WEEK 42
NATIVE AMERICANS
SU
Culture and
Science
MA
Mathematics
ME
Music
BE
Arts
LÜ
Physical
Education
Some Ideas for your lesson
Facts on the Plane Indians
The bison
Clothing
Tipis
Horses
Moving Camps
Horses and Plain Indians
Great chiefs and leaders
Stories: 8 to choose from
Pocahontas cartoon film
Ten Little Indians
Vocabulary:
SU:
Some Ideas For Your Lesson:
Explain the features of Native Americans (Indians). They have straight dark hair and
dark eyes.
They live in tribes. There are many different tribes who don’t look the same. Show
PS a few different tribes. Each tribe had a different size. Name a few of them. Explain
how some tribes live in the North, some in the south, some on the plains and others
by the sea. The colour of skin varies from dark brown to light brown. The different
tribes also have different hairstyles. They decorate their heads with feathers and
animal fur. Some tribes- the Mohicans-shaved their heads and left only a tuft of hair
in the middle. They made their clothes out of leather. Both men and women wore
ornaments to look beautiful. Some hunters wore necklaces made of the teeth of
claws of the animals they hunted. Earrings and necklaces were made of shells or
beads. According to the place they lived, they hunted different animals.
All tribes had a chief. Chiefs were chosen for their bravery and wisdom. The chiefs
were very powerful. Show PS how the chiefs of the four chosen tribes looked like. For
example:”
- The chief of the tribe “Kaspia Sioux” was “Little Crow. Show what the tribe looked
like, what the chief looked like and a picture of the meaning of his name- a real
little crow.
- The chief of the tribe “Lakota” is “Little Bear”. Show the picture of the tribe, the
chief and a picture of a real little bear. etc. Perhaps you can show on the map the
whereabouts of the tribe.
There are also Indian doctors, called “Medicine Men”, who could also heal illnesses
by using magic spells and medicines made from plants. They carried bags full of
items they believed to give them power to cure.
They lived in different types of houses. Tepees were cone shaped houses made with
poles. covered in animal skins. They could be put up and taken down quickly. horses
dragged the poles when a tribe moved. The skins of the tepees were painted with
great care. Often about 15 buffalo skins were sewn together to make a tepee
covering. Wigwams were also cone shaped, but instead of skin they were covered
with tree bark, and were not moved.
The Red Indians did a lot of dancing. Many religious ceremonies included dances to
worship their spirits. They believed that everything in the world had a soul or spirit.
These spirits lived in rivers, mountains, trees. The most important were :
- The War Dance
- The Rain Dance
- The Sun Dance
They danced until they were completely exhausted.
Each tribe had warriors, the bravest men of the tribe. Their job was to fight and
protect their village.
White men came to North America and began to take their land away, many brave
Indians fought to stop them and were killed by the whites.
Before fighting they painted their faces, bodies, horses and weapons with vivid
patterns. They believed that would protect them in battle.
When peace was made they smoked a peace pipe. They believed that the smoke
took their prayers to the spirits
About a hundred years ago, many tribes were taken to live in special areas of land,
called reservations. Today many of them still live in those reservations, but many
also live in towns or cities. They lead modern lives, drive cars and run their own
businesses.
Facts On The Plain Indians:
1.The Bison (American Buffalo)
The American buffalo is also known as the bison
In the early 1700's millions of bison lived in huge herds and roamed across the plains
of North America.
The bison was very important to the Native Americans of the Plains. They provided
the people with food, shelter, clothing, and almost everything else needed for
survival.
a, bison facts:
The bison is the largest land mammal in North America
An adult male bison is called a "bull"; an adult female is called a "cow"; and a young
bison is called a "calf".
The adult bison weighs between 800 and 2000 pounds. (An adult bull can weigh up
to 2000 pounds and can stand 6.5 feet tall. An adult cow can weigh more than 1000
pounds and is only a little shorter than a bull.
Bison move an average of 2 miles per day to graze
When necessary bison can run 35 miles per hour and keep that pace for half an
hour.
Both male and female bison have horns. The average bison horn is 2 feet long, and
the span between two bison horns can be more than 2 feet
The calf is born without horns or hump. They start to grow when the calf is 2 months
old.
People think that there were at least 30 to 60 million (30.000.000 to 60.000.000)
bison in North America in the early 1700's. In the 1800's, Europeans hunted the bison
nearly to extinction. Today there are about 65 000 bison in the United States
b, bison history
For thousands of years, millions of bison roamed across North America, which isn’t
the situation today. What do you think happened to all those millions of bison?
When the white settlers came and moved out west, they started to hunt the bison
almost to the point of extinction. Within a 25-year period, they killed the bison by the
millions, usually taking only the pelt and the best meat, leaving the rest to rot. It
became a popular sport to kill the bison just for fun, and people were known to shoot
them in passing from moving trains. By the end of the 1800's, only about 800 bison
were left in the United States.
The Native Americans of the Plains depended on the bison for survival. Killing the
bison was one way to kill their way of life and to dominate (control) them.
c, bison numbers
Luckily a few herds were saved from extinction. Today, about 50 thousand (50,000)
bison live in America, primarily in park refuges and in ranches. A good place to see
bison today is at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
2. Clothing
The Native Americans of the Plains made most of their clothing out of tanned animal
hides. They made their finest clothes from the skins of antelope or mountain sheep,
their everyday clothes of deer or elk skins. Very often they decorated them with
special designs of porcupine quills, and later, with trade beads.
During the hot summer days on the plains they seldom wore much clothing. But in
the cold season a very important piece of clothing was a warm buffalo robe. It was
made of a large piece of skin with the fur left on. The side without fur was usually
decorated with designs that were painted or decorated with porcupine quills sewn in
place. The painting often recorded the family history, or war or hunting exploits.
Traditional Plains clothing consisted of a skin dress for women, a shirt, breechcloth,
and leggings for men. The clothing was embellished with quillwork, elk teeth,
beadwork, fringes, and sometimes, hair.
a, tanning
The hide (skin or pelt) of the buffalo can be made into tough rawhide or soft leather,
depending on what it will be used for.
