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diff --git a/76755-0.txt b/76755-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..75838c8 --- /dev/null +++ b/76755-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1591 @@ + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76755 *** + + + + + + OJIBWA MYTHS AND TALES + + + BY + COL. GEO. E. LAIDLAW + + + REPRINTED FROM THE ARCHÆOLOGICAL REPORT, 1915 + + + + + + + + +OJIBWA MYTHS AND TALES. + +By COL. G. E. LAIDLAW. + + +This series was obtained from Peter York this summer of 1915, when +camped here with his family of basket makers, and also after his return +to the Rama Reserve where he lives. This reserve is to the east of Lake +Couchiching in Ontario County in Ontario Province. The tales told by +John York were told in Ojibwa to Peter York and were written down in +English by Peter York, who can read and write English. I have followed +York’s phraseology in the stories as closely as possible, using his +terms, such as “went to work,” etc., and not changing his meaning in +any sense. Some of these stories may appear crude, and others rather +indefinite, but I have in no way altered them, preferring to leave them +as they are. + +John York is an old man of 96 years and his Indian name is +“Kitche-Penascie” or “Big Thunder.” Peter York is 48 years old and his +Indian name is “Penascie” or “Thunder.” Both names, according to Peter, +are “hard” names. York frequently visits this section which is only a +score of miles from the Reserve. + +Nanabush is one of the variants of Nenebojo, others being Nanabozho and +Nenebuc. This personage while being human possesses certain +supernatural powers, one of them being, that whoever or whatever he +addressed had to answer him. Nanabush seems to have been a joker and a +scapegoat at times, and is reputed to be alive yet. York remarked upon +one occasion that Nanabush “was a sort of god” and addresses him as Mr. +Nanabush. This band of Ojibwas did not know where or when Nanabush was +born, or the circumstances of his birth. Perhaps some of the older +Indians on the Reserve might know. Inquiries will be made in the +future. + +York’s ending to the stories is “This ends this story.” And his use of +the words “great big” means a giant such as “a great big man,” a giant. +“A great big beaver,” a giant beaver, etc. + + + + + + + + +NO. 1. + +NANABUSH AND THE DUCKS. (MODERN.) (NO. 1.) + +Told by Peter York. + + +A long time ago Nanabush when out hunting ducks came to a lake. He saw +a nice bay, round (curved) all along to the end which we all know bays +are not straight. And in this bay there were a lot of ducks sitting +along the shore, and Nanabush would like to kill them all with one +shot. He did not know how to do it. He thought that he must get them +all. He looked at his gun which was straight, and he thought if he +could bend his gun he might get them all. He went to work and bent his +gun. He got close and made a good aim, pulled the trigger and “Bang.” +When the smoke cleared away there were no ducks to be seen dead or +alive. Nanabush got so mad (angry) that he made another plan. + + + + + + + + +NO. 2. + +NANABUSH AND THE DUCKS. (NO. 2.) + +Told by Mrs. Joseph Kenice. + + +The other plan that Nanabush made to get these ducks was this: He and +his mother made a big camp (lodge or wigwam) and invited all the +different kinds of ducks to come to a big dance on such a day set apart +for the dance. All the ducks came and when they came up Nanabush +started to sing a song. Before the dance started he told the ducks that +they had to keep their eyes closed when they danced and had to dance +around the middle of the camp. Nanabush seated himself near the door +and as the ducks would dance near him he would grab them and twist +their necks and throw them behind him (York exemplified this by +gestures) and got quite a lot this time. But one of the birds, a diver, +opened her eyes a little bit and saw what Nanabush was doing. She made +for the door and told all the ducks to run away. Nanabush made for the +one that told on him. He got the duck in the door as she was going out +and reached out his foot and stamped on her as she went past, and this +is the reason the diver has flat feet and legs that stick out behind. +These are some of Nanabush’s works while he lived. This ends this +story. + + + +Note by G. E. L.—The song that Nanabush sang for the ducks was called +“Ki-ah-wah-na,” which, according to York, means “Something that has +been used to get such a thing or to do such a thing with. May have been +an axe or a knife, etc.” This is very indefinite, but is just what York +explained, that it was difficult to understand. I fail to see any +connection with the ducks as in other variations of this story. + + + + + + + + +NO. 3. + +THUNDERBIRDS. (NO. 1.) + +Told by Peter York. + + +The old people once went to the Blue Mountains near Collingwood a long +time ago. At the end (escarpment) near the Bay a Thunderbird had its +nest. It had two young birds. They were shaped like geese, but were +naked and were about as high as a man’s chest and were of brownish red +or russet color. By and by they began to grow pin-feathers and get big. +Then they went away. The old people went over several times to see +them, and they first saw them during a thunderstorm. + + + + + + + + +NO. 4. + +THUNDERBIRDS. (NO. 2.) + +Told by John York. + + +Once two Indians, a man and his wife, camped near a little lake. The +Indian was trapping. He had a dream one night never to cross on the ice +at night on any lake, but one day shortly afterwards he went too far +away hunting and got very tired. As he was coming home with his bag of +beaver on his back, and his ice chisel in his hand, he came to a narrow +place in the lake where he either had to cross on the ice or go a long +way around, so he thought he’d chance the ice (risk it for once), but +when he got about half way over he heard something coming down from +above, but could not see anything because it was dark. He fainted +(became unconscious) and dropped on the ice, and the next thing he knew +he found himself sitting inside a big bird’s hand (or claws) with all +his game, beaver, ice chisel and bag. He could not do anything except +to remain very still. After a while he saw something ahead, which was a +rock, and the big bird lit on the rock and let the man go and flew away +again. + +The man saw two young ones (young Thunderbirds) coming towards him, and +when one of these got near enough it opened its mouth wide. The man got +up and got his chisel and knocked the young bird down and killed it. +This young bird was very big and heavy (as York expressed it, “it would +weigh easy a ton”). The man made up his mind what to do, as he had got +to die anyway, so he went to work and opened the young bird and took +all the insides out and got in himself. He found that he could stay +inside the bird in going down to earth again. He managed to get the +young bird to the edge of the rock. Then he got inside and fastened +himself in with his long sash, closed the open hole with strings and +rolled off. The young Thunderbird spread its wings and began to float +down through the air. The man fainted and when he came to he found +himself on the edge of a lake in a strange place, so he got up and +wandered about till he came on some man tracks which he followed up +till he came to two men and asked them where he was. They told him +where he was and the name of the place, and then he knew which way to +go to reach his own camp. + +When he got near his own camp he saw that the place looked very old +anyway. He went nearer and got to the door and called “Who’s in there?” +Some one inside told him to “come in.” Inside he saw a very old lady. +He thought “this can’t be my wife, she’s too old. I’ve been only away a +few days.” He asked her “where was her man?” She said, “A good many +years ago my husband had a dream ‘never to walk across the ice of any +lake’ and he may have tried to go across some lake at night and was +taken by some big bird (Thunderbird) or somebody I never heard of. Here +I have been ever since he went away and nobody knows where he is.” The +man told her who he was and they kissed each other and lived together +the rest of their lives. This shows that he was away a long time, but +it seemed short to him. When on the Thunderbird’s rock he killed only +one of the young Thunderbirds. The other he did not touch. + + + +Notes by G. E. L.