One who reads these stories carefully and thoughtfully will understand something of Indian psychology. Mystery to the Indian is not mystery after all, but a reflection of the Great Mystery which opens out as simply as a flower. To us nothing is strange or impossible. It seems natural that an animal or even a rock should speak; God is in it and speaks through it.
It must be remembered that these are only fragments of what were once consecutive and continued stories, too long and involved to be set down here in full. With just such stories the foundation of my early education was laid in the cold winter evenings, and the impression made was permanent. The characters were real people to me, and the tales of the old men and old women fostered a love of nature, reverence, a kindly spirit, and finally patriotism and the inspiration to heroic effort. Like the other boys, I was expected to learn them by heart and rehearse them in the family circle. It is gratifying to have these old stories saved for the children of another race and generation.
Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa).
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |
| Introduction | [vii] |
| A Little Talk about Indians | [1] |
| Pima Tales | [11] |
| Cherokee Tales | [23] |
| Choctaw Stories | [51] |
| Iroquois Tales | [65] |
| Tsimshian Tales | [77] |
| Alaskan Stories | [137] |