To prepare the hide, a Plains woman would:
1. Spread the hide on the grass and pin it down, stretched out, with wooden stakes.
2. Scrape off all the blood, fat, and meat still clinging to the hide with a fleshing tool
made of animal bone and notched at one end to form scraping teeth.
3. Leave the hide out to dry.
Later, if she wanted to, she could:
4. Make the hide thinner by using a scraper ( a tool made of bone or antler with a
sharp stone or metal blade attached to it).
5. Remove the hair on the other side with the scraper.
Left like this, the hide made a tough rawhide.
To soften the hide into leather, she would:
6. Work on the hide in several ways: rub a mixture or animal brain and fat into the
hide with a smooth stone, rub the hide with a bone tool, stretch the hide with her
hands while holding it down with her foot, or rub it back and forth over the rawhide
thong.
b, moccasins
For thousands of years the main way for the Plains people to get around was by foot.
They made comfortable and durable (long-lasting) shoes called moccasins out of
animal hides. Most of the time the moccasins had a hard sole (bottom) and a soft
upper part. Sometimes the moccasins had soft soles.
One good source of material for moccasin soles was the top section of an old tipi
cover, which had absorbed the "smoke-from-many-fires" and was virtually
waterproof. The upper part of the moccasin was made from soft, tanned buckskin of
elk, deer, or sometimes antelope. This upper part could be decorated using quills or
beads.
Awls made from sharpened bones, often ribs sections, were used to punch holes for
stitches. Sinew was used for thread. Some moccasins, well over 100 years of age,
are perfectly usable today.
In winter, moccasins were made larger than usual, in order to make room for an inner
lining made of furs or grasses, which insulated the foot from the cold. These
moccasins had higher flaps. Leggings might be attached to protect the foot and ankle
from deep snow.
Moccasins were made from the hide of different animals. The upper parts were often
beautifully decorated with porcupine quills and beads. The designs, or patterns for
decoration, varied depending on the tribe.
3. Tipis
a, who used tipis?
The Plains Indians were nomadic hunters of buffalo. This meant that they had to
follow the buffalo herd when the animals moved from place to place, looking for fresh
grass to eat. This required that they be able to unpack and move to another location
quickly. They needed a shelter that was portable, durable and water resistant. The
tipi was perfect for that.
b, what was inside a tipi?
The firepit inside the centre of the tipi served to provide warmth. Beds were placed
against the tipi walls and buffalo furs served as rugs. The tipi was lined in the winter
for warmth and privacy. The structure lasted an average of 10 years. When the tipi
was replaced, the old one was made into clothing or patching material for other tipis.
c, how were the tipis moved?
The outstanding characteristic of the tipi was its portability. It took women only
minutes to disassemble the tipi and transport it by horse. Tipi hides, poles, and
household articles were placed on a device known as a travois and dragged behind a
horse. Before they had horses, they used to make smaller tipis, because the tipis had
to be carried by or dragged behind a dog.
d, when was the best time to get hides for a tipi?
June was the best time to procure hides for the tipi cover. The summer buffalo cow
hide was the best because it was fairly large, did not have any heavy fat layers, and
its hair could be removed quite easily. Approximately thirteen hides were used in the
average size tipi cover. Nearly one fourth of one mile of stitching was required to
fasten the hides together.
e, who made the tipis?
Only certain women performed particular duties in making a tipi cover, and only a few
did the cutting and matching of the skins. This knowledge was passed on within the
family, or was conditionally sold to someone else. In some tribes, this was a right
possessed by only one woman in the village.
f, how were the hides prepared?
Preparing hides was heavy manual labour. First, the hides were fleshed by carefully
scraping the inside layers away. Next, they were dehaired either by scraping with an
elkhorn scraper or by causing the hair to slip. This slipping was accomplished by
soaking the hide in water or burying it in damp soil for several days. This procedure
loosened the hair making it easy to remove. Next, the skin was washed thoroughly,
and a mash made of brains (and sometimes the liver) of the animal was completely
worked through the hide over a period of several days. While the hide was drying, it
was carefully worked to retain the softness of the tanning process. This softening of
the hide continued until it was completely dry. The hide was now ready for assembly
into the tipi cover.
g, how long did a tipi last?
A skin tipi might last two to three years, depending upon the amount of traveling
done, and the weather during its use. New covers were very light in color. As time
went on, the top portions became darkened with smoke from the fires inside, even
though the fires were kept small. After replacing the cover, the old one was cut up for
moccasin soles and other useful items. Leather of this kind was nearly indestructible
and permanently waterproofed because it had been so thoroughly smoked.
4. Horses
a, where did the first horses come from?
The first horses to roam the American continent were prehistoric animals who were
the ancestors of the horses we know today. But they died out millions of years ago.
Horses were re-introduced to the Americas by the early Spanish Conquistadors in the
16th century, when they came to explore, and later, to colonise.
b, what are Appaloosas?
Some of these horses escaped or were left behind. They formed their own herds and
were later caught and bred by the Native Americans.
The Nez-Perces marveled at these spotted horses and believed that their special
coat color meant power. These horses, later known as Appaloosas (from the Palouse
region, where the Nez-Perces lived), were gentle, responsive, yet did not spook
easily, making them ideal hunting and battle horses. Their speed and endurance also
made them excellent horses for traveling across the Great Plains.
c, how did horses change the life of the Plains Peoples?
Having horses changed the way of life of the Native American people. It gave them
much more mobility, because now they could go further and faster, and carry more,
with much less effort. Tribes that had horses had definite advantages over those who
moved camp on foot.
Hunting buffalo became a lot easier. The Native Americans of the Plains became
great mounted buffalo hunters.
Being able to travel further, they also did more trading. They traded jerked meat and
buffalo hides for glass beads, metal tools, cloth and guns.
5. Moving camps
The Native Americans of the Plains depended on the buffalo for food, clothing, and
just about everything that they needed. But the buffalo did not stay in one place.
They moved around the Great Plains looking for grass to graze. The Plains People
had to follow the buffalo migrations, so they had to move camp often.
For thousands of years they travelled on foot, carrying their things on their backs or
on travois. Travois are made of two poles criss-crossed on one end and harnessed to
an animal. The other end of the poles are dragged on the ground. A net was attached
in between the two poles to hold the things that had to be carried. Dogs were used to
pull the travois.
