Native American Storytelling

The myths and legends in this book have been selected both for their excellence as stories and because they illustrate the distinctive nature of Native American storytelling. A collection of Native American myths and legends. Selected for their excellence as stories, and because they illustrate the distinctive nature of Native American storytelling. Drawn from the oral traditions of all major areas of aboriginal North America. Reveals the highly practical functions of myths and legends in Native American societies. Illustrates American Indians’ profound engagement with their natural environment. Edited by an outstanding interpreter of Native American oral stories.

List of Figures viii To The Reader 1 Tewa 14 1 "Where they were living lived Laughing Warrior Girl..." 16 Kalispellm 19 2 "A young man (Rabbit) lived with his grandmother. One day he pitied her..." 19 Kathlamet 21 3 "There was a chief of a town. His relatives lived in five towns...." 22 Tillamook 25 4 "Wild Woman was living alone. Her husband, High Class Crane, ..." 27 Sioux 39 5 "A man lived with his two wives and a brother. One day the brother..." 41 Origins 45 Cherokee (A) 47 6 "In the beginning there was no fire, and the world was cold, until..." 47 Gros Ventre 49 7 "The people before the present people were wild. They did not know..." 49 Cherokee (B) 52 8 "When I was a boy this is what the old men told me they had heard..." 53 Seneca (A) 60 9 "A long time ago human beings lived high up in what is now called..." 61 Seneca (B) 64 10 "There was a lodge in the forest where very few people ever came,..." 65 Eskimo 67 11 "Two men were trappers. One of them kept catching a lot of groundhogs;..." 69 Cherokee (C) 72 12 "Once when all the people of the settlement were out..." 73 Trickster 75 Three Chinook-Wishram Coyote Tales 77 13 "Coyote heard about two women who had fish..." 78 14 "A certain old man was sitting in the trail with his penis..." 80 15 "Again Coyote travelled up the river. In the water he saw..." 83 Clackamas (A) 86 16 "Coyote and his five children lived there, four males,..." 87 Clackamas (B) 91 17 "They lived there, Seal, her daughter, and Seal's younger brother...." 93 Hopi 95 18 "In Oraibi the people were living. At the west end of the south row..." 97 Wintu 102 19 "Long ago, there came into being some people who had four children,..." 103 Yana 105 20 "'Now dig for roots. The nuts are already ripe– let's climb..."' 107 Navajo 109 21 "On the morrow, when he went forth on his hunt, his father..." 110 Blackfoot 118 22 "'There are two bright stars,' Brings-Down-the-Sun said, 'that sometimes...'" 120 Onondaga 127 23 "Tall, fierce and hostile, they were a powerful tribe, the Stone Giants!..." 128 Further Reading 131 Index 134