—The word “Lady” used here is equivalent to +Ogemahkwee, which means a chief’s wife or daughter, or some female +relative of a chief. This word is also used in speaking of, or to a +white lady of quality. + +Kissing is seldom met with in stories or tales of their own life by the +Indians, so I think it is a modern introduction. + + + + + + + + +NO. 5. + +RAT AND BEAVER STORY—WAH-ZESK AND AH-MIC. + +Told by Peter York. + + +A long time ago the Rat had the Beaver’s tail, and the Beaver the Rat’s +tail. The Rat wanted to trade tails, very badly, but the Beaver didn’t +care enough about trading, but at last he traded. Then the Beaver when +he got his present tail liked it very much for he found that he could +swim faster, but the Rat didn’t like it, because he had to swim slower, +so he begged the Beaver to trade back, but the Beaver would not trade; +so the Rat cried and cried till his eyes got small, and this is the +reason that the Rat has small eyes and a small tail. + +(Rat here means the Muskrat.) + + + + + + + + +NO. 6. + +THE BEAR, THE WILD CAT AND THE BIG STURGEON—MUH KWAH, PEZHEW AND +KITCHÉ NŬH MAH. + +Told by Peter York. + + +Near the mouth of the Nottawasaga River there are rapids. The bear was +fishing there one day. He was catching sturgeon in his paws and +throwing them over his shoulder on to the bank. By the time when he had +enough he quit fishing and started to carry the sturgeon back into the +woods from the pile he had thrown them into. The wild cat (lynx) was +watching the bear whilst the bear was fishing. When the bear went away, +the wild cat went to fish at the same place. He caught a very big +sturgeon, but on account of his crooked claws, could not let go, and +the sturgeon swam out to deep water and drowned the wild cat. + + + + + + + + +NO. 7. + +NE-WE-NO-NAH K’SHE MŬH. + +The story of the woman who visited a man who lived in a tree, and who +could change himself into a serpent when he wished. + +Told by Peter York. + + +A very long time ago there was an Indian who lived with his family in +the wilderness or wild bush where nobody was to be seen. This man lived +by hunting wild game. One time he noticed his wife dressing up very +nice. This kept on for a good many days. One day the oldest boy told +his father that the mother went away every time the father left camp +for hunting. The man thought that he would watch her, so he went away +one morning, but went only a little way and watched the camp. After a +little while the wife came out dressed in her best. She went out in the +bush and the man followed to see what she would do. She went to a big +tree and stood at the foot of the tree and rapped, just the same as a +person would do on a house door. Then he saw a very nice man come out +of the tree and observed what was going on, so he thought he would kill +his wife as soon as she got back to camp. When he got home he made a +big fire and told his two children (boys) what he was going to do, and +also told them what to do when he (the father) would run away. His wife +came home in the evening and he killed her and burned her in the fire. +He then told his boys “if they saw the sky red that would show them +that he (their father) was killed by his wife’s sweetheart.” The next +day they saw the sky red which showed them that their father was +killed, so they ran away themselves. Before their father went away he +told them that their mother would follow them though she was dead, so +the father gave them some things to use in case they wanted help; an +awl, a stone, and a thorn. When they saw their mother coming, they +threw the stone down, when it became a big mountain, and the two boys +went a long way before their mother was able to get over the mountain +and catch up to them. When she came close again the boys threw the +thorn down when it became a very big bush of thorn trees (Haw trees), +which gave the two boys a chance to get ahead a good bit before she got +through. When she got close again the boys threw the awl down, which +became many hundred awls with their points sticking up, but she managed +to get over them and kept on trying to get her children. + +The boys came to a big river and saw a big snail which they asked to +take them across the river. The big snail stretched himself across the +river and the two boys got across. When the mother got to the river she +also asked the big snail to take her over. The snail told her he would, +but when about half way across the snail dropped the woman into the +river, and that was the last of her. + +The two boys went on and came to a lake where nobody was to be seen +only themselves. The big boy made a little bow and arrow for his little +brother. After a little while they saw someone coming in a log canoe, +who turned out to be a bad old man. As soon as the old man saw the two +boys he made up his mind to take one of them and leave the other, so he +told the little boy with the bow and arrow to shoot up in the air. The +arrow dropped into the canoe, and the old man told the big boy to come +and get it. As soon as the big boy got in the canoe the old man pushed +out quickly and left the little boy behind. The big boy asked the old +man to take his brother along but the old man said “No!” When they got +to the old man’s place the big boy was locked up (confined) for a good +many days and could not get a chance to run away. One day the old man +told the big boy that if he wanted to go out with him he could go. They +came to a big hill and he asked the boy to go for a sleigh ride down +the hill. The old man wanted the boy to sit in front but the boy chose +to sit behind. There were stumps and stones down the hill and as they +went down the hill very fast, the boy thought to hit a stone and kill +the old man, which he did. Then the boy thought about his little +brother and went back and looked for him. When he got to the place +where his brother was left he saw a wolf which was his brother who had +become half a wolf and half a boy. Which all Indians believe to be +where the wolf came from. The boy got too hungry and became part wolf. +This ends this story. + + + + + + + + +NO. 8. + +OJIBWA AND MOHAWK. (NO. 1.) + +Told by Peter York. + + +Long years ago there were two Ojibwa boys who lived so close together +that they called each other “Brother,” and one time when they got to be +big boys they talked about getting married, so they went away to an +Indian (Ojibwa) village not far away and got girls to marry them. When +they got married they wanted to know what to do to make a living. One +said “We will go a long ways up the river to hunt and stay there for a +good while and will be able to get enough to keep us during the winter +months.” They got ready for the trip and started with a good supply. +They stayed a long time till they got enough (furs and meat) and then +started to come home. + +On their way home they came to a place where there were a lot of stumps +and snags, and one of them struck a stump and made a big hole in his +canoe. He had to go to shore to fix his canoe, whilst the other canoe +went on ahead. When the canoe was mended they started on again and when +they came to a little lake they saw their comrade just about the other +side of the little lake going into a river where there were lots of +other Indians (Mohawks, their enemies) waiting for them to come home +with their catch of fur and meat. The man in the second canoe said to +his wife, “Well, my brother is going to get killed, as he goes into the +river, you watch!” And when the first canoe was just going into the +river there was smoke of gunfire from both sides. The wife (in the +second canoe) said, “We will be killed the same way.” The husband +replied, “Well, no. If I get mad (angry) there is no shot that could +hit me. I will go alone to see, and you stay here till I come back.” +“No,” she said, “You can’t go, you will be shot too.” “Well,” said he, +“let them shoot, they can’t hit me. I had a dream in my early days that +no gun could hurt me, and if my dream is no good I won’t come back.” So +they got everything out of the canoe and he started in the canoe