myths and legends of the sioux-第1章

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Myths　and　Legends　of　the　Sioux



by　Marie　L。　McLaughlin








In　loving　memory　of　my　mother；

MARY　GRAHAM　BUISSON；

at　whose　knee　most　of　the　stories

contained　in　this　little　volume

were　told　to　me；　this　book　is　affec…

tionately　dedicated









　　　　　　　　TABLE　OF　CONTENTS



Dedication

Foreword

The　Forgotten　Ear　of　Corn

The　Little　Mice

The　Pet　Rabbit

The　Pet　Donkey

The　Rabbit　and　the　Elk　

The　Rabbit　and　the　Grouse　Girls

The　Faithful　Lovers　

The　Artichoke　and　the　Muskrat

The　Rabbit；　and　the　Bear　with　the　Flint　Body

Story　of　the　Lost　Wife

The　Raccoon　and　the　Crawfish

Legend　of　Standing　Rock

Story　of　the　Peace　Pipe

A　Bashful　Courtship

The　Simpleton's　Wisdom

Little　Brave　and　the　Medicine　Woman

The　Bound　Children

The　Signs　of　Corn

Story　of　the　Rabbits

How　the　Rabbit　Lost　His　Tail

Unktomi　and　the　Arrowheads

The　Bear　and　the　Rabbit　Hunt　Buffalo

The　Brave　Who　Went　on　the　Warpath　Alone　and

　　Won　the　Name　of　the　Lone　Warrior

The　Sioux　Who　Married　the　Crow　Chief's

　　Daughter

The　Boy　and　the　Turtles

The　Hermit；　or　the　Gift　of　Corn

The　Mysterious　Butte

The　Wonderful　Turtle

The　Man　and　the　Oak

Story　of　the　Two　Young　Friends

The　Story　of　the　Pet　Crow

The　〃Wasna〃　（Pemmican　Man）　and　the　Unktomi　（Spider）

The　Resuscitation　of　the　Only　Daughter

The　Story　of　the　Pet　Crane

White　Plume

Story　of　Pretty　Feathered　Forehead

The　Four　Brothers　or　Inyanhoksila　（Stone　Boy）

The　Unktomi　（Spider）；　Two　Widows　and　the　Red　Plums







FOREWORD



In　publishing　these　〃Myths　of　the　Sioux；〃　I　deem　it　proper　to　state

that　I　am　of　one…fourth　Sioux　blood。　　My　maternal　grandfather；

Captain　Duncan　Graham；　a　Scotchman　by　birth；　who　had　seen　service

in　the　British　Army；　was　one　of　a　party　of　Scotch　Highlanders　who

in　1811　arrived　in　the　British　Northwest　by　way　of　York　Factory；

Hudson　Bay；　to　found　what　was　known　as　the　Selkirk　Colony；　near

Lake　Winnipeg；　now　within　the　province　of　Manitoba；　Canada。　　Soon

after　his　arrival　at　Lake　Winnipeg　he　proceeded　up　the　Red　River　of

the　North　and　the　western　fork　thereof　to　its　source；　and　thence

down　the　Minnesota　River　to　Mendota；　the　confluence　of　the

Minnesota　and　Mississippi　Rivers；　where　he　located。　　My

grandmother；　Ha…za…ho…ta…win；　was　a　full…blood　of　the　Medawakanton

Band　of　the　Sioux　Tribe　of　Indians。　　My　father；　Joseph　Buisson；

born　near　Montreal；　Canada；　was　connected　with　the　American　Fur

Company；　with　headquarters　at　Mendota；　Minnesota；　which　point　was

for　many　years　the　chief　distributing　depot　of　the　American　Fur

Company；　from　which　the　Indian　trade　conducted　by　that　company　on

the　upper　Mississippi　was　directed。



I　was　born　December　8；　1842；　at　Wabasha；　Minnesota；　then　Indian

country；　and　resided　thereat　until　fourteen　years　of　age；　when　I

was　sent　to　school　at　Prairie　du　Chien；　Wisconsin。



I　was　married　to　Major　James　McLaughlin　at　Mendota；　Minnesota；

January　28；　1864；　and　resided　in　Minnesota　until　July　1；　1871；　when

I　accompanied　my　husband　to　Devils　Lake　Agency；　North　Dakota；　then

Dakota　Territory；　where　I　remained　ten　years　in　most　friendly

relations　with　the　Indians　of　that　agency。　　My　husband　was　Indian

agent　at　Devils　Lake　Agency；　and　in　1881　was　transferred　to

Standing　Rock；　on　the　Missouri　River；　then　a　very　important　agency；

to　take　charge　of　the　Sioux　who　had　then　but　recently　surrendered

to　the　military　authorities；　and　been　brought　by　steamboat　from

various　points　on　the　upper　Missouri；　to　be　permanently　located　on

the　Standing　Rock　reservation。



Having　been　born　and　reared　in　an　Indian　community；　I　at　an　early

age　acquired　a　thorough　knowledge　of　the　Sioux　language；　and　having

lived　on　Indian　reservations　for　the　past　forty　years　in　a　position

which　brought　me　very　near　to　the　Indians；　whose　confidence　I

possessed；　I　have；　therefore；　had　exceptional　opportunities　of

learning　the　legends　and　folk…lore　of　the　Sioux。



