AFTER the death of Smoky Day, old Weyuha was regarded as the greatest
story-teller among the Wahpeton Sioux.
“Tell me, good Weyuha, a legend of your father’s country,” I said to him
one evening, for I knew the country which is now known as North Dakota
and Southern Manitoba was their ancient hunting-ground. I was prompted
by Uncheedah to make this request, after the old man had eaten in our
lodge.
“Many years ago,” he began, as he passed the pipe to uncle, “we traveled
from the Otter-tail to Minnewakan (Devil’s Lake). At that time the
mound was very distinct where Chotanka lies buried. The people of his
immediate band had taken care to preserve it.
“This mound under which lies the great medicine man is upon the summit
of Minnewakan Chantay, the highest hill in all that region. It is shaped
like an animal’s heart placed on its base, with the apex upward.
“The reason why this hill is called Minnewakan Chantay, or the Heart of
the Mysterious Land, I will now tell you. It has been handed down
from generation to generation, far beyond the memory of our
great-grandparents. It was in Chotanka’s line of descent that these
legends were originally kept, but when he died the stories became
everybody’s, and then no one believed in them. It was told in this way.”
I sat facing him, wholly wrapped in the words of the story-teller, and
now I took a deep breath and settled myself so that I might not disturb
him by the slightest movement while he was reciting his tale. We were
taught this courtesy to our elders, but I was impulsive and sometimes
forgot.
“A long time ago,” resumed Weyuha, “the red people were many in number,
and they inhabited all the land from the coldest place to the region of
perpetual summer time. It seemed that they were all of one tongue, and
all were friends.
“All the animals were considered people in those days. The buffalo, the
elk, the antelope, were tribes of considerable importance. The bears
were a smaller band, but they obeyed the mandates of the Great Mystery
and were his favorites, and for this reason they have always known more
about the secrets of medicine. So they were held in much honor. The
wolves, too, were highly regarded at one time. But the buffalo, elk,
moose, deer and antelope were the ruling people.
“These soon became conceited and considered themselves very important,
and thought no one could withstand them. The buffalo made war upon the
smaller tribes, and destroyed many. So one day the Great Mystery thought
it best to change the people in form and in language.
“He made a great tent and kept it dark for ten days. Into this tent he
invited the different bands, and when they came out they were greatly
changed, and some could not talk at all after that. However, there is
a sign language given to all the animals that no man knows except some
medicine men, and they are under a heavy penalty if they should tell it.
“The buffalo came out of the darkened tent the clumsiest of all
the animals. The elk and moose were burdened with their heavy and
many-branched horns, while the antelope and deer were made the most
defenseless of animals, only that they are fleet of foot. The bear and
the wolf were made to prey upon all the others.
“Man was alone then. When the change came, the Great Mystery allowed him
to keep his own shape and language. He was king over all the animals,
but they did not obey him. From that day, man’s spirit may live with the
beasts before he is born a man. He will then know the animal language
but he cannot tell it in human speech. He always retains his sympathy
with them, and can converse with them in dreams.
“I must not forget to tell you that the Great Mystery pitched his tent
in this very region. Some legends say that the Minnewakan Chantay was
the tent itself, which afterward became earth and stones. Many of
the animals were washed and changed in this lake, the Minnewakan, or
Mysterious Water. It is the only inland water we know that is salt. No
animal has ever swum in this lake and lived.”
“Tell me,” I eagerly asked, “is it dangerous to man also?”
“Yes,” he replied, “we think so; and no Indian has ever ventured in that
lake to my knowledge. That is why the lake is called Mysterious,” he
repeated.
“I shall now tell you of Chotanka. He was the greatest of medicine
men. He declared that he was a grizzly bear before he was born in human
form.” Weyuha seemed to become very earnest when he reached this point
in his story. “Listen to Chotanka’s life as a grizzly bear.”
“‘As a bear,’ he used to say, ‘my home was in sight of the Minnewakan
Chantay. I lived with my mother only one winter, and I only saw my
father when I was a baby. Then we lived a little way from the Chantay
to the north, among scattered oak upon a hillside overlooking the
Minnewakan.
“‘When I first remember anything, I was playing outside of our home with
a buffalo skull that I had found near by. I saw something that looked
strange. It walked upon two legs, and it carried a crooked stick, and
some red willows with feathers tied to them. It threw one of the willows
at me, and I showed my teeth and retreated within our den.
“‘Just then my father and mother came home with a buffalo calf. They
threw down the dead calf, and ran after the queer thing. He had long
hair upon a round head. His face was round, too. He ran and climbed up
into a small oak tree.
“‘My father and mother shook him down, but not before he had shot some
of his red willows into their sides. Mother was very sick, but she
dug some roots and ate them and she was well again.’ It was thus that
Chotanka was first taught the use of certain roots for curing wounds and
sickness,” Weyuha added.