with +his gun for the same place where his comrade got shot. When he got +there the gunfire started from both sides of the river and kept up for +a long time, till after a while the fire was not so bad, after another +while the fire ceased and the wife looked and looked and after a short +time she saw something coming straight to where she was waiting. She +knew the canoe but there was a different man in it. She hid herself in +the bush till she heard her man calling to her and then she came out. +Her man was all black, and it was because he had so many close shots +fired at him that the gunpowder blackened him up, so that the wife only +knew him by his voice when he called her. They got ready and crossed +the lake to where the fight took place. They got out of the canoe and +he showed his wife where there were a good many dead Indians (Mohawks) +on both sides of the river. They went to work to see if they could find +their friends’ bodies. It did not take them long to do so and to bury +them the best way they could. They then started on their way home and +upon arrival spread the story and went to see the parents of the dead +ones. This ends this story. + + + + + + + + +NO. 9. + +OJIBWA AND MOHAWK. (NO. 2.) + +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.) + + + + + + + + +NO. 10. + +OJIBWA AND MOHAWK. (NO. 3.) + +Told by Peter York. + + +The Ojibwas were once entering Lake Couchiching by the west side in +winter time on the ice. They were going across to fight the Mohawks on +the east side, when an old Mohawk woman came down to the ice hole to +get some water. She saw the Ojibwas coming and turned her back to them +and exposed her anus in contempt and otherwise made fun of them. Then +she went and told her people. The opposing warriors fought on the ice +and the Mohawks were beaten. After the battle the Ojibwas painted a red +woman in just the same position as the Mohawk woman posed, on the rocks +on the east shore near where the fight took place (now called +McPherson’s Quarry or Geneva Park). This figure now remains and can be +seen to day. (It is about 5 or 6 feet above water and is about 1 ft. +high.) + + + + + + + + +NO. 11. + +OJIBWA AND MOHAWKS. (NO. 4.) + +Told by Peter York. + + +An Ojibwa man and wife and one child were out hunting away back in the +woods and one day the man said to his wife, “We are going to have +trouble now. There are some Mohawks about, and they are going to come +to-night to kill us. There is no use running away for we are too far +from home. If I am killed they will take you away to their home.” The +night came and this man and wife watched nearly all night, till about +daylight they heard an owl and some other kind of bird. This shows that +the Mohawks were near and had surrounded their camp. There were fifteen +Mohawks and the one Ojibwa man had to fight them all. Well, he did very +well for he killed quite a lot of them, but his wife and child were +taken prisoners whilst he was fighting. He was not killed but escaped +and ran towards his home. He ran for two days till he reached home and +told his friends what had happened. He raised a war party of some forty +or fifty men and one old man, a prophet, and started after the Mohawks. + +This old man, the Prophet, knew where the Mohawks went and he also knew +that the wife was still alive, and that child was killed on the way to +the Mohawks’ home, for he had that power. So the Ojibwa war party +started for the Mohawk country and while they were going the old man +said, “She has made her escape and is coming back.” So they all ran to +meet her and they met her. She told a very bad (pitiful) story to the +men. She said, “On the way every night I had to keep the fire going all +night to keep them warm. Some days they all go out hunting, but one had +to stay and watch me. One day they all went out but one bad man who +stayed in camp to watch me. This bad man made a big fire and went out +and cut a good-sized stick. Then he took my baby and ran the stick into +him (through the anus) and roasted him in the big fire. Well, I could +not do anything only cry, and this bad man came right in front of me +and began to mock and cry, and facing the other way showed his +buttocks. I grabbed his privates and pulled all I could, and he fell +down and I got up and rolled him to the fire and burnt him. Then I took +his gun, I did not run away till I killed every one them. Towards the +evening one came when I was inside the camp, when he got near I shot +him. He fell dead, and after a while another one came and I also shot +him. I took his gun which was loaded. The last time two came together. +Well, I thought, if I kill them this time I would be safe, so I made a +good aim and fired at the first. He fell and the other tried to run +away; before he got away I shot him dead and started to run back +towards our country.” One of the Ojibwa war party took her home, and +the rest went on their way to the Mohawk village. When they got there +they killed some of the children to pay the Mohawks for what they did. + +This woman made a good plan to get these Mohawks. She did not run away +after she killed the first man for fear the rest would chase her and +catch her, so she stayed in camp and killed them as they came in singly +from hunting. She would take the gun of the man just killed and would +be ready for the next. + +The Mohawks in camping at night fixed some poles around the fire about +two feet from the ground, and would lay on their backs with their feet +on the poles, warming their hind quarters. The Ojibwa woman had to keep +the fire going all night. The killing or torturing of children was the +worst thing Indians could do. This ends this story. + + + +Note.—All these fights took place in this locality. The river referred +to is the Gull River. The Ojibwa used to come to where Beaverton now is +and then across to South Bay, Balsam Lake, by another route south of +the Portage Road. (This is borne out by other evidence than York’s.) I +spoke of the embankment at South Bay to York, but he had never seen it +though he had heard of it, and remarked that it was “one of the +fighting grounds.” + + + + + + + + +NO. 12. + +RAMA WITCHES. (NO. 1.) + +Told by Peter York. + + +One time an old witch lived in Rama on the west side of Lake +Couchiching. She covered herself with the skin of an owl when she +wanted to fly at night for the purpose of taking the first joints off +the fingers of children, which she used to string up like +old-fashioned, dried apples in her camp. These children would die at +once. She had the power to take these joints off. + +One day she wanted to go to near where Atherley now is, and compelled +two young men to go with her in the canoe, for she had the power to +compel young men to go with her, generally the best of them. She wanted +to go to a man’s place who had two black dogs. She wanted these dogs. +When she arrived there she asked the man for the dogs, but he said +“No!” She then asked him for one dog, but still he said “No.” She then +took a paddle and shoved the canoe off shore saying to the man, “I +shove off with one of your children.” (Meaning that one of his children +would die.) The man said, “Maybe you will die yourself before you get +home. The bees will have your meat.” She sat in the middle of the canoe +with one of the young men paddling at the bow and the other at the +stern. When about half way home the young man at the stern heard a bee +humming overhead and looking up he saw the bee enter the woman’s ear +into her head. In a short time her body was full of bees, eating her +up, and she began to twist around and say: “Youh, youh,” and died in +the canoe. The young men put her overboard at what is now Ground Hog +Point, which took its name from her, for she was called “Kuk-oh-chees,” +“The Ground Hog.” + +She had forgotten to take her bag (medicine bag) with her and had left +it in her camp. The man’s power was stronger than hers, for he killed +her and nothing happened to him. He had power over the bees. Sometimes +when this witch was looking for children at night she carried a light. +The young men went with her because they were afraid she would kill +them if they didn’t go. + +She said as she died, “Well, anyway I never killed any big people, just +children,” but the people found joints of fingers of grown-up persons +on the strings as well as those of children in her camp. + + + +Note.