VII. THE THUNDER-BIRD OF THE DAKOTAS
(Sioux, 1895)
hat is thunder?” a white man asked a Sioux or Dakota Indian.
“Thunder is a big bird flying in the air. It makes tracks like fire. You can hear it clap its wings. It is the young thunder-birds that hurt the Sioux. The old birds will not touch us. They are our friends.”
“Did you ever see a thunder-bird?” was asked by the white man.
“I never did, but my father’s brother, Little Crow, saw one fall dead out of the sky. It had wings wide as a white man’s house, and it had lightning on its wings. It had a face like a man; its nose was like an eagle’s bill.”
“Who else ever saw one?” was the next question.
“One fall our tribe was out hunting, and a thunder-bird flew down on the ground just a little way from them. It did not hurt them; they saw that it had on [[242]]snowshoes. They found the track of the shoes when it flew away. Our tribe had good hunting that winter. They killed many bears.”
“We have only one God; why do you have so many?” was next asked.
“The Great Spirit is the god of the Dakotas,” said the Indian. “He made everything but wild rice and thunder. We must do as our fathers have done or the spirits of the dead will punish us. It is not good to change. We believe what they told us when we were children. We worship the Great Spirit.”
“Who rules the water?” asked the white man.
“Unktahe, the spirit of the water.”
“What do you call the thunder?”
“Wahkeon. He and Unktahe are always fighting. It is a great battle; when there is a storm Unktahe sends the thunder-birds back to the sky, sometimes.”
“Tell me more about the thunder-birds,” said the white man.
“Wahkeontonka is the father of all the birds. He is Big Thunder. He lives on a great mountain in the west. His wigwam has four doors. A caribou stands at the north door. He is swift like the north wind. At the south door is a red deer; he is very beautiful. His eyes are like the little lakes in summer.
“A butterfly watches at the east door of the wigwam. He is like the morning light. A bear watches [[243]]the west door, and when the wind blows from the west even the white people can hear the bear growling. This is true.”
“What has Wahkeontonka done for the Indian?”
“The thunder spirit gave the Indians thunder and wild rice. They eat rice and are strong. He showed them how to use the bow and arrow.
“He dug iron from the ground and made tomahawks. He made spears. The Indians know Wahkeontonka is wise.”
The Dakotas believe that their god of storm lives on Thunder Cap, a high promontory in Minnesota overlooking Lake Superior; from here he sends the rain, hail, or snow.
Thunder Bay lies at his feet; on its shore lies the great giant turned to stone, who, ages ago, dared to defy Big Thunder. Wahkeontonka is the Dakotas’ Jupiter. [[244]]
VIII. HIAWATHA THE WISE
How he united the Five Nations
any, many moons ago three Indians sat on the bank of the great river with many islands. These three Indians had come on a long trail from their country, and it was a new trail, for they had made it themselves. Nobody had been on it before they cut their way through the thick forest.
The fathers of these Indians had been told of this river in the north which was filled with islands. The three Indians had said to their fathers that they would seek it; now they sat on a little hill, and it was before them.
The night sun had changed into a shape like a canoe three times since they had started on the long trail. Their moccasins were torn, and their feet were very tired; but the river was very beautiful, and it made their eyes glad to see it.
While the three Indians sat watching the river, they saw a white canoe coming straight toward the little hill [[245]]where they sat. It seemed to come from the place of the setting sun.
The three Indians saw a white-haired chief alone in the canoe, and he had no paddle. The canoe came very fast, but it needed no help. The white-haired chief told the canoe to stop by the little hill on the shore where sat the three Indians; it came there and stopped.
The three Indians knew by the strange canoe that the Great Spirit had sent him, and they were afraid.
The white-haired chief said: “I am Hiawatha. I will help you and your people. Tell me what your nation can do. Tell me of your hunting.”
The three arose and told Hiawatha of their nation. They had thought their people very strong; now they seemed like wild rabbits for weakness. They told him of their hunting, but they were not proud, for Hiawatha was wiser than any chief, and he knew what was in their hearts.
