Told by Peter York.
A good many years ago there were two head chiefs of the two big nations
of Indians, the Ojibwas and the Mohawks. One time the head chief of the
Mohawks thought to do something to hurt the Ojibwa chief. He did not
know just what to do. The Ojibwa chief had one son and one daughter.
Well, the Mohawk thought “If I kill one of his children this would make
him mad (angry).” So he got his warriors to come to him and told them
to go to the Ojibwa village at night and try to kill the chief’s son or
daughter. The warriors started at night and went on their errand and it
happened that the son was out late and was taken prisoner. The warriors
took the boy to the Mohawk chief and the chief cast lots, by drawing
little sticks, and the one that got the longest stick had to kill the
boy. The boy was killed before the people and the chief called a big
feast and had the boy cooked. When everything was ready he invited all
the other neighbouring chiefs as well as the Ojibwa chief who had lost
his son, and there were hundreds of Indians besides. The big feast was
ready by this time and all sat down on the ground. Those who were
appointed to act as waiters started to bring in the eatables, beginning
at the door, giving the food to the men as they went along. The head
Ojibwa chief was placed in the middle, and when the waiters came to him
they brought his son’s head well cooked. This chief recognized his
son’s head, but said nothing, and as they were all eating, he ate his
son’s head just to show them that he was a man.
When everything was over the Ojibwa chief started for home, and as he
was going home he made up his mind that he would also do this kind of
work some day. He did not do it at once but waited for a few years,
when he got his warriors to come to him one day and told them that they
had to go to the Mohawks’ village and get the chief’s daughter and
bring her to him. One of the warriors told the chief “that there were
hundreds of warriors guarding the Mohawk chief’s house ever since the
Big Feast when the Ojibwa chief’s son was killed and eaten” (or in
other words, since you lost your son).
The Ojibwa chief then said, “You go in the daytime and take her and I
will make them sleep sound. I will be able to do that.” So they
started, six of the best men. When they got to the Mohawk village they
found all the watchers asleep and the chief also sound asleep. They
took the girl away as they were told to bring her. Before this the
Ojibwa chief told one of his men to kill her, and she was killed in a
quiet way. Nobody knew what happened. The Ojibwa chief then called a
big feast and told his people to get ready, that after the feast there
was going to be a big battle right there. So they got everything ready.
They called the Mohawk chief to come and all the Mohawks that could
come at that time came, and all the Indians came from other places.
They all sat down and ate. The girl’s head well cooked was placed
before the Mohawk chief. As soon as he saw his daughter’s head he gave
a loud yell and fainted. Just at this time the Ojibwa chief rose up and
asked his men to start and kill every one of the Mohawks. The Ojibwa
chief killed the Mohawk chief himself and his men killed the rest of
the Mohawks at this time. After this happened the news spread all over
and the two big nations got so mad (angry) that they declared war. The
war took place in winter time. They fought on Lake Couchiching and the
Lake was full of Indians. When the fight began the Ojibwa in command
was a girl who led the warriors. When the Mohawks saw them coming they
said “we’ll have fun now.” When the Ojibwas came very close the girl
who led gave a big loud yell and all the Mohawks fell down on their
hands and knees and tried to crawl away, but the Ojibwa warriors killed
every one of them that they could find. Young and old, women as well as
men, except two, a boy and a girl, and from this pair came the present
Mohawks. This ends this Mohawk story.
Note.—(The girl leader of the Ojibwa was not the sister of the boy that
was killed and eaten. She was a different girl, but had a dream that
she could do this leading.)