—Ground Hog Point is called in Ojibwa Kuk-oh-cheesh, +Nāy-ash-sheeng. + + + + + + + + +NO. 13. + +RAMA WITCHES. (NO. 2.) + +Told by Peter York. + + +Another old witch once lived in Rama. She disguised herself in a +turkey’s skin when she wished to fly. She caused many people to die. +One day when all the people were having a bee to hoe corn she went to +the bee, leaving her turkey skin in her bag (medicine bag) at her home. +There was a little boy who lived with her and who had often watched her +through a hole in his blanket when she was dressing herself in this +turkey skin, and thought that he would like to try it himself, so he +took the turkey skin out of the bag and put it on. The skin was very +much worn by now and had lost lots of feathers and was ragged, but +still preserved the power to fly. So the boy flew over to the hoeing +bee, and all the people began to say: “Look at the witch, look at the +witch,” and the witch herself began to get very mad (angry) and act +crazy when she saw the boy in her turkey skin. The boy lit on the +ground and the people rushed over and took off the skin and found that +it was only a boy. The witch’s son who was also there took an axe and +rushed up to his witch mother and said, “You must stop causing people +to die, or else I’ll put the axe to your head.” She said, “No! she +would not.” Whereupon he struck her on the head with the axe and killed +her on the spot. + + + + + + + + +NO. 14. + +THE SOCIAL PROBLEM. + +Told by Peter York. + + +Once a small party left the Rama Reserve for the purpose of going on a +hunt up the Gull River waters. Amongst this party was a bad man who had +left his wife on the Reserve and had taken another woman with him, +which was a very bad thing to do. After being on the hunt for some time +this man died and was prepared for burial, and a grave was dug. He was +left in a place just outside the camp for three days before burial. One +of the children of the camp who happened to go and look at the body, +came back and said that clothes were pushed off the body’s face and +breast, so the older people went to see. They found this was so and the +man coming to life. He came to life and said that he had been in heaven +and was sorry for what he had done by leaving his wife on the Reserve, +etc., but that he knew he was going to die in exactly a month from that +day at midday, and would never see Rama again. After a short while the +party moved camp on their homeward journey, and at Balsam Lake when the +month was just about to be up the man said that he was going to die and +knew he could not stop it. So he made a little camp and went in there. +He was all right the night before and also on the morning of the last +day, but before noon he said his time was near and began to act +terribly crazy-like. His eyes stuck out and he chewed his tongue and +rolled around his camp in terrible agony. He acted so strangely and +shook his camp so much that he so frightened the others that they were +afraid to go near him and so left him alone to die. His actions +continued till noon when the man died in horrible pain. Thus was he +punished for leaving his wife and taking another woman. + + + + + + + + +NO. 15. + +WINTIGOES (GIANTS). + +Told by Peter York. + + +In olden times people used to believe that if a person fasted for a +period of about ten or twelve days he would learn something about bears +or lions, or something very strong, and if he dreamed of any of these +animals he would be just as strong. + +One time a man had a dream that he could fight with the Wintigoes any +time. He could be just as big and just as strong, and during one winter +time he knew that the Wintigo was coming to eat them (i.e. his family). +He said to his wife “The Wintigo is coming to-night, and is going to +eat us, and if my dream fails we shall be eaten by the Wintigo.” The +night came and the man went out to meet the Wintigo a little way off. +The wife listened for a little while, then she heard trees flying all +over and she saw two great, big men biting each other and hitting each +other with great, big trees, and also with their hands. This kept on +for a long time, till all at once it went past, and she watched if her +man would come home. After a while he came out of the woods just as +small as he was when he went out to fight. He said, “I won the battle +for the first time since I had my dream. You come over with me and I +will show you where I finished the Wintigo.” They both went out till +they came to the place where they saw, as if somebody had been +underbrushing, so fierce was the battle that all the underbrush and +small trees were knocked or trampled down. At the far end of this place +they saw a great big man lying down dead, with his big kettle and a +great big knife, for the Wintigo was going to kill and eat these +people. So the man and wife went to work and gathered up wood and made +a big fire and burned the Wintigo to ashes. + + + + + + + + +NO. 16. + +LITTLE LYNX STORY. + +Told by Peter York. + + +Black Bear had a very good winter one time. It was a very hard winter +for the smaller animals on account of the snow and frost and storms. +This big Black Bear used to go on the deer runways and catch a deer and +eat him up, and the Lynx used to watch the Black Bear climb up in a +tree and jump on the deer as they passed along the runways, which they +had in the winter months, and which was an easy thing for a big black +bear to do. Once when the Lynx was very hungry he could not catch +anything as there was too much snow. Well, he thought that he would try +and kill a deer, so he went out on one of their runways and watched for +a deer to come along. Soon he saw one coming and he climbed up a tree +and when the deer came under the tree the Lynx jumped on his back. The +Deer started off wild and went all over the woods, but the Lynx still +held on having a good hold and the Deer could not shake him off. The +Deer knew that there was a leaning tree in the bush so he made for +that, knowing that he could knock the Lynx off as he ran under the +tree. The Deer ran very fast and as he ran under the tree there +happened to be a knot on the under side of the tree where the Deer +went, so the Lynx got his back skinned from his head to his tail. It +also just happened that an Indian was out hunting that way and tracking +deer. He saw a deer track which was a very bad one with blood all over. +So he followed it up till he came to the Lynx lying dead and a little +farther on he found the Big Buck dead too. The Deer had got so tired +that he lay down and died. So the Indian had good luck finding them +both. + + + + + + + + +NO. 17. + +NANABUSH AND THE FOUR MEN. (NO. 4.) + +Told by Peter York. + + +A good many years ago four Indians wanted to know something about “how +to be a man that would know how to fight and never get hurt.” Well, +they talked about it and decided to go and see Nanabush and ask these +things. They made the journey, which took them two long years to get to +his place. On the way up they could hear Nanabush beating his drum and +saying to them, “Come on, my children.” Well, one day they heard him +saying, “You will get to my place in the morning.” The morning came and +they saw a clean place; everything looked to be good. They saw a big +camp here and went to the door and rapped. Nanabush said, “Come in, my +children,” and shook hands with them. They talked a little while when +Nanabush said something to his daughter, who was a very nice-looking +girl, and she started to cook something which was bear meat, and took +some blueberries and cooked them (both) in a very little pot (about the +size of a cup). While those men were watching the girl one of them +thought, “I could eat all that in the pot with one spoonful.” Nanabush +knew what this fellow was thinking about and said, “You will see if you +can eat that much.” They all sat down and started to eat out of the +little pot. They ate all that they wanted and the pot was still full. +Nanabush said, “You men can’t eat it all.” After the meal Nanabush +said, “Now you must tell me what you want to know. You have walked for +a long time.” The first man said to