“‘One day’”--he resumed the grizzly’s story--“‘when I was out hunting
with my mother-my father had gone away and never came back--we found
a buffalo cow with her calf in a ravine. She advised me to follow her
closely, and we crawled along on our knees. All at once mother crouched
down under the grass, and I did the same. We saw some of those queer
beings that we called “two legs,” riding upon big-tail deer (ponies).
They yelled as they rode toward us. Mother growled terribly and rushed
upon them. She caught one, but many more came with their dogs and drove
us into a thicket. They sent the red willows singing after us, and two
of them stuck in mother’s side. When we got away at last she tried to
pull them out, but they hurt her terribly. She pulled them both out at
last, but soon after she lay down and died.
“‘I stayed in the woods alone for two days then I went around the
Minnewakan Chantay on the south side and there made my lonely den. There
I found plenty of hazel nuts, acorns and wild plums. Upon the plains the
teepsinna were abundant, and I saw nothing of my enemies.
“‘One day I found a footprint not unlike my own. I followed it to
see who the stranger might be. Upon the bluffs among the oak groves
I discovered a beautiful young female gathering acorns. She was of a
different band from mine, for she wore a jet black dress.
“‘At first she was disposed to resent my intrusion; but when I told her
of my lonely life she agreed to share it with me. We came back to my
home on the south side of the hill. There we lived happy for a whole
year. When the autumn came again Woshepee, for this was her name, said
that she must make a warm nest for the winter, and I was left alone
again.’
“Now,” said Weyuha, “I have come to a part of my story that few people
understand. All the long winter Chotanka slept in his den, and with
the early spring there came a great thunder storm. He was aroused by a
frightful crash that seemed to shake the hills; and lo! a handsome young
man stood at his door. He looked, but was not afraid, for he saw that
the stranger carried none of those red willows with feathered tips. He
was unarmed and smiling.
“‘I come,’ said he, ‘with a challenge to run a race. Whoever wins will
be the hero of his kind, and the defeated must do as the winner says
thereafter. This is a rare honor that I have brought you. The whole
world will see the race. The animal world will shout for you, and the
spirits will cheer me on. You are not a coward, and therefore you will
not refuse my challenge.’
“‘No,’ replied Chotanka, after a short hesitation. The young man was
fine-looking, but lightly built.
“‘We shall start from the Chantay, and that will be our goal. Come, let
us go, for the universe is waiting!’ impatiently exclaimed the stranger.
“He passed on in advance, and just then an old, old wrinkled man came to
Chotanka’s door. He leaned forward upon his staff.
“‘My son,’ he said to him, ‘I don’t want to make you a coward, but
this young man is the greatest gambler of the universe. He has powerful
medicine. He gambles for life; be careful! My brothers and I are the
only ones who have ever beaten him. But he is safe, for if he is killed
he can resurrect himself--I tell you he is great medicine.
“‘However, I think that I can save you--listen! He will run behind you
all the way until you are within a short distance of the goal. Then he
will pass you by in a flash, for his name is ZigZag Fire! (lightning).
Here is my medicine.’ So speaking, he gave me a rabbit skin and the gum
of a certain plant. ‘When you come near the goal, rub yourself with the
gum, and throw the rabbit skin between you. He cannot pass you.’
“‘And who are you, grandfather?’ Chotanka inquired.
“‘I am the medicine turtle,’ the old man replied. ‘The gambler is a
spirit from heaven, and those whom he outruns must shortly die. You have
heard, no doubt, that all animals know beforehand when they are to be
killed; and any man who understands these mysteries may also know when
he is to die.’
“The race was announced to the world. The buffalo, elk, wolves and all
the animals came to look on. All the spirits of the air came also to
cheer for their comrade. In the sky the trumpet was sounded--the great
medicine drum was struck. It was the signal for a start. The course
was around the Minnewakan. (That means around the earth or the ocean.)
Everywhere the multitude cheered as the two sped by.
“The young man kept behind Chotanka all the time until they came once
more in sight of the Chantay. Then he felt a slight shock and he threw
his rabbit skin back. The stranger tripped and fell. Chotanka rubbed
himself with the gum, and ran on until he reached the goal. There was
a great shout that echoed over the earth, but in the heavens there was
muttering and grumbling. The referee declared that the winner would live
to a good old age, and Zig-Zag Fire promised to come at his call. He was
indeed great medicine,” Weyuha concluded.
“But you have not told me how Chotanka became a man,” I said.
“One night a beautiful woman came to him in his sleep. She enticed him
into her white teepee to see what she had there. Then she shut the door
of the teepee and Chotanka could not get out. But the woman was kind
and petted him so that he loved to stay in the white teepee. Then it was
that he became a human born. This is a long story, but I think, Ohiyesa,
that you will remember it,” said Weyuha, and so I did.