Hiawatha said: “Go back to your people. I shall come, and you will see me when you have made my lodge ready. I knew you were coming, for I saw you in the dark forests. I saw you on the great rocks in the forests. Go back and tell your people I am coming. Tell them to make a wigwam for Hiawatha.”
The three Indians could not talk to each other. Their hearts were full. They found the trail they had made and followed it back to their own land; there [[246]]they told their chiefs of the wise one in the white canoe. The chiefs made ready for his coming.
“He will come in a white stone canoe,” said the chiefs.
The wigwam was built by a lake, and it was made of the finest skins of the deer. It was a white wigwam, with the door left open. No one watched to see who should shut the door.
One morning the door was shut, and a strange white canoe was in the water. The people came out of their lodges, and soon the doorway of skins in the white wigwam was opened. Hiawatha had come to the Onondaga nation. His wigwam was on the shore of Tiota or Cross Lake, in the land of the Onondagas.
Heyanwatha means the Wise Man. Hiawatha the people call him now. He taught the Onondagas many things, for he had lived with the Great Spirit. He was sent to help the Indian tribes.
Hiawatha taught the people how to plant corn and beans. They learned much about planting, and they learned how to store food for winter time.
While he was with the Onondagas the runners brought word that a great band of warriors was coming to fight them. The young braves put on their war paint.
“Call a great council of all the tribes,” said the wise Hiawatha. “Let them meet on the hill by the lake.” It was Onondaga Lake. [[247]]
Swift runners carried word to four tribes. Their chiefs and great braves met on the hill by the lake, and their wives waited with them. All the people waited for three days, but Hiawatha did not come to the council. The chiefs sent men to Hiawatha on the morning of the fourth day to ask why he made them wait.
Hiawatha answered: “The Holder of the Heavens has shown me that if I go to this council great sorrow will come to me. I was sent to teach you peace. I shall show you how to make war. I will come.”
Then Hiawatha stepped into his white stone canoe, and it went to the place of the great council, where the chiefs waited.
All the great chiefs and the people shouted when Hiawatha came. He stood still in the council circle. His daughter stood beside him, but no one had seen her before. When her father looked at her she went to her place among the women.
The first day of the council the chiefs told their plans, and Hiawatha listened. The second day he arose in the council, and the people listened. Hiawatha said wise words. All the chiefs remembered the words of Hiawatha. He made this speech:
“My brothers: You are from many tribes. You have come here for one cause. It is to live in safety. We must join ourselves together. The tribes that are [[248]]on the warpath are strong. Not one tribe here is equal to that great people. Make yourselves a band of brothers. Then you will be stronger than they.
“The Mohawks that sit in council by that great tree shall be the first nation. They are the warlike people.
“The Oneidas who sit by the great stone that cannot be moved shall be the second nation. They are a wise people.
“The Onondagas that live at the foot of the great hills shall be the third nation. They are great in speech making.
“The Senecas who live in the forest, and whose trails are found all over the land, shall be the fourth nation, for they have much wisdom in hunting.
“The Cayugas live in the open country. Their wigwams are the finest, and their beans and corn grow like the grass on the plains. Their name is known for great wisdom; they shall be the fifth nation.”
Hiawatha sat down in the council, and the third day the chiefs talked with one another; then they all said: “We will do this thing. We will be one nation. We will be called the Five Nations.”
The council was ended. Hiawatha went to his canoe and called softly to his daughter.
As she left the women a great cloud came in the sky. It was a thunder-bird. The great cloud took the daughter of Hiawatha, and she was gone. [[249]]
Pueblo Women grinding Corn
From a Photograph
[[250]]
The white stone canoe came to the landing place. There was music in the air like the wind blowing through the pine trees. All the sky was filled with the sweet music.
The people mourned for Hiawatha, for he was gone. His wigwam by the lake Tiota was empty, and he was never seen again.
The Five Nations say that he went to the Islands of the Happy Ones. Owayneo, the Great Spirit, called him. His daughter had gone before him.
The Five Nations were strong. They were a wise people. Many moons after the white men came the Tuscaroras sat with them around the council-fire. Then they were known as the Six Nations. The white people have often called them the Mingos.
Arranged from Schoolcraft and Horatio Hale. [[251]]