Nanabush, “I would like to know if +there is a battle in our country, and I would like to know that if I +was shot at I would like the ball not to hit me.” Nanabush said, “This +will happen so, you just think about me when going to fight.” + +The next man came before Nanabush and said, “I am a hunter and I would +like to call the game to me when I want them, some wild beasts.” +Nanabush said, “This will be so, when you go hunting you call just what +you want and they will come.” + +The third man came before Nanabush. “Well,” he said, “I would like to +get myself a wife, nobody likes me.” Nanabush said, “You see my +daughter, you take her and she will be your wife.” + +The fourth man came before Nanabush and said, “I would like to live +forever.” Nanabush said (in reproach), “We all know that every man has +got to die, and you would like to live forever.” He reached out his +hand and took the fourth man and placed him on his side, when the man +became a granite stone, and there were only three men that came back +home. Everything that Nanabush said was so. + +Nanabush said to the one that wanted a wife, that he must not speak to +her till they got home, and they all started home happy. On the last +day before reaching home the man who had Nanabush’s daughter wanted to +talk to her, so he spoke to her, but before he had finished his words +the girl was missing and could not be found, so he got home without a +wife. This ends this story. + + + + + + + + +NO. 18. + +NANABUSH AND THE YOUNG MAN AND WIFE. (NO. 5.) + +Told by John York. + + +A good many years ago two families lived on an Island. One family had +one son, and the other one daughter. The two young people got married +and lived for a little while when the young wife took sick and died. +The old people buried her on the Island, but the young husband went out +after the burying, and the old people saw him lie down near the grave. +Just as soon as he closed his eyes he saw his wife going away. He +followed her for a long time but could not get near enough to catch +her, so he went on till night came. She said to him (her husband), “We +will camp here,” and she made her camp a little way ahead. He made his +camp behind hers. The next morning came and they started again. On +their way he saw a big house by the roadside, but before they reached +the house he heard somebody talk to him and who told him that “this was +the place where all the dogs live that you ever owned. The ones that +you have used badly, and they will pay you for what you have done to +them while living.” The man that spoke said to him, “I will help you. +You take these bags of shoes and when the dogs attack you throw the +shoes at them.” When the young husband got to the house the dogs +attacked him. He dropped the bags of shoes and the dogs attacked the +shoes and the young man passed out and saw his wife ahead of him the +same as usual. The night came again and they camped out once more. The +next day came and about noon they saw another house on the road ahead. +When they came to this house they saw some people who invited them to +eat, but they did not eat. This was the last house to be seen before +they got to the place where they were going. They went on till they saw +a great big house. The wife went in ahead and the man came in behind. +When he got in he saw nothing but a big room full of little beds, but +nobody was in the house. He went all over the house but could not find +his wife so he went out and looked around. He saw another house nearby +and went over to it. He rapped at the door and someone said, “Come in.” +He went in and saw an old man sitting down who said to him, “You have +come a long way to try and get your wife back. Once they get in that +big house you can’t see them any more, but, if you want help I can help +you a lot.” “I will be very much obliged if you will,” said the young +man. “Well,” the old man said, “There will be a big dance in the big +house to-night. They do that every time a new man or a new woman gets +here. I will hide you in my pocket and at the dance I will catch her.” +The night came. As soon as the sun went down people could be heard +running around all over (spirits or ghosts). + +This old man was the man who sang at the dance so he started the dance +a little after dark. He who was sitting in the pocket was watching his +wife. He saw her coming and dancing too. When she got near the old man +caught her and got a very small box and put her in and went out. This +broke up the dance. The old man took the box to his house. There were +two little boxes, one for the wife, and another in which was an oil of +some kind. The old man said to the young husband, “It took you four +years to get here and you will get back in two days. Beware (listen) +and do what I say. When you get home, get two small stones and make +them hot, open the box of oil and let it melt on the stones. Cover +yourself and the boxes with blankets. You listen till you hear her +speak and then open the box. You will see her alive again.” The young +husband did all this when he got back home and his wife came to life +again. They came to where they started at first on the Island. There +was nobody living there this time so they sat down and after a little +while he said, “Do you see that point up there? Watch a little while +and you will see two canoes coming this way. There will be our parents +in them.” The canoes came out in the lake straight for the island and +when they came near they stopped. The old people said, “Someone’s at +the grave.” The two young people spoke, “Come on, we got back here +again alive.” The old people almost jumped out in the water when they +saw their children and heard them talking. + +In olden times people used to believe in feeding the dead by burning +some bread and meat (food) over the grave, and this was what brought +the parents back to the island at this particular time. + + + +Note.—(The old man in this story is Nanabush, who was also the man that +spoke about the dogs.) + +This story is from John York, who claims it is a true story and +happened in the days gone by. + + + + + + + + +NO. 19. + +THE LITTLE DOG STORY. + +Told by Peter York. + + +In the old days people used to have faith in their dogs. One time a man +had a very small, little dog. When he went out hunting he put the +little dog inside of his coat. Every time the little dog tried to bark +the man knew that there was some game near. + +One night while the man was asleep the little dog licked him on the +face till he woke up, which went to show that there was trouble at +hand. The little dog tried to take his master outside the camp. They +both went out and the little dog began to roll in the snow. Every time +he rolled he grew bigger. He rolled till he got to be as big as a +good-sized calf, then he stopped and watched the lake. They saw a +great, big dog coming across the ice to kill the man. The man’s dog +went out to meet this one and conquered it. This big dog was a +grey-looking one with no hair. + + + + + + + + +NO. 20. + +KILLING THE OLD PEOPLE. + +Told by John York. + + +In the days gone by when an old man or woman got helpless they used to +be killed outright. + +One time while two families, one of which had an old woman, were out +camping, they decided to kill the old woman. They told her that they +were going to move to some other place. They took her by the hand and +led her to the bush some distance away where they stopped in a lonely +place and told her to sit there till they got ready to build a camp. +Instead of making a camp they went back home and left her to die. The +old woman was left on a river bank, and it happened that one of the +boys was out hunting that way and when he was coming back home he saw +his grandmother sitting by the river side. He wondered how she got +there, but told her to get in the canoe and took her back to camp. He +left her near the camp telling her to come in after dark. The hunter +then went into the camp and after a while the old woman came in. +Everybody sat still, they did not know what to say, as they had thought +that she would have died that night out on the river bank. She never +told how she came back, neither did her grandson, so it was never known +to the rest. The people quit killing the old people