Traditions of the Arikara

by George A. Dorsey

So the animals were made to assist some people to turn into corn and they were taken under ground into a cave, which was so large that animals and people lived down there together. The large people were killed by the flood. The people who were taken in under the ground knew nothing of the flood, for they were not people; they were grains of corn.

Nesaru in the heavens planted corn in the heavens, to remind him that his people were put under ground. As soon as the corn in the heavens had matured, Nesaru took from the field an ear of corn. This corn he turned into a woman and Nesaru said, “You must go down to the earth and bring my people from the earth.” She went down to the earth and she roamed over the land for many, many years, not knowing where to find the people. At last the thunders sounded in the east. She followed the sound, and she found the people underground in the east. By the power of Nesaru himself this woman was taken under ground, and when the people and the animals saw her they rejoiced. They knew her, for she was the Mother-Corn. The people and the animals also knew that she had the consent of all the gods to take them out.

Mother-Corn then called upon the gods to assist her to lead her people out of the earth. There was none who could assist her. She turned around to the people, and said: “We must leave this place, this darkness; there is light above the earth. Who will come to help me take my people out of the earth?” The Badger came forth, and said, “Mother, I will help.” A Mole also stood up, and said, “I will assist the Badger to dig through the ground, that we may see the light.” The long-nosed Mouse came, and said, “I will assist these other two to dig through.”

The Badger began to dig upwards. He became tired, and said, “Mother, I am tired.” Then the Mole began to dig. The Mole became tired. Then the long-nosed Mouse came and dug until it became tired. It came back. The long-nosed Mouse said, “Mother, I am tired.” The Badger began to dig upward. When he became tired the Mole went up. The Mole said, “I was just about to go through when I became tired.” The long-nosed Mouse then ran up, and said, “I will try.” The long-nosed Mouse stuck its nose through the earth until it reached up to its ears, and it could see just a little light. It went back, and said, “Mother, I ran my nose through the earth, and it has made my nose small; all the people that I shall belong to shall have these long noses, just like mine, so that all the animals will know that it was I who dug through the earth first, making my nose small and pointed.”

The Mole was so glad that it tried again. It went up to the hole, dug through the hole and went through. The sun had come up from the east. It was so bright that it blinded the Mole. The Mole ran back, and said, “Mother, I have been blinded by the brightness of that sun. I can not live upon the earth any more. I must make my home under the earth. All the people who wish to be with me will be blind, so that they can not see in the daytime, but they can see in the night. They shall stay under the ground in the daytime.” The Mother-Corn said, “Very well.”

The Badger then dug through, making the hole larger, and, as it went out, the Badger closed its eyes, but, as he stuck his feet out, the rays of the sun struck him upon the face so that he got a streak of black upon it, and he got black legs. The Badger went back into the hole, and said, “Mother, I have received these black marks upon me, and I wish that I might remain this way, so that people will remember that I was one of those who helped to get your people out.” The Mother-Corn said, “Very well, let it be as you say.”

The Mother-Corn then led the way and the Mole followed, going out of the hole; but, as they were about to go out from the hole, there was a noise from the east, and thunder, which shook the earth, so that the earth opened. The people were put upon the top of the earth. There was wailing and crying, and, at the same time, the people were rejoicing that they were now out upon the open land. As the people stood upon the earth, the Mother-Corn said, “My people will now journey west. Before we start, any who wish to remain here, as Badgers, long-nosed Mice, or Moles, may remain.” This was then done. Some of the people turned back to the holes of the earth and turned into animals, whichever kind they wanted to be.

The journey was now begun. As they journeyed, there seemed to come up in front of them a mountainous country. There was a deep chasm. Here the people could not get down, and if they should get down there was, on the other side, another steep bank, and there was no way for the people to get up. Mother-Corn turned to the heavens, and cried for help, “Any of you gods, come, help.” But there was no one to come. Now there came from among the people a little bird, who said, “Mother-Corn, I will be the one to point out the way for you.” The bird was the Kingfisher. The bird flew to the other side of the steep bank, stuck its bill into the bank, going through the hill and going out on the other side, so that the earth fell into the chasm. The bird came back again, and flew into the side of the steep bank, where the people were and came out on this side, so that the earth fell into the chasm, so that by the bank’s falling there was formed a bridge. The people rejoiced, and the bird said, “All the people who want to join me may remain here, and we will stay and make our homes in these banks.” Some of the people went back, stopped and turned into this kind of bird.

Again the people journeyed, and again they came to an obstacle. This obstacle was the timber. The timber was somewhere near the sun. Mother-Corn turned to the gods and asked for help, for the timber before them was very thick. There were thorns all over the timber, so that even animals could not go through. The gods in the heavens had agreed to help Mother-Corn. They gave power to the Owl to clear a way through the timber for the people. The Owl came and stood before Mother-Corn, and said, “Mother, I will help to make a pathway for your people to go through this timber. Any of the people who wish to remain with me may become as I am, and we shall remain in this timber forever.” The Owl then flew up through the timber. As it waved its wings it removed the timber to one side, so that when it flew through the timber there was a pathway, so that the people could go through. Mother-Corn then led the people through the timber and passed onward.

As they were journeying through the country, all at once they came to a big lake. They looked around for help, but they could see none. They could not turn back, for Nesaru had instructed Mother-Corn to lead the people towards the west. A bird came and stood in front of Mother-Corn, and said, “I will make a pathway