The　stories　contained　in　this　little　volume　were　told　me　by　the

older　men　and　women　of　the　Sioux；　of　which　I　made　careful　notes　as

related；　knowing　that；　if　not　recorded；　these　fairy　tales　would　be

lost　to　posterity　by　the　passing　of　the　primitive　Indian。



The　notes　of　a　song　or　a　strain　of　music　coming　to　us　through　the

night　not　only　give　us　pleasure　by　the　melody　they　bring；　but　also

give　us　knowledge　of　the　character　of　the　singer　or　of　the

instrument　from　which　they　proceed。　　There　is　something　in　the

music　which　unerringly　tells　us　of　its　source。　　I　believe　musicians

call　it　the　〃timbre〃　of　the　sound。　　It　is　independent　of；　and

different　from；　both　pitch　and　rhythm；　it　is　the　texture　of　the

music　itself。



The　〃timbre〃　of　a　people's　stories　tells　of　the　qualities　of　that

people's　heart。　　It　is　the　texture　of　the　thought；　independent　of

its　form　or　fashioning；　which　tells　the　quality　of　the　mind　from

which　it　springs。



In　the　〃timbre〃　of　these　stories　of　the　Sioux；　told　in　the　lodges

and　at　the　camp　fires　of　the　past；　and　by　the　firesides　of　the

Dakotas　of　today；　we　recognize　the　very　texture　of　the　thought　of

a　simple；　grave；　and　sincere　people；　living　in　intimate　contact　and

friendship　with　the　big　out…of…doors　that　we　call　Nature；　a　race

not　yet　understanding　all　things；　not　proud　and　boastful；　but

honest　and　childlike　and　fair；　a　simple；　sincere；　and　gravely

thoughtful　people；　willing　to　believe　that　there　may　be　in　even　the

everyday　things　of　life　something　not　yet　fully　understood；　a　race

that　can；　without　any　loss　of　native　dignity；　gravely　consider　the

simplest　things；　seeking　to　fathom　their　meaning　and　to　learn　their

lessonequally　without　vain…glorious　boasting　and　trifling

cynicism；　an　earnest；　thoughtful；　dignified；　but　simple　and

primitive　people。



To　the　children　of　any　race　these　stories　can　not　fail　to　give

pleasure　by　their　vivid　imaging　of　the　simple　things　and　creatures

of　the　great　out…of…doors　and　the　epics　of　their　doings。　　They　will

also　give　an　intimate　insight　into　the　mentality　of　an　interesting

race　at　a　most　interesting　stage　of　development；　which　is　now　fast

receding　into　the　mists　of　the　past。





MARIE　L。　McLAUGHLIN　（Mrs。　James　McLaughlin）。

McLaughlin；　S。　D。；　May　1；　1913。









THE　FORGOTTEN　EAR　OF　CORN



An　Arikara　woman　was　once　gathering　corn　from　the　field　to　store

away　for　winter　use。　　She　passed　from　stalk　to　stalk；　tearing　off

the　ears　and　dropping　them　into　her　folded　robe。　　When　all　was

gathered　she　started　to　go；　when　she　heard　a　faint　voice；　like　a

child's；　weeping　and　calling：



〃Oh；　do　not　leave　me！　　Do　not　go　away　without　me。〃



The　woman　was　astonished。　　〃What　child　can　that　be？〃　she　asked

herself。　　〃What　babe　can　be　lost　in　the　cornfield？〃



She　set　down　her　robe　in　which　she　had　tied　up　her　corn；　and　went

back　to　search；　but　she　found　nothing。



As　she　started　away　she　heard　the　voice　again：



〃Oh；　do　not　leave　me。　　Do　not　go　away　without　me。〃



She　searched　for　a　long　time。　　At　last　in　one　corner　of　the　field；

hidden　under　the　leaves　of　the　stalks；　she　found　one　little　ear　of

corn。　　This　it　was　that　had　been　crying；　and　this　is　why　all　Indian

women　have　since　garnered　their　corn　crop　very　carefully；　so　that

the　succulent　food　product　should　not　even　to　the　last　small　nubbin

be　neglected　or　wasted；　and　thus　displease　the　Great　Mystery。











THE　LITTLE　MICE



Once　upon　a　time　a　prairie　mouse　busied　herself　all　fall　storing

away　a　cache　of　beans。　　Every　morning　she　was　out　early　with　her

empty　cast…off　snake　skin；　which　she　filled　with　ground　beans　and

dragged　home　with　her　teeth。



The　little　mouse　had　a　cousin　who　was　fond　of　dancing　and　talk；　but

who　did　not　like　to　work。　　She　was　not　careful　to　get　her　cache　of

beans　and　the　season　was　already　well　gone　before　she　thought　to

bestir　herself。　　When　she　came　to　realize　her　need；

she　found　she　had　no　packing　bag。　　So　she　went　to　her　hardwork