After the horses were introduced, the people started to hitch their travois to the
horses instead of to the dogs. That allowed them to carry a lot more and they were
able to move around a lot faster, giving them a better chance to keep up with the
buffalo. Their lives became a lot easier. They called the horses their sacred dogs.
6. Horses and Plains Indians
When we think of Indians we picture a warrior with a spear or bow and arrow sitting
on a horse. But, the Indians did not always have horses. In fact, they did not always
have bows and arrows, but that is a different story. This page is about horses and
Indians.
The Indians got their first horses from the Spanish. When the Spanish explorers
Coronado and DeSoto came into America they brought horses with them. This was in
the year of 1540. Some horses got away and went wild. But, the Indians did not
seem to have done much with these wild horses. They did not start to ride or use
horses until much later.
In the 1600s there were a lot of Spanish missions and settlers in New Mexico just to
the west of Texas. This is where the Pueblo and Navaho Indians live. The Spanish in
New Mexico used Indians as slaves and workers. These Indian slaves and workers
learned about horses working on the Spanish ranches. The Spanish had a law that
made it a crime for an Indian to own a horse or a gun. Still these Indians learned how
to train a horse and they learned how to ride a horse. They also learned how to use
horses to carry packs.
In the year of 1680 the Pueblo Indians revolted against the Spanish and drove the
Spanish out of their land and back down into Old Mexico. The Spanish were forced to
leave so fast they left behind many horses. The Pueblo Indians took these horses
and used them. The Spanish did not come back until the year of 1694. While the
Spanish were gone the Pueblo Indians raised large herds of horses. They began
selling and trading them to other Indians such as the Kyowa and Comanche. The
Pueblo Indians also taught the other Indian tribes how to ride and how to raise
horses.
Horses spread across the Southern Plains pretty quickly. French traders reported
that the Cheyenne Indians in Kansas got their first horses in the year of 1745. Horses
changed life for the plains Indians. Plains Indians, including Texas Plains Indians,
hunted buffalo on foot before they had horses. Buffalo are not easy to hunt on foot.
They can run away faster than a hunter can run after them. With a horse, a hunter
can chase after the buffalo and keep up with them. A group of hunters can ride
horses up to a heard of buffalo and get close enough to shoot arrows at them before
the buffalo run away.
Plains Indians are nomads. Nomads means they are always moving from place to
place looking for food. Nomads have to carry everything they own with them every
time they move. Before they had horses, the Indians would have to carry everything
on foot or use dogs to carry things. Yes they used dogs with packs like saddlebags
and with travois to carry stuff.
When the first horses arrived they looked like very wonderful and magical dogs that
could carry a lot of stuff. That is why many Plains Indians called horses "sacred
dogs".
In a very short time Plains Indians learned to be expert riders. Along with hunting
they learned to use the horses to make war and go on raids. They could go much
farther than they ever could on foot and arrive rested and able to fight. The tribes
who learned how to use horses first and fast had a huge advantage over other tribes.
They quickly pushed other tribes out of their former territories and expanded their
territories. Tribes like the Comanche and Cheyenne who had horses and knew how
to use them first pushed other tribes like the Apache, Wichita and Tonkawa south
and west off the plains. The Apache who now live in New Mexico and in Old Mexico
used to live way up in the Texas panhandle and north of Texas. Bands of Comanche
warriors on horseback were powerful and feared by everyone – Indians and
Europeans.
Next time you see a picture of a Indian on a horse, stop and remember what Indian
life must have been like before the sacred dogs came along.
7. Great Chiefs & Leaders
American Horse (Sioux)
Black Elk (Lakota)
Big Bear (Cree)
Bigfoot (Lakota)
Abel Bosum (Cree)
Joseph Brant (Mohawk)
Cochise (Apache)
Choncape
Chou-man-i-case
Corn Planter
Crazy Horse/Tashunkewitko (Lakota)
Dan George
Dull Knife (Cheyenne)
Eagle og Delight
Frank Fools Crow
Gall (Hunkpapa Sioux)
Geronimo/Goyathlay (Apache)
He-Dog
Little Wolf(Lakota)
Hole-in-the-Day (Ojibway)
John Ross (Cherokee)
Joseph (Nez Perce)
Keokuk
Little Crow (Kaposia Sioux)
HYPERLINK "turtle.htm"Little Turtle (Miami)
Little Wolf (Cheyenne)
Low-Dog (Lakota)
Joseph (Nez Perce)
Mougo
Ohiyesa/Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman (Santee Sioux)
Pontiac (Ottawa)
Pope (Tewa)
Potalesharo
Quanah Parker (Comanche)
Rain-in-the-Face (Sioux)
Red Cloud (Lakota)
Red Jacket (Seneca)
Roman Nose (Cheyenne)
Santana (Kiowa)
Sequoya (Cherokee)
Sitting Bull (Hunkpapa Sioux)
Spotted Tail (Brule Sioux)
Standing Bear (Lakota)
Tamahay (Sioux)
Tecumseh (Shawnee)
Two Strike/Tashunkekokipapi (Sioux)
Washakie (Shoshoni)
Wicked Chief
Wolf Robe (Cheyenne)
Wovoka (Paiute)
8. Stories:
a, How the Buffalo Hunt Began
The buffalo formerly ate man. The magpie and the hawk were on the side of the
people, for neither ate the other or the people. These two birds flew away from a
council between animals and men. They determined that a race would be held, the
winners to eat the losers.
The course was long, around a mountain. The swiftest buffalo was a cow called
Neika, "swift head." She believed she would win and entered the race. On the other
hand, the people were afraid because of the long distance. They were trying to get
medicine to prevent fatigue.
All the birds and animals painted themselves for the race, and since that time they
have all been brightly coloured. Even the water turtle put red paint around his eyes.
The magpie painted himself white on head, shoulders, and tail. At last all were ready
for the race, and stood in a row for the start.
They ran and ran, making some loud noises in place of singing to help themselves to
run faster. All small birds, turtles, rabbits, coyotes, wolves, flies, ants, insects, and
snakes were soon left far behind. When they approached the mountain the buffalocow was ahead; then came the magpie, hawk, and the people; the rest were strung
out along the way. The dust rose so quickly that nothing could be seen.