from that time. +They never did it again. The Indians used to do this; when people got +too old they were killed to be got out of the way. + + + + + + + + +NO. 21. + +OJIBWA AND MOHAWK. (NO. 5.) + +Told by Peter York. + + +The Mohawks were so bad that they used to kill for nothing. One time +there were three Ojibwa brothers, and one day the Mohawks met one of +the brothers and killed him. They hid him in the bush and took his +scalp home. When the other two came to know that their brother had been +killed they got mad (angry) and both got ready with war clubs and lots +of shot and powder. When they got to the Mohawk village their enemies +were waiting for them to come. These brothers did all they could; they +killed about three to five hundred of the Mohawks. While the fight was +going on, one of the two Ojibwas got shot in the leg, and the leg was +broken below the knee, but he fought on till he got tired and sick. +“Well,” he said to his brother, “we are going to get beaten. I will die +in their hands, you run away and tell our people what has happened.” +The other brother started back home and left his brother to be killed, +who was killed some time later. The one that got home told all the +people what had happened. Everybody got ready to go down and kill all +the Mohawks. When they got to the place where the fight was they saw +the dead man sitting up dressed in some very nice things, such as +buckskin clothing, but his scalp was taken. + +When the Ojibwas got to the Mohawk village their captain gave a big +yell to show the Mohawks that there was going to be a fight, and +started to kill everyone who was in the village. When they got through +they searched the place for the scalp that was taken from the brother +and when they found it they burnt the village and started back home. +When they got there they had a big time over the recovered scalp. + + + + + + + + +NO. 22. + +NANABUSH. (NO. 6.) + +Told by John York. + + +It was never known how Nanabush was born, only that he was working for +God for many years (York says 2,000 years, which is evidently his +expression to denote a very long time) looking after the world, such as +to regulate the weather, rain, snow, and other things. + +Nanabush did have a wife once, but only one child which was a girl. +While living together he made up his mind to send his wife away to look +after the dead, those that died long years ago, where she is now. + +The old man is here somewhere in the north. She looks after the dead +and he looks after the living. He will not die, nor will be sick, and +is the only man that will live as long as the world lasts. He never +works and always has plenty to eat, and lots of tobacco which he keeps +in a skunk-skin bag. (In those days skunks were as big as a big +Porcupine.) Nanabush is getting very grey sitting all the time smoking +his pipe. + +If you look sometimes in the north sky you will see the sky white at +night. This is the time that Nanabush is poking his fire or making his +fire. + + + +Note.—Nanabush is often referred to as “The Old Man.” + + + + + + + + +NO. 23. + +NANABUSH AND HIS WIFE’S CHAIR. (NO. 7.) + +Told by John York. + + +Nanabush went to hunt beaver one time. He placed his wife to watch for +the beaver and she sat on a rock watching for the beaver to come out. +She heard her man calling for her, he had killed the beaver. She went +over and fixed the meat and dried it. This beaver was a great big one +(a giant). His tail was very wide (about 5 feet). The rock on which she +sat is just like a big chair and is on the Rama Reserve. Lots of people +go to see it. + + + + + + + + +NO. 24. + +THE TAILLESS STURGEON. + +Told by John York. + + +One time there was a family camping at Sturgeon Lake (Victoria County). +One day the old man went out to fish through the ice, and while fishing +he saw a queer-looking fish. He speared it and killed it, then took it +home and cooked it; all the family ate of it, and in a very short time +they all took sick and died. These sturgeon from Sturgeon Lake are +descended from a serpent which was cut in two a long time ago, but +lived and bred young ones with no tails. + + + +Note.—John York said he used to camp at Sturgeon Lake years ago. Had +heard these sturgeon jumping at night, but had never caught any. + +Sturgeon Lake has no sturgeon. The name may be given to it from its +shape. There are no sturgeon in this chain of lakes, now known as the +Kawartha Lakes. + + + + + + + + +NO. 25. + +NANABUSH AND THE DUCKS. (NO. 8.) + +Told by John York. + + +One time Nanabush was walking, very tired and hungry. He came to a lake +and looking around he saw a very nice sandy beach. Well, he thought, +this is a nice shore to kill some ducks. There were lots of ducks on +the lake. He called one of the ducks which came to him. He asked the +duck, “Is your Chief Duck here at any place?” “Yes. He is here at the +present time. He is chief of all kinds of ducks,” the duck replied. +Nanabush then said, “I would like to see him and have a talk.” The duck +said, “If you would like to see him I will go and get him.” Nanabush +said, “Yes, go and bring him here.” The Chief Duck came. “Well,” +Nanabush said, “do you know what is going to take place here very +soon?” “No,” said the Chief Duck. “Well,” said Nanabush, “there is +going to be a big dance.” “Who is going to furnish the music?” said the +Chief Duck. “I am going to furnish the music,” said Nanabush and he +reached out his hand and got his drum and began to sing, which made the +Chief Duck dance right there. “Well,” said the Chief Duck, “when is +this big dance coming off?” Nanabush said, “If you like to have it +to-night, we can have it to-night.” “Well, it just suits me, and I will +tell all the kinds of ducks to come,” said the Chief Duck. This pleased +Nanabush very much, and the Chief Duck went away. + +Nanabush got everything ready. He made a big camp and made a big fire +inside. Night came and all the ducks came in from all around. About +dark Nanabush started to sing. He told the ducks that as soon as they +came inside they would have to close their eyes. He started singing one +of his songs which pleased all the ducks. He told them, “The time is +now on” and all the ducks started to come in dancing with their eyes +closed. He told them that they had to pass through right in front of +him. Every one of them passed him and he grabbed them and twisted their +necks. He got a lot of them, but one opened his eyes a little bit and +saw what Nanabush was doing. This duck made a big yell and told all the +(remaining) ducks what Nanabush was doing, and made for the door, but +before he got out Nanabush kicked him and stepped on his feet (we now +call this duck the Diver). + +Nanabush picked up all the dead ones and buried them in the ashes to +cook. When he got them all fixed he lay down and told his anus to +watch. He went to sleep and it happened to be that there was a lion +close by who ate all the ducks. When Nanabush woke up he went to work +and looked for the cooked ducks, which were gone. He said to his anus, +“I told you to watch, I will burn you for not doing what I told you to +do.” He laid his anus towards the fire and began to shove all the hot +coals in to it. He started off and went through where there were a lot +of little trees, going right over them. He twisted around and looked at +the little trees which were red with his blood and said, “In future +people will call those trees red willows.” He went on to a rock which +he slid down; on looking back he saw the blood-stains on the rock which +he called “red granite” (i.e. which became the red granite of +nowadays). + + + +Note.