The Pawnees, or Caddoan Indians
The Caddoan stock, the principal representatives of which are the
Pawnees, are now settled in Oklahoma and North Dakota. From the
earliest period they seem to have been cultivators of the soil, as well
as hunters, and skilled in the arts of weaving and pottery-making.
They possessed an elaborate form of religious ceremonial. The
following myths well exemplify how strongly the Pawnee was gifted with
the religious sense.
The Sacred Bundle
A certain young man was very vain of his personal appearance, and
always wore the finest clothes and richest adornments he could procure.
Among other possessions he had a down feather of an eagle, which he
wore on his head when he went to war, and which possessed magical
properties. He was unmarried, and cared nothing for women, though
doubtless there was more than one maiden of the village who would not
have disdained the hand of the young hunter, for he was as brave and
good-natured as he was handsome.
One day while he was out hunting with his companions--the Indians
hunted on foot in those days--he got separated from the others, and
followed some buffaloes for a considerable distance. The animals
managed to escape, with the exception of a young cow, which had become
stranded in a mud-hole. The youth fitted an arrow to his bow, and was
about to fire, when he saw that the buffalo had vanished and only a
young and pretty woman was in sight. The hunter was {305} rather
perplexed, for he could not understand where the animal had gone to,
nor where the woman had come from. However, he talked to the maiden,
and found her so agreeable that he proposed to marry her and return
with her to his tribe. She consented to marry him, but only on
condition that they remained where they were. To this he agreed, and
gave her as a wedding gift a string of blue and white beads he wore
round his neck.
One evening when he returned home after a day's hunting he found that
his camp was gone, and all round about were the marks of many hoofs.
No trace of his wife's body could he discover, and at last, mourning
her bitterly, he returned to his tribe.
Years elapsed, and one summer morning as he was playing the stick game
with his friends a little boy came toward him, wearing round his neck a
string of blue and white beads.
"Father," he said, "mother wants you."
The hunter was annoyed at the interruption.
"I am not your father," he replied. "Go away."
The boy went away, and the man's companions laughed at him when they
heard him addressed as 'father,' for they knew he was a woman-hater and
unmarried.
However, the boy returned in a little while. He was sent away again by
the angry hunter, but one of the players now suggested that he should
accompany the child and see what he wanted. All the time the hunter
had been wondering where he had seen the beads before. As he reflected
he saw a buffalo cow and calf running across the prairie, and suddenly
he remembered.
Taking his bow and arrows, he followed the buffaloes, whom he now
recognized as his wife and child. A {306} long and wearisome journey
they had. The woman was angry with her husband, and dried up every
creek they came to, so that he feared he would die of thirst, but the
strategy of his son obtained food and drink for him until they arrived
at the home of the buffaloes. The big bulls, the leaders of the herd,
were very angry, and threatened to kill him. First, however, they gave
him a test, telling him that if he accomplished it he should live. Six
cows, all exactly alike, were placed in a row, and he was told that if
he could point out his wife his life would be spared. His son helped
him secretly, and he succeeded. The old bulls were surprised, and much
annoyed, for they had not expected him to distinguish his wife from the
other cows. They gave him another test. He was requested to pick out
his son from among several calves. Again the young buffalo helped him
to perform the feat. Not yet satisfied, they decreed that he must run
a race. If he should win they would let him go. They chose their
fastest runners, but on the day set for the race a thin coating of ice
covered the ground, and the buffaloes could not run at all, while the
young Indian ran swiftly and steadily, and won with ease.
The Magic Feather
The chief bulls were still angry, however, and determined that they
would kill him, even though he had passed their tests. So they made
him sit on the ground, all the strongest and fiercest bulls round him.
Together they rushed at him, and in a little while his feather was seen
floating in the air. The chief bulls called on the others to stop, for
they were sure that he must be trampled to pieces by this time. But
when they drew back there sat the Indian in the centre of the circle,
with his feather in his hair.
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It was, in fact, his magic feather to which he owed his escape, and a
second rush which the buffaloes made had as little effect on him.
Seeing that he was possessed of magical powers, the buffaloes made the
best of matters and welcomed him into their camp, on condition that he
would bring them gifts from his tribe. This he agreed to do.
When the Indian returned with his wife and son to the village people
they found that there was no food to be had; but the buffalo-wife
produced some meat from under her robe, and they ate of it. Afterward
they went back to the herd with gifts, which pleased the buffaloes
greatly. The chief bulls, knowing that the people were in want of
food, offered to return with the hunter. His son, who also wished to
return, arranged to accompany the herd in the form of a buffalo, while
his parents went ahead in human shape. The father warned the people
that they must not kill his son when they went to hunt buffaloes, for,
he said, the yellow calf would always return leading more buffaloes.
By and by the child came to his father saying that he would no more
visit the camp in the form of a boy, as he was about to lead the herd
eastward. Ere he went he told his father that when the hunters sought
the chase they should kill the yellow calf and sacrifice it to Atius
Tiráwa, tan its hide, and wrap in the skin an ear of corn and other
sacred things. Every year they should look out for another yellow
calf, sacrifice it, and keep a piece of its fat to add to the bundle.
Then when food was scarce and famine threatened the tribe the chiefs
should gather in council and pay a friendly visit to the young buffalo,
and he would tell Tiráwa of their need, so that another yellow calf
might be sent to lead the herd to the people.