All around the mountain the buffalo-cow led the race, but the two birds knew they
could win, and merely kept up with her until they neared the finish line, which was
back to the starting place. Then both birds whooshed by her and won the race for
man. As they flew the course, they had seen fallen animals and birds all over the
place, who had run themselves to death, turning the ground and rocks red from the
blood.
The buffalo then told their young to hide from the people, who were going out to hunt
them; and also told them to take some human flesh with them for the last time. The
young buffaloes did this, and stuck that meat in front of their chests, beneath the
throat. Therefore, the people do not eat that part of the buffalo, saying it is part
human flesh.
From that day forward the Cheyenne began to hunt buffalo. Since all the friendly
animals and birds were on the people's side, they are not eaten by people, but they
do wear and use their beautiful feathers for ornaments. Another version adds that
when coyote, who was on the side of buffalo, finished the race, the magpie who even
beat the hawk, said to coyote, "We will not eat you, but only use your skin."
b, Falling Star
One day in the long ago, two young Indian girls were lying on the grass outside their
tepee on a warm summer evening. They were looking up into the sky, describing
star-pictures formed by their imaginations.
"That is a pretty star. I like that one," said First Girl.
"I like that one best of all--over there," Second Girl pointed.
First Girl pointed to the brightest star in the sky and said, "I like the brightest one best
of all. That is the one I want to marry."
That evening they agreed to go out the next day to gather wood. Next morning they
started for the timbered area. On their way they saw a porcupine climb a tree.
"I'll climb the tree and pull him down," said First Girl. She climbed but could not reach
the porcupine.
Every time she stretched her hand for him, the porcupine climbed a little higher. Then
the tree started growing taller. Second Girl below called to her friend, "Please come
down, the tree is growing taller!"
"No," said First Girl as the porcupine climbed higher and the tree grew taller. Second
Girl could see what was happening, so she ran back to the camp and told her people.
They rushed to the tree, but First Girl had completely disappeared!
The tree continued to grow higher and higher. Finally, First Girl reached another land.
She stepped off the tree branch and walked upon the sky! Before long she met a
kindly looking middle-aged man who spoke to her. First Girl began to cry.
"Whatever is the matter? Only last night I heard you wish that you could marry me. I
am the Brightest-Star," he said.
First Girl was pleased to meet Brightest-Star and became happy again when she got
her wish and married him. He told her that she could dig roots with the other starwomen, but to beware of a certain kind of white turnip with a great green top. This
kind she must never dig. To do so was "against the medicine"--against the rules of
the Sky-Chief.
Every day First Girl dug roots. Her curiosity about the strange white turnip became so
intense that she decided to dig up one of them. It took her a long, long time. When
she finally pulled out the root, a huge hole was left. She looked into the hole and far,
far below she saw the camp of her own people.
Everything and everyone was very small, but she could see lodges and people
walking. Instantly she became homesick to see her own people again. How could she
ever get down from the sky? She realized it was a long, long way down to earth.
Then her eyes fell upon the long tough grass growing near her. Could she braid it
into a long rope? She decided to try, every day pulling more long grass and braiding
more rope.
One time her husband Brightest-Star asked, "What is it that keeps you outdoors so
much of the time?"
"I walk a great distance and that makes me tired. I need to sit down and rest before I
can start back home."
At last she finished making her strong rope, thinking by now it must be long enough.
She tied one end of the rope to a log that she rolled across the top of the hole as an
anchor. She let down the rope. It looked as though it touched the ground.
She lowered herself into the hole, holding onto the braided rope. It seemed to take a
long time as she slowly lowered herself until she came to the end of the rope. But it
did not touch the earth! For a long while she hung on dangling in midair and calling
uselessly for help. When she could hold on no longer, she fell to the ground and
broke into many pieces. Although she died, her unborn son did not die, because he
was made of star-stone and did not break.
A meadowlark saw what happened and took the falling-star baby to her nest. There
the lark kept him with her own baby birds.
When they were older, Falling-Star crept out of the nest with the little birds. The
stronger the birds grew, the stronger grew Falling-Star. Soon all of them could crawl
and run. The young birds practiced their flying while Falling-Star ran after them. Then
the young birds could fly anywhere they wished, while Falling-Star ran faster and
faster to keep up with them.
"Son, you had better go home to your own people," said Mother Meadowlark. "It is
time for us to fly south for the winter. Before long, the weather here will be very cold."
"Mother Meadowlark," asked Falling-Star. "Why do you want me to leave you? I want
to go with you."
"No, Son," she replied. "You must go home now."
"I will go if Father Meadowlark will make me a bow and some arrows."
Father Meadowlark made a bow and pulled some of his own quills to feather the
arrows. He made four arrows and a bow for Falling-Star. Then he started Falling-Star
in the right direction toward his home, downstream.
Falling-Star travelled a long time before he reached the camp of his people. He went
into the nearest lodge owned by an old grandmother.
"Grandmother," he said. "I need a drink of water."
"My grandson," she said to him, "only the young men who are the fastest runners can
go for water. There is a water-monster who sucks up any people who go too close to
it."
"Grandmother, if you will give me your buffalo-pouch and your buffalo-horn ladle, I
will bring you water."
"Grandson, I warn you that many of our finest young men have been destroyed by
the water-monster. I fear that you will be killed too." But she gave him the things he
asked for. He went upstream and dipped water, at the same time keeping watch for
the monster.
At the very moment Falling-Star filled his bucket, the Water- monster raised its head
above the water. His mouth was enormous. He sucked in his breath and drew in
Falling-Star, the bucket, water, and the ladle. When Falling-Star found himself inside
the monster's stomach, he saw all the other people who had ever been swallowed.
With his Star-stone, he cut a hole in the animal's side. Out crawled all the people,
and Falling-Star rescued his pouch and ladle for his grandmother, taking her some
cool, fresh water.
"My grandson, who are you?" she asked, marvelling at his survival.
"Grandmother, I am Falling-Star. I killed the monster who has caused our people
much suffering, and I rescued all the people who had been swallowed."
