According to the belief of the Pottowatomies, there once lived on the
western shore of Lake Michigan two great spirits. Their names were
_Kit-che-mo-ne-to_, or the Good Spirit, and _Mat-che-mo-me-to_, the Evil
Spirit. They were equally powerful, but the creation of the world was
attributed to the former. When he had piled up the mountains, and filled
the valleys with running streams, he proceeded to people the world with
living creatures, and allotted to each variety its peculiar sphere. He
then endeavored to create a being that should resemble himself, but in
this attempt he did not succeed. The animal that he made looked and
acted more like a wolf than any other creature. Disappointed at this
failure the Good Spirit became angry, and seizing the strange creature
he had made he threw it into a great lake, and it was drowned. A storm
arose, and the waters of the lake made a terrible noise as they beat
upon its rocky shores. Among the shells and pebbles washed upon the
sands were the bones of the strange animal that the Good Spirit had
made, and when the storm had abated the bones were turned into a being
who bore a strong likeness to the present race of Pottowatomies, and
that being was the first woman. So well pleased with this creation was
the Good Spirit that he made five other beings resembling her in form,
but only more rugged, who were to help her in all her employments; and
these were the first men. One of them was named _U-sa-me_, or
Smoking-Weed; another _Wa-pa-ho_, or Pumpkin; another _Esh-kos-sim-in_,
or the Melon; another _Ko-kees_, or the Bean; and the other
_Mon-ta-min_, or Yellow Maize. The business of these several beings was
to protect and gather the various productions of the earth after which
they were named, and in doing this they continued to be employed from
the time that the acorn fell to the ground until it became one of the
largest trees of the forest.
The world had now become very beautiful, and the few men who had the
care of it very proud. They became the friends of the Evil Spirit. They
quarreled among themselves, and in process of time with the woman, whom
they had for a long time obeyed. They looked upon her as the queen of
the world, and coveted her power and happiness. They tried to take her
life, but without success. She became acquainted with the wickedness of
their hearts, and regretted that she had ever been created. So unhappy
did she become that she prayed to the Good Spirit to take her to the
sky; and when the following evening came she was transformed into a
star, and ever since that time has been the first to take her station in
the horizon after the sun has disappeared behind the distant hills. And
it is thought that so long as this star remains unchanged no misfortune
can happen to the world.
When the five young men found themselves alone they were sorry for the
unkind feelings they had manifested towards the woman, and were
constantly missing the brightness of her smiles and the music of her
voice, which they now remembered with mingled feelings of pleasure and
pain. They were in great tribulation, and expected to perish from the
face of the earth for their wickedness. They called upon the Evil Spirit
for comfort and power, but he heard them not; he had abandoned them to
their fate. They then thought that they would implore the assistance of
the Good Spirit. They did so, and told him that they only wanted each
the companionship of a woman, like the one that had been taken away.
Their prayer was answered, and thus did they become the husbands of
affectionate wives, from whom are descended the nation of Pottowatomies,
or _the people who make their own fires_.