ wāy)
Ī ē tän′
Il li nois (īl lī noi′)
Kā-än′-er-wäh′
Kä-bib′-ŏn-ŏk′-ka
Kan′ so͞o ko͞o tay′ pe
Kā wey a (kā wī′ yä)
Ke neu (ke new′)
Kē′ we͞e naw
K haih (k hāy′)
Kick ä po͞o′
Kĭ măn′ che͞e
Kwä′ sind
Lou is i a na (lo͞o′ e ze ȧ′ na̯)
Man′ dan
Măs′ sā soit
Mī ăn′ tō nō′ mah
Mich a bo (mish ä′ bo)
Min′ go
Mis′ sis sip′ pi
Mo′ hawk
Mŏn däh′ min
Mō rā′ vĭ an
Nä mē′ si Sip′ u
Nä näb′ ush
Nătch′ ez
Nē nē mĭsh′ e͞e
Oh weh (o′ way)
On on da ga (on un daw′ ga)
Ō pe͞e′ che͞e
On she mä′ dä
Os′ sē ō
Ō wāy′ nē ō
Pȧ poose′
Par′ lia ment
Pĕnn sy̆l vā′ nĭ a
Pôr′ ꞓŭ pīne
Săm′ ō set
Sem′ ĭ nōle
Sĕn′ e ꞓȧ
Shin′ gē bĭs
Ski ka (ske͞e′ kȧ)
Snell′ ing
Su pe′ ri or
Tä ꞓō′ mä
Tah′ le quah
T chä′ kō be͞ech
Tē ꞓum′ seh
Tĕx′ as
Ū sä′ mä
Unk tä′ hē
Wah′ be gwan′ ne͞e
Wah kan′
Wah kan′ de͞e
Wah kan′ Ä tē
Wah kan′ e on ton′ ka
Wä′ wä tāis′ sa
Wē′ enk
Win′ ni wis′ si
Wŭn′ a̤u mŏn
Yŭꞓe′ ꞓȧ
KEY TO USE OF MARKS
āte, târe, härm, tȧsk, ca̤ll; ēat, sĕnd, hẽr; rīce, tĭll; ōver, ôr, dŏn;
Ūna, ŭtter, ûrge; ꞓ as in can; ch as in chase; g as in get; sh as in
she; th as in that; oi as in oil; ow as in now; o͞o as in cool; e͞e as in
feel.