The old woman told the village crier to spread the good news that the monster was
dead. Now that Falling-Star had saved the camp people there, he asked the
grandmother, "Are there other camps of our people nearby?"
"Yes, there is one farther downstream," she said.
Falling-Star took his bow and arrows and left camp. The fall of the year had now
arrived. After travelling many days, he reached the other camp. Again he went into an
old woman's lodge where she sat near her fire.
"Grandmother, I am very hungry," he said.
"My son, my son, we have no food. We cannot get any buffalo meat. Whenever our
hunters go out for buffalo, a great white crow warns the buffalo, which drives them
away.
"How sad," he said. "I will try to help. Go out and look for a worn-out buffalo robe with
little hair. Tell your chief to choose two of his fastest runners and send them to me."
Later, the old woman returned with the robe and the two swift runners. Falling-Star
told them his plan. "I will go to a certain place and wait for the buffalo. When the herd
runs, I will follow, disguised as a buffalo in the worn-out robe. You two runners chase
me and the buffalo for a long distance. When you overtake me, you must shoot at
me. I will pretend to be dead. You pretend to cut me open and leave me there on the
ground."
When the real buffalo arrived, the white crow flew over them screaming, "They are
coming! They are after you! Run, run!" The buffalo herd ran, followed by a shabbylooking bull.
The two swift runners chased the old bull according to plan. All kinds of birds, wolves,
and coyotes came toward the carcass from all directions. Among them was the white
crow. As he flew over Falling-Star in disguise, he called out shrilly, "I wonder if this is
Falling-Star?"
Time after time the crow flew over the carcass, still calling, "I wonder if this is FallingStar?" He came closer and closer with each pass. When he was close enough,
Falling-Star sprang and grabbed the legs of the white crow. All of the other birds and
animals scattered in every direction.
When Falling-Star brought the captive white crow home to the grandmother, she sent
word for the chief.
"I will take the white crow to my lodge. I will tie him to the smoke hole and smoke him
dead," said the chief.
From that moment on, the good Cheyenne were able to kill many buffalo and they
had plenty of buffalo meat for all their needs.
The people in gratitude gave Falling-Star a lovely lodge-home and a pretty Indian
maiden waiting there to become his wife. They remained all of their lives with the
Northern Cheyenne Indian tribe
c, The Frogs And The Crane
In the heart of the woods there lay a cool, green pond. The shores of the pond were
set with ranks of tall bulrushes that waved crisply in the wind, and in the shallow bays
there were fleets of broad water lily leaves. Among the rushes and reeds and in the
quiet water there dwelt a large tribe of Frogs.
On every warm night of spring, the voices of the Frogs arose in a cheerful chorus.
Some voices were low and deep---these were the oldest and wisest of the Frogs; at
least, they were old enough to have learned wisdom. Some were high and shrill, and
these were the voices of the little Frogs who did not like to be reminded of the days
when they had tails and no legs.
"Kerrump! kerrump! I'm chief of this pond!" croaked a very large bullfrog, sitting in the
shade of a water lily leaf.
"Kerrump! kerrump! I'm chief of this pond!" replied a hoarse voice from the opposite
bank.
"Kerrump! kerrump! I'm chief of this pond!" boasted a third old Frog from the furthest
shore of the pond.
Now a long-legged white Crane was standing near by, well hidden by the coarse
grass that grew at the water's edge. He was very hungry that evening, and when he
heard the deep voice of the first Bullfrog he stepped briskly up to him and made a
quick pass under the broad leaf with his long, cruel bill. The old Frog gave a
frightened croak, and kicked violently in his efforts to get away, while over the quiet
pond, splash! splash! went the startled little Frogs into deep water.
The Crane almost had him, when something cold and slimy wound itself about one of
his legs. He drew back for a second, and the Frog got safely away! But the Crane did
not lose his dinner after all, for about his leg was curled a large black water snake,
and that made a fair meal.
Now he rested awhile on one leg, and listened. The first Frog was silent, but from the
opposite bank the second Frog croaked boastfully:
"Kerrump! kerrump! I'm chief of this pond!"
The Crane began to be hungry again. He went round the pond without making any
noise, and pounced upon the second Frog, who was sitting up in plain sight, swelling
his chest with pride, for he really thought now that he was the sole chief of the pond.
The Crane's head and most of his long neck disappeared under the water, and all
over the pond the little Frogs went splash! splash! into the deepest holes to be out of
the way.
Just as he had the Frog by one hind leg, the Crane saw something that made him let
go, flap his broad wings and fly awkwardly away to the furthest shore. It was a mink,
with his slender brown body and wicked eyes, and he had crept very close to the
Crane, hoping to seize him at his meal! So the second Frog got away too; but he was
so dreadfully frightened that he never spoke again.
After a long time the Crane got over his fright and he became very hungry once
more. The pond had been still so long that many of the Frogs were singing their
pleasant chorus, and above them all there boomed the deep voice of the third and
last Bullfrog, saying:
"Kerrump! kerrump! I'm chief of this pond!"
The Crane stood not far from the boaster, and he determined to silence him once for
all. The next time he began to speak, he had barely said "Kerrump!" whe the Crane
had him by the leg. He croaked and struggled in vain, and in another moment he
would have gone down the Crane's long throat. But just then a Fox crept up behind
the Crane and seized him! The Crane let go the Frog and was carried off screaming
into the woods for the Fox's supper. So the third Frog got away; but he was badly
lamed by the Crane's strong bill, and he never dared to open his mouth again.
d, How Glooskap Found the Summer
Long ago a mighty race of Indians lived near the sunrise, and they called themselves
Wawaniki---Children of Light. Glooskap was their master. He was kind to his people
and did many great deeds for them.
Once in Glooskap's day it grew extremely cold. Snow and ice covered everything.
Fires would not give enough warmth. The corn would not grow. His people were
perishing from cold and famine.
Glooskap set forth for the far north where all was ice. Here in a wigwam he found the
great giant Winter. It was Winter's icy breath that had frozen the land.
