Traditions of the Arikara

by George A. Dorsey

The people lived under the ground for many years. These animals did not like to see the people live under the ground, so the Badger, the Mole, the long-nosed Mouse, and the Fox assembled. This means, not one Bear, one Badger, one Mole, one Mouse, and one Fox, but many of each kind. The animals decided to dig through the earth upwards, and see what kind of land there was above. So the Bears dug, but they all gave out. The Badgers dug and they gave out. The Moles then dug and they gave out. The little Mice then dug until they dug through the earth. Then they went back, for their noses were worn sharp.

When the Mouse came back the other animals saw that his nose was worn sharp. The Mouse said: “From this day on, my people will have long, sharp noses on them, so that people will know that through the long-nosed Mouse they came out from the ground.”

The Mole was the first one to stick his head out and see the bright sun. He was blinded. He went back into the ground, and to the animals. He told of the brightness outside of the earth, that he had been blinded. So it was decided by the animals that the Mole should always stay under ground and should never see the sun. The Mole was satisfied, so he always stayed under the ground.

The next to go through was the Fox. The rays of the sun now entered the hole, and the Fox could see, but he could not get through. So the Badger dug away until he dug through. The Fox went again, and crawled out of the ground. He made a loud shout, like a man. The Fox ran around through the country and returned to the people and reported what he had seen outside on the earth.

The animals were all satisfied. They all said, “We will lead these people out, so they can live upon the land, where they can see the sun, moon, stars and heavens.” The Bear was told by the long-nosed Mouse to make the hole larger. The Bear went to digging. The people followed. The people did not have any clothing on, neither did they have anything to eat. They did not know how they lived under ground. The Bear made the hole larger, so that there was light where the people were. The long-nosed Mouse went out first, then the other animals followed, then the people followed out.

The people were now standing upon the ground. They did not know which way to go. But there was a woman who seemed to know. She did not speak to the people. She told a man that she was not a real woman, that she was a grain of corn, and that she had understanding of what they were to do. She told the man that they were upon an island in big waters, that they were put there so that they could dig through the earth and could get out.

These people who were taken under the ground by Mice were grains of corn. Now they had turned to people. The long-nosed Mouse now spoke to the woman, and said, “Some of the people will have to remain in this water, for we can not cross this big water unless some do.” The Mouse then told a man to get into the water. When the man got into the water he turned into a long gar-pike. It now swam across the big water, but failed to reach the land. So the Mouse commanded one of the women to get into the water and to swim and join the gar-pike in the water. Now, there was a bridge across the big water. The two fish became tired and gave way, so that some of the people fell into the big water, and turned into fish. The others went on.

After they had gone upon the mainland the people began to pick up flint stones and use them to cut with. But another thing happened: There was darkness upon the earth. Some of the people could see plainly in the dark. These people did not know what to do, but the Mouse led the people through the darkness, and led them out from the thick timber. The people who were left in the timber turned to Owls.

The people went out of the timber and again there was trouble, for there was an earthquake. The land opened, and took some people into the ground. It left a deep chasm, so that the people were not able to move on. The Bear went to the chasm and made steps on each side, so that the people went down and climbed up on the other side.

Now they traveled west. Again there was trouble. Thick timber was in the way. The Mouse called on the gods. A Whirlwind came and made a pathway through the timber. The Whirlwind did not hurt the people, although it was mad, for the powers had not called on it for help.