—This lion was probably the American panther. + + + + + + + + +NO. 26. + +ORIGIN OF BIRDS. + +Told by John York. + + +One time a man shot another with his bow and arrow for stealing his +wife. He watched the actions of his wife and this man and saw them +sleeping together in a bush, when he shot them with his arrows and +killed them both. He went to work and cut up about half the man into +little bits and threw these up in the air. The pieces of meat did not +fall back again, but became different birds, such as the blue jay, +robins and others. He cut some more pieces a little bigger and threw +these up in the air too, when they became gulls, cranes and such-like +birds. + + + + + + + + +NO. 27. + +THE PEOPLE WHO BECAME SERPENTS. + +Told by John York. + + +Two families were camping out some years ago. One old man had a good +boy who was hunting all the time, getting all kinds of game and always +having plenty to eat. The other family had a daughter, and one time the +two young people got married. The girl’s mother did not like this +because the young man had good luck always. This old woman was a witch +and she could do anything she liked. One time this bad old woman went +out just a little way in the bush and put a bone on the road (trail), +so to let this young man step on the bone and get hurt. When this young +man came home in the evening he happened to step on the bone and got +hurt, which laid him up nearly all winter, and they all got hard times. +While this young man was in the camp before he got better, they got so +poor that they had to go to some other place. The husband of the old +witch went out alone to a little lake some miles away to see if there +were any fish there. He cut a hole in the ice and let down his decoy. +He did not take a spear with him. He saw some big fish and then went +home and told his people that he saw a lot of fish. They all decided to +move near the lake and that family went. Only the sick man did not like +to go till he got better. He was just about getting better when the +other family went away. He went out hunting and got some game for +himself, wife, father and mother. They lived there till on towards +spring when the ice went away. The other campers never came back to see +them. One day his wife said, “I would like to go and see my mother.” +“Well,” he said, “you can go and see her.” She went out and found the +lake and saw the camp, but she could not see anybody, or no signs, or +no smoke in the camp. She went near and spoke. After a while some one +tried to speak inside the camp and said, “We have eaten a fish of some +kind and I am sure it was a big snake; we have all got to be snakes.” + +The young wife looked in and saw that her mother (the witch) was all +snake except her head, and the rest of the family were the same way. +She went home and told what she had seen but the rest did not go to see +them for a long time. One day they went down to see what the others +looked like. They looked in the camp but there was nobody home, then +they went down to the lake and saw the others sunning themselves the +same as other snakes. The two families all became big serpents. + + + + + + + + +NO. 28. + +THE INDIAN BOY WHO MARRIED A KING’S DAUGHTER. + +Told by John York. + + +(A most curious blending of the old and the new. G. E. L.) + +A good many years ago there were two brothers living in a camp away +back in the woods where nobody else was to be seen. Their father and +mother had died when they were little boys. The elder hunted all the +time and got a lot of deer and other kinds of game. The younger was +busy in looking after the venison, cutting it up and drying it. When he +got it all dried he pounded it up very fine, same as corn meal, and put +it away in bags for to use in the winter. + +One time the younger tried to think of something that he ever did +before. He thought there must be some people some place nearby. He +thought, “this evening when my brother comes home I’ll ask him about +this.” His brother came home at night and after supper the younger +began to ask him if there were any Indians living nearby. “Well,” the +older boy said to his brother, “yes, there are some people living to +the west who are called ‘white men,’ and some people living east of us, +but it is a long way.” The younger boy began to get lonesome thinking +about these people whom he would like to see, so one day he asked his +brother if he would let him go and see some of the white people. +“Well,” his brother said, “it will take you four days to get there; you +go straight west all the time.” “Well, I will go to-morrow and I will +try and get back in a week,” the younger said. He got ready the night +before he started the journey. He left camp just about daylight and +walked all day. When night came he made camp for the night. The next +day he started early in the morning, the same as he did the first day. +On the fourth day while walking he noticed somebody had been cutting +some trees with a very sharp thing. He looked at the stumps for a long +time. He never saw an axe before. He went on a little farther. He heard +some one cutting something. He went on till he saw a man who was very +white. He thought, “this must be a white man.” He got to where this man +was working and sat down close by. They began to speak to each other. +The white man asked him where did he come from. The Indian told him +where he came from and said, “I just came to see the people and I am +going to camp near the city.” The white man said, “I have got a little +shanty here in the bush and if you like to stay in it you are welcome.” +The Indian said, “I don’t know what you call a shanty till I see it.” +The white man said, “I will show you the shanty. You come along,” and +they both went up to where the shanty was. The white man showed the +Indian all the “rigging,” such as dishes and pans, the like of which +the Indian never saw before. The white man gave him some meat, bread, +tea, and sugar, things this Indian never ate before. + +The Indian would like to go to town one day and see the place. He went +out and looked around. He picked up some rags and made a very nice +quilt. He sold this quilt for $25.00. He made a lot of them and sold +them all at $25.00 each. + +One day a nice-looking, young man came up to see him and told him that +there was going to be a big feast on Wednesday at the big hall up town. +He went down to it with this young man. The feast was a French one. The +King wanted to find a good cook, and every time the King had a feast +there was a different cook. When the hour came to eat they all sat down +and the King came out and also sat down and started to eat. He just +tasted and went away. This will show that he didn’t like it. The cooks +were all men. This King wanted to find a good cook for his only +daughter. When the feast was over the King came out again and said to +all the people, “Who will try again for next week’s feast?” Some of the +boys knew that the Indian boy was a good cook, and one of them went +over to the Indian boy and asked him if he would try. Well, the Indian +boy was a little shy at first, but he thought he would try. He went to +his little shanty and thought about it all the time, and how he would +make things look nice. The feast day came and he went over to the place +and started in to cook. When he got ready about four o’clock in the +evening he got some girls to help him with the tables. About six +o’clock he called the people to “come in.” All the boys and girls said +to one another “This Indian man is going to get his for sure.” The +waiter called to the King that everything was ready. The King came in +and saw everything was good. He started to eat and he ate a lot this +time. He told the people that he had found a good cook at last. He +called his daughter to come out; this girl was never seen, only from a +distance. She came out and stood by her father. The King called the +Indian young man to come to where they were. The Indian came up and the +King called a preacher and had the young couple married right there, +and they stayed there at the King’s house. + +One day the people had an excursion out on the lake. There were about +five hundred people on board. They went a long ways out on the lake. +The Indian’s wife did not like to go on this excursion so she did not +go, but the Indian went, although his wife did not like him to go, but +he wanted to go badly. One of the boys thought that this would be a +good chance to kill the Indian, so three boys got together and made a +plan to throw the Indian overboard. They got him to go to the back end +of the steamboat and then grabbed him by the legs. Down he went into +the water. Nobody saw him, only the boys that thrust him down. He swam +around for a long time and then began to think about his wife and his +brother. He could not see land any place. He heard some bird up in the +air and on looking up he saw a hawk. He began