Glooskap entered the wigwam and sat down. Winter gave him a pipe, and as they
smoked the giant told tales of olden times when he reigned everywhere and all the
land was silent, white, and beautiful. His frost charm fell upon Glooskap and as the
giant talked on, Glooskap fell asleep. For six months he slept like a bear, then the
charm left him. He was too strong for it and awoke.
Soon now Glooskap's talebearer, the Loon, a wild bird who lived on the lakeshores,
brought him strange news. He described a country far to the south where it was
always warm. There lived the all-powerful Summer who could easily overcome the
giant Winter. To save his people from cold and famine and death, Glooskap decided
to find her.
Far off to the southern seashores he went. He sang the magic song which whales
obey and up came an old friend---a whale who served as his carrier when he wished
to go out to sea.
This whale had a law for travelers. She always said: "You must shut your eyes while I
carry you. If you do not, I am sure to go aground on a reef or sand-bar and be unable
to get off. You could be drowned."
Glooskap got on the whale's back and for many days they travelled together. Each
day the water grew warmer and the air softer and sweeter, for it came from spicy
shores. The odors were no longer those of salt, but of fruits and flowers.
Soon they found themselves in shallow water. Down in the sand clams were singing
a song of warning: "Keep out to sea, for the water here is shallow."
The whale asked Glooskap, who understood the lan- guage of all creatures: "What
do they say?"
Glooskap, wishing to land at once, only replied: "They tell you to hurry, for a storm is
coming."
The whale hurried on accordingly until she was close to land. Now Glooskap did the
forbidden; he opened his left eye, to peep. At once the whale stuck hard on to the
beach so that Glooskap, leaping from her head, was able to walk ashore on dry land.
Thinking she could never get away, the whale became angry. But Glooskap put one
end of his strong bow against the whale's jaw and, taking the other end in his hands,
placed his feet against the high bank. With a mighty push, he sent her out into the
deep water.
Far inland strode Glooskap and found it warmer at every step. In the forest he came
upon a beautiful woman, dancing in the center of a group of young girls. Her long
brown hair was crowned with flowers and her arms filled with blossoms. She was
Summer.
Glooskap knew that here at last was the one who by her charms could melt old
Winter's heart. He leaped to catch her and would not let her go. Together they
journeyed the long way back to the lodge of old Winter.
Winter welcomed Glooskap but he planned to freeze him to sleep again. This time,
however, Glooskap did the talking. His charm proved the stronger one and soon
sweat began to run down Winter's face. He knew that his power was gone and the
charm of Frost broken. His icy tent melted away.
Summer now used her own special power and everything awoke. The grass grew
green and the snow ran down the rivers, carrying away the dead leaves. Old Winter
wept to see his power taken away.
But Summer said, "Now that I have proved I am more powerful than you, I give you
all the country to the far north for your own, and there I shall never disturb you. Six
months of every year you may return to Glooskap's country and reign as before, but
you are to be less severe with your power. During the other six months, I will come
back from the South and rule the land."
Old Winter could do nothing but accept this. So it is that he appears in Glooskap's
country each year to reign for six months, but with a softer rule. When he comes,
Summer runs home to her warm south land. When at the end of six months she
returns to drive old Winter away, she awakens the north and gives it the joys that only
she can bestow.
e, The Buffalo and the Field Mouse
Once upon a time, when the Field-Mouse was out gathering wild beans for the winter,
his neighbor, the Buffalo, came down to graze in the meadow. This the little Mouse
did not like, for he knew that the other would mow down all the long grass with his
prickly tongue, and there would be no place in which to hide. He made up his mind to
offer battle like a man.
"Ho, Friend Buffalo, I challenge you to a fight! "he exclaimed in a small, squeaking
voice.
The Buffalo paid no attention, thinking it only a joke. The Mouse angrily repeated the
challenge, and still his enemy went on quietly grazing. Then the little Mouse laughed
with contempt as he offered his defiance. The Buffalo at last looked at him and
replied carelessly:
"You had better keep still, little one, or I shall come over there and step on you, and
there will be nothing left! "
"You can't do it! "replied the Mouse.
"I tell you to keep still,"insisted the Buffalo, who was getting angry. "If you speak to
me again, I shall certainly come and put an end to you! "
"I dare you to do it! "said the Mouse, provoking him.
Thereupon the other rushed upon him. He trampled thc grass clumsily and tore up
the earth with his front hoofs. When he had ended, he looked for the Mouse, but he
could not see him anywhere.
"I told you I would step on you, and there would be nothing left! "he muttered.
Just then he felt a scratching inside his right ear. He shook his head as hard as he
could, and twitched his ears back and forth. The gnawing went deeper and deeper
until he was half wild with the pain. He pawed with his hoofs and tore up the sod with
his horns. Bellowing madly, he ran as fast as he could, first straight forward and then
in circles, but at last he stopped and stood trembling. Then the Mouse jumped out of
his ear, and said:
"Will you own now that I am master? "
"No! "bellowed the Buffalo, and again he started toward the Mouse, as if to trample
him under his feet. The little fellow was nowhere to be seen, but in a minute the
Buffalo felt him in the other ear. Once more he became wild with pain, and ran here
and there over the prairie, at times leaping high in the air. At last he fell to the ground
and lay quite still. The Mouse came out of his ear, and stood proudly upon his dead
body.
"Eho! "said he, "I have killed the greatest of all beasts. This will show to all that I am
master! "
Standing upon the body of the dead Buffalo, he called loudly for a knife with which to
dress his game.
In another part of the meadow, Red Fox, very hungry, was hunting mice for his
breakfast. He saw one and jumped upon him with all four feet, but the little Mouse got
away, and he was terribly disappointed.
All at once he thought he heard a distant call: "Bring a knife! Bring a knife ! "
When the second call came, Red Fox started in the direction of the sound. At the first
knoll he stopped and listened, but hearing nothing more, he was about to go back.
Just then he heard the call plainly, but in a very thin voice, "Bring a knife!"Red Fox
immediately set out again and ran as fast as he could.
By and by he came upon the huge body of the Buffalo lying upon the ground. The
little Mouse still stood upon the body.
"I want you to dress this Buffalo for me and I will give you some of the
meat,"commanded the Mouse.
"Thank you, my friend, I shall be glad to do this for you,"he replied, politely.