When he had said this the boy left the camp. All {308} was done as he
had ordered. Food became plentiful, and the father became a chief,
greatly respected by his people. His buffalo-wife, however, he almost
forgot, and one night she vanished. So distressed was the chief, and
so remorseful for his neglect of her, that he never recovered, but
withered away and died. But the sacred bundle was long preserved in
the tribe as a magic charm to bring the buffalo.
Their sacred bundles were most precious to the Indians, and were
guarded religiously. In times of famine they were opened by the
priests with much ceremony. The above story is given to explain the
origin of that belonging to the Pawnee tribe.
The Bear-Man
There was once a boy of the Pawnee tribe who imitated the ways of a
bear; and, indeed, he much resembled that animal. When he played with
the other boys of his village he would pretend to be a bear, and even
when he grew up he would often tell his companions laughingly that he
could turn himself into a bear whenever he liked.
His resemblance to the animal came about in this manner. Before the
boy was born his father had gone on the war-path, and at some distance
from his home had come upon a tiny bear-cub. The little creature
looked at him so wistfully and was so small and helpless that he could
not pass by without taking notice of it. So he stooped and picked it
up in his arms, tied some Indian tobacco round its neck, and said: "I
know that the Great Spirit, Tiráwa, will care for you, but I cannot go
on my way without putting these things round your neck to show that I
feel kindly toward you. I hope that the animals will take care of my
son when he is born, and help him to grow up {309} a great and wise
man." With that he went on his way.
On his return he told his wife of his encounter with the Little Bear,
told her how he had taken it in his arms and looked at it and talked to
it. Now there is an Indian superstition that a woman, before a child
is born, must not look fixedly at or think much about any animal, or
the infant will resemble it. So when the warrior's boy was born he was
found to have the ways of a bear, and to become more and more like that
animal the older he grew. The boy, quite aware of the resemblance,
often went away by himself into the forest, where he used to pray to
the Bear.
The Bear-Man Slain
On one occasion, when he was quite grown up, he accompanied a war party
of the Pawnees as their chief. They travelled a considerable distance,
but ere they arrived at any village they fell into a trap prepared for
them by their enemies, the Sioux. Taken completely off their guard,
the Pawnees, to the number of about forty, were slain to a man. The
part of the country in which this incident took place was rocky and
cedar-clad and harboured many bears, and the bodies of the dead Pawnees
lay in a ravine in the path of these animals. When they came to the
body of the Bear-man a she-bear instantly recognized it as that of
their benefactor, who had sacrificed smokes to them, made songs about
them, and done them many a good turn during his lifetime. She called
to her companion and begged him to do something to bring the Bear-man
to life again. The other protested that he could do nothing.
"Nevertheless," he added, "I will try. If the sun were shining I might
succeed, but when it is dark and cloudy I am powerless."
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The Resuscitation of the Bear-Man
The sun was shining but fitfully that day, however. Long intervals of
gloom succeeded each gleam of sunlight. But the two bears set about
collecting the remains of the Bear-man, who was indeed sadly mutilated,
and, lying down on his body, they worked over him with their magic
medicine till he showed signs of returning life. At length he fully
regained consciousness, and, finding himself in the presence of two
bears, was at a loss to know what had happened to him. But the animals
related how they had brought him to life, and the sight of his dead
comrades lying around him recalled what had gone before. Gratefully
acknowledging the service the bears had done him, he accompanied them
to their den. He was still very weak, and frequently fainted, but ere
long he recovered his strength and was as well as ever, only he had no
hair on his head, for the Sioux had scalped him. During his sojourn
with the bears he was taught all the things that they knew--which was a
great deal, for all Indians know that the bear is one of the wisest of
animals. However, his host begged him not to regard the wonderful
things he did as the outcome of his own strength, but to give thanks to
Tiráwa, who had made the bears and had given them their wisdom and
greatness. Finally he told the Bear-man to return to his people, where
he would become a very great man, great in war and in wealth. But at
the same time he must not forget the bears, nor cease to imitate them,
for on that would depend much of his success.
"I shall look after you," he concluded. "If I die, you shall die; if I
grow old, you shall grow old along with me. This tree"--pointing to a
cedar--"shall be a protector to you. It never becomes old; it is
always {311} fresh and beautiful, the gift of Tiráwa. And if a
thunderstorm should come while you are at home throw some cedar-wood on
the fire and you will be safe."
Giving him a bear-skin cap to hide his hairless scalp, the Bear then
bade him depart.
Arrived at his home, the young man was greeted with amazement, for it
was thought that he had perished with the rest of the war party. But
when he convinced his parents that it was indeed their son who visited
them, they received him joyfully. When he had embraced his friends and
had been congratulated by them on his return, he told them of the
bears, who were waiting outside the village. Taking presents of Indian
tobacco, sweet-smelling clay, buffalo-meat, and beads, he returned to
them, and again talked with the he-bear. The latter hugged him,
saying: "As my fur has touched you, you will be great; as my hands have
touched your hands, you will be fearless; and as my mouth touches your
mouth, you will be wise." With that the bears departed.
True to his words, the animal made the Bear-man the greatest warrior of
his tribe. He was the originator of the Bear Dance, which the Pawnees
still practise. He lived to an advanced age, greatly honoured by his
people.
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