to call the bird and the +bird came down to him. He asked the bird if there was an island close +by, and the bird said, “Yes, there is a rock not far from here.” The +Indian said, “I’d like to ask you if you could take me to the rock.” “I +will try,” said the bird. “Take hold of my legs and I will take you to +the rock.” The bird got so big that it had no trouble in taking the +Indian to the rock. When they got there the Indian sat on the rock not +knowing where to eat. Well, he thought he would get the bird to go to +the city and get him something to eat. So he called the bird and the +bird came near. He told the bird to go to a big house with a big +verandah. The bird flew away and she was away for two hours, then she +came back with a nice little parcel of nice cakes which the Indian’s +wife had given to the bird. The Indian had a good lunch. The wife did +not know where he was. There was a big reward to anybody that had seen +him or had seen him killed. + +The big bird came to the rock, where the Indian was, in the evening, +and said to him, “Maybe I could take you home if you pay me what I +want. I would like to get the first baby you see when you get home.” +(While the Indian was away there was a baby born at home.) “Well,” the +Indian said, “I will do that.” They started to cross the big lake to +get home. They got close to shore when the bird got tired and had to +come down in the water about a hundred yards from shore. Anyway the +Indian swam to shore and went home. When he got there he saw a little +baby boy, for his wife had a child born. Well, he thought he had to +give it to the bird, which he did, and his wife was glad that he went +and gave up the boy to the big bird. + + + + + + + + +NO. 29. + +JOHN YORK’S OWN STORY. + + +When he was a young man the Mohawks were bad at that time. Nobody was +allowed to go out alone anywheres. He wanted to hunt very badly so he +and another young man went out one morning quite a long ways off the +Reserve to hunt bear and duck. They got to Mud Lake (Carden Township) +the next day about the middle of the afternoon. They shot about +twenty-five duck that night. The next morning early they heard +something across the narrows; they looked and saw a great, big, black +bear. They got in their canoe and got near enough to shoot and kill the +bear. While looking at the dead bear they heard another one coming down +to drink, near where they were standing. They both shot and killed this +one. They took the two bears in their canoe and started for home. After +going down the lake a little way he looked up and saw three bears in a +big oak tree. The two hunters got out of the canoe and went to the +tree. He shot the big one but did not kill him outright, but had to +shoot again. This left only one more shot ready for use, as they had +one double and one single-barrel shot guns. The other two bears came +down the tree. He shot one of these and killed it and the last bear had +to come down when there was no shot ready for him. He (York) grabbed +the bear by the legs till the other hunter got his gun loaded. The bear +was a cub but fought like an old bear, tearing the clothes off the man. +The hunters got the five bears and took them home. When they got home +there was a big feast and everybody came and ate some bear meat, for +their friends thought the hunters had been killed by the Mohawks. + + + + + + + + +The first of these following tales was told to me some eight or ten +years ago by Ben Simcoe, an elderly Indian from the Rama Reserve, +Ontario County, near Lake Couchiching, and is probably a modern version +of an older tale, as it introduces the negro and white man. The word +“He” in the story stands for “God” or the “Creator.” I could not get +definitely from the Simcoe who it did stand for. He seemingly did not +know much about earlier Indian beliefs and conditions. + +The remaining three stories were told to me this summer by Jonas +George, Chippewa, of Rama Reserve, aged about sixty-four, professed +Christian. His Indian name is Wash-a-ghe-zik, which means “A clear +day.” + + G. E. Laidlaw. + +The sketch of the two little shiny men setting lightning at the tree, +also the “Monster,” were drawn by Wash-a-ghe-zik. + + + + + +THE CREATION OF MAN. + +Told by Ben Simcoe, Chippewa (Ojibwa), of Rama Reserve, Ontario County. + + +He (the Creator) took some clay and made a man. He baked it; it was not +done enough. He threw it away; it was no good. This was the white man. + +He took some more clay and made another man and baked it. This one was +baked too much, and was burnt. It was no good. He threw this away. This +was the negro. + +He took another bit of clay and made a third man. He baked this and it +came out all right. It was just right. This was the Indian, better than +the white man or the negro. + + + + + +THUNDERBOLT. + +This story was told to Wash-a-ghe-zik by his father, and was told to +his father by his grandfather. + + +A young Indian, many years ago, went out to hunt early one morning, and +coming on noon he got hungry and started back to camp. In passing a +pine stub that had been struck by lightning he saw “something” sticking +in the tree where the lightning hit. He pulled this “something” out and +looked at it. It was about two fingers broad, and about one hand long. +He put it back again in the tree exactly like he found it, and went on. +When he came to camp he told his father about it, and his father and +several other men, together with the young man, went back to examine +it. Neither his father or the men with him could pull this “something” +out, but the young man could; so he pulled it out, wrapped it up and +took it to camp. This “something” would tell the young man some hours +before a storm came up that the storm was coming, so that the Indians +could make camp. The young man used to dream that he could split trees +by pointing this “something” at them, but never tried it. He kept this +for many years. He was about eighteen years old when he found it, and +lived to be forty-seven. He died unmarried and his name was forgotten. + +The “something” was shiny and quivering, and nobody knew what it was +made out of. It was lost shortly before the man died. Wash-a-ghe-zik +had no name for this “something,” and said the Indians could not make +up a name for it. + + + + + +NIM-MAH-KIE. + +Once, a long time ago, before the white man came to Canada, an Indian +struck out through the bush to hunt. It came on a storm and he took a +line for camp, which was by a little lake away up north. It came on +worse, and the Indian crawled under a projecting pine tree. He saw the +lightning strike several trees, and looking very closely at one tree +that was struck he saw a little man (about two feet high) standing by +one side of the tree, and looking again at the tree he saw another +little man standing at the other side of the struck tree. Both these +men were fine little fellows, all black and shining, and are called +Nim-Mah-Kie (Thunder). They climbed up in the air like they were +climbing ladders, and disappeared. After they went up more lightning +came down. These little men set the lightning at the trees and make the +thunder. Thunder and lightning keep the monsters down on the land and +in the lakes. + + + + + +MONSTERS. + +These monsters, which are about twelve feet long and about one and +one-half to two feet thick, and which have long jaws full of teeth, and +look like half fish and half snake, live in hills near lakes. They have +underground passages from the hills to the water, and can sometimes be +seen early in the morning. In small lakes and bays of larger lakes they +move around with great swiftness, forcing the weeds and floating +sticks, etc., up high on the shore, similar to swirling your hand +around in a wash basin. Sometimes they do this with so much force that +they leave the small lakes partially dry. One of these monsters lives +in the hill just north of where the old Indian portage from Lake Simcoe +enters West Bay, Balsam Lake (now Portage Road). Another lives in the +hill at Atherley, Rama Reserve, Lake Couchiching, and another lives up +north in a lake the name of which is now forgotten. Thunder and +lightning kill these monsters. + + + + + + + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76755 *** |