The Fox dressed the Buffalo, while the Mouse sat upon a mound near by, looking on
and giving his orders. "You must cut the meat into small pieces," he said to the Fox.
When the Fox had finished his work, the Mouse paid him with a small piece of liver.
He swallowed it quickly and smacked his lips.
"Please, may I have another piece?" he asked quite humbly.
"Why, I gave you a very large piece! How greedy you are!"exclaimed the Mouse.
"You may have some of the blood clots,"he sneered. So the poor Fox took the blood
clots and even licked off the grass. He was really very hungry.
"Please may I take home a piece of the meat?"he begged. "I have six little folks at
home, and there is nothing for them to eat."
"You can take the four feet of the Buffalo. That ought to be enough for all of you!"
"Hi, hi! Thank you, thank you!" said the Fox. "But, Mouse, I have a wife also, and we
have had bad luck in hunting. We are almost starved. Can't you spare me a little
more?"
"Why,"declared the Mouse, "I have already overpaid you for the little work you have
done. However, you can take the head, too!"
Thereupon the Fox jumped upon the Mouse, who gave one faint squeak and
disappeared.
If you are proud and selfish you will lose all in the end.
f, The Magic Arrows
There was once a young man who wanted to go on a journey. His mother provided
him with sacks of dried meat and pairs of moccasins, but his father said to him:
"Here, my son, are four magic arrows. When you are in need, shoot one of them!"
The young man went forth alone, and hunted in the forest for many days. Usually he
was successful, but a day came when he was hungry and could not find meat. Then
he sent forth one of the magic arrows, and at the end of the day there lay a fat Bear
with the arrow in his side. The hunter cut out the tongue for his meal, and of the body
of the Bear he made a thank-offering to the Great Mystery.
Again he was in need, and again in the morning he shot a magic arrow, and at
nightfall beside his camp-fire he found an Elk lying with the arrow in his heart. Once
more he ate the tongue and offered up the body as a sacrifice. The third time he
killed a Moose with his arrow, and the fourth time a Buffalo.
After the fourth arrow had been spent, the young man came one day out of the
forest, and before him there lay a great circular village of skin lodges. At one side,
and some little way from the rest of the people, he noticed a small and poor tent
where an old couple lived all alone. At the edge of the wood he took off his clothes
and hid them in a hollow tree. Then, touching the top of his head with his staff, he
turned himself into a little ragged boy and went toward the poor tent.
The old woman saw him coming, and said to her old man: "Old man, let us keep this
little boy for our own! He seems to be a fine, bright-eyed little fellow, and we are all
alone."
"What are you thinking of, old woman?" grumbled the old man. "We can hardly keep
ourselves, and yet you talk of taking in a ragged little scamp from nobody knows
where!"
In the meantime the boy had come quite near, and the old wife beckoned to him to
enter the lodge.
"Sit down, my grandson, sit down!" she said, kindly; and, in spite of the old man's
black looks, she handed him a small dish of parched corn, which was all the food
they had.
The boy ate and stayed on. By and by he said to the old woman: "Grandmother, I
should like to have grandfather make me some arrows!"
"You hear, my old man?" said she. "It will be very well for you to make some little
arrows for the boy."
"And why should I make arrows for a strange little ragged boy?" grumbled the old
man.
However, he made two or three, and the boy went hunting. In a short time he
returned with several small birds. The old woman took them and pulled off the
feathers, thanking him and praising him as she did so. She quickly made the little
birds into soup, of which the old man ate gladly, and with the soft feathers she stuffed
a small pillow.
"You have done well, my grandson!" he said; for they were really very poor.
Not long after, the boy said to his adopted grandmother: "Grandmother, when you
see me at the edge of the wood yonder, you must call out: 'A Bear! there goes a
Bear!' "'
This she did, and the boy again sent forth one of the magic arrows, which he had
taken from the body of his game and kept by him. No sooner had he shot, than he
saw the same Bear that he had offered up, lying before him with the arrow in his side!
Now there was great rejoicing in the lodge of the poor old couple. While they were
out skinning the Bear and cutting the meat in thin strips to dry, the boy sat alone in
the lodge. In the pot on the fire was the Bear's tongue, which he wanted for himself.
All at once a young girl stood in the doorway. She drew her robe modestly before her
face as she said in a low voice:
"I come to borrow the mortar of your grandmother!"
The boy gave her the mortar, and also a piece of the tongue which he had cooked,
and she went away.
When all of the Bear meat was gone, the boy sent forth a second arrow and killed an
Elk, and with the third and fourth he shot the Moose and the Buffalo as before, each
time recovering his arrow.
Soon after, he heard that the people of the large village were in trouble. A great Red
Eagle, it was said, flew over the village every day at dawn, and the people believed
that it was a bird of evil omen, for they no longer had any success in hunting. None of
their braves had been able to shoot the Eagle, and the chief had offered his only
daughter in marriage to the man who should kill it.
When the boy heard this, he went out early the next morning and lay in wait for the
Red Eagle. At the touch of his magic arrow, it fell at his feet, and the boy pulled out
his arrow and went home without speaking to any one.
But the thankful people followed him to the poor little lodge, and when they had found
him, they brought the chief's beautiful daughter to be his wife. Lo, she was the girl
who had come to borrow his grandmother's mortar!
Then he went back to the hollow tree where his clothes were hidden, and came back
a handsome young man, richly dressed for his wedding.
g, Yellowstone Valley and the Great Flood
"I have heard it told on the Cheyenne Reservation in Montana and the Seminole
camps in the Florida Everglades, I have heard it from the Eskimos north of the Arctic
Circle and the Indians south of the equator. The legend of the flood is the most
universal of all legends. It is told in Asia, Africa, and Europe, in North America and
the South Pacific." Professor Hap Gilliland of Eastern Montana College was the first
to record this legend of the great flood. This is one of the fifteen legends of the flood
that he himself recorded in various parts of the world:
He was an old Indian. his face was weather beaten, but his eyes were still bright. I
never knew what tribe he was from, though I could guess. Yet others from the tribe
whom I talked to later had never heard his story.
We had been talking of the visions of the young men. He sat for a long time, looking
out across the Yellowstone Valley through the pouring rain, before he spoke. "They
are beginning to come back," he said.
"Who is coming back?" I asked.
"The animals," he said. "It has happened before."
"Tell me about it."
He thought for a long while before he lifted his hands and his eyes. "The Great Spirit
smiled on this land when he made it. There were mountains and plains, forests and
grasslands. There were animals of many kinds--and men." The old man's hands
moved smoothly, telling the story more clearly than his voice.
The Great Spirit told the people, "These animals are your brothers. Share the land
with them. They will give you food and clothing. Live with them and protect them."
"Protect especially the buffalo, for the buffalo will give you food and shelter. The hide
of the buffalo will keep you from the cold, from the heat, and from the rain. As long as
you have the buffalo, you will never need to suffer."
For many winters the people lived at peace with the animals and with the land. When
they killed a buffalo, they thanked the Great Spirit, and they used every part of the
buffalo. It took care of every need.
Then other people came. They did not think of the animals as brothers. They killed,
even when they did not need food. They burned and cut the forests, and the animals
died. They shot the buffalo and called it sport. They killed the fish in the streams.
When the Great Spirit looked down, he was sad. He let the smoke of the fires lie in
the valleys. The people coughed and choked. But still they burned and they killed.
So the Great Spirit sent rains to put out the fires and to destroy the people. The rains
fell, and the waters rose. The people moved from the flooded valleys to the higher
land.
Spotted Bear, the medicine man, gathered together his people. He said to them, "The
Great Spirit has told us that as long as we have the buffalo we will be safe from heat
and cold and rain. But there are no longer any buffalo. Unless we can find buffalo
and live at peace with nature, we will all die."
Still the rains fell, and the waters rose. The people moved from the flooded plains to
the hills. The young men went out and hunted for the buffalo. As they went they put
out the fires. They made friends with the animals once more. They cleaned out the
streams.
Still the rains fell, and the waters rose. The people moved from the flooded hills to the
mountains.
Two young men came to Spotted Bear. "We have found the buffalo," they said.
"There was a cow, a calf, and a great white bull. The cow and the calf climbed up to
the safety of the mountains. They should be back when the rain stops. But the bank
gave way, and the bull was swept away by the floodwaters. We followed and got him
to shore, but he had drowned. We have brought you his hide."
They unfolded a huge white buffalo skin.
Spotted Bear took the white buffalo hide. "Many people have been drowned," he
said. "Our food has been carried away. But our young people are no longer
destroying the world that was created for them. They have found the white buffalo. It
will save those who are left."
Still the rains fell, and the waters rose. The people moved from the flooded
mountains to the highest peaks.
Spotted Bear spread the white buffalo skin on the ground. He and the other medicine
men scraped it and stretched it, and scraped it and stretched it.
Still the rains fell. Like all rawhide, the buffalo skin stretched when it was wet. Spotted
Bear stretched it out over the village. All the people who were left crowded under it.
As the rains fell, the medicine men stretched the buffalo skin across the mountains.
Each day they stretched it farther.
Then Spotted Bear tied one corner to the top of the Big Horn Mountains. That side,
he fastened to the Pryors. The next corner he tied to the Bear Tooth Mountains.
Crossing the Yellowstone Valley, he tied one corner to the Crazy Mountains, and the
other to Signal Butte in the Bull Mountains.
The whole Yellowstone Valley was covered by the white buffalo skin. Though the
rains still fell above, it did not fall in the Yellowstone Valley.
The waters sank away. Animals from the outside moved into the valley, under the
white buffalo skin. The people shared the valley with them.
Still the rains fell above the buffalo skin. The skin stretched and began to sag.
Spotted Bear stood on the Bridger Mountains and raised the west end of the buffalo
skin to catch the West Wind. The West Wind rushed in and was caught under the
buffalo skin. The wind lifted the skin until it formed a great dome over the valley.
The Great Spirit saw that the people were living at peace with the earth. The rains
stopped, and the sun shone. As the sun shone on the white buffalo skin, it gleamed
with colours of red and yellow and blue.
As the sun shone on the rawhide, it began to shrink. The ends of the dome shrank
away until all that was left was one great arch across the valley.
The old man's voice faded away; but his hands said "Look," and his arms moved
toward the valley.
The rain had stopped and a rainbow arched across the Yellowstone Valley. A buffalo
calf and its mother grazed beneath it.
h, Eagle War Feathers
A long, long time ago the Cheyenne warriors had not learned yet how to use eagle
for their war ornaments. One of their men climbed a high mountain; there he lay for
five days, crying, without food. Some powerful being, he hoped, would see him and
come to him, to teach him something great for his people.
He was glad when he heard a voice say, "Try to be brave, no matter what comes,
even if it might kill you. If you remember these words, you will bring great news to
your people, and help them." After a time he heard voices, and seven eagles came
down, as if to fly away with him. But he was brave, as he had been told, though he
continued to cry and keep his eyes closed. Now the great eagles surrounded him.
One said "Look at me. I am powerful, and I have wonderfully strong feathers. I am
greater than all other animals and birds in the world."
This powerful eagle showed the man his wings and his tail, and he spread all his
feathers as wide as possible. He shows him how to make war headdresses and
ornaments out of eagle feathers.
"Your people must use only eagle feathers, and it would be a great help to them in
war and bring them victories," Eagle said.
Since no loose feathers were about, the seven eagles shook themselves, and plenty
of feathers fell to the ground. The Cheyenne picked them up and gratefully took them
home to his tribe. On that day, eagle feathers were seen for the first time by the
Cheyenne and they knew where they came from.
The man showed his people how to make war ornaments from the eagle feathers, as
he had been told. From that day onward, the man became a great warrior in his tribe,
and their leader in war parties.
He became so successful his people named him Chief Eagle Feather and he wore
his Eagle Feather Warbonnet, as he led the Cheyenne with dignity and pride.
9. Pocahontas-cartoon film
ME:
a, ten little Indians
One little, two little three little Indians,
Four little, five little, six little Indians,
Seven little, eight little, nine little Indians,
Ten little Indian friends.
Ten little, nine little, eight little Indians,
Seven little, six little five little Indians,
Four little, Three little, Two little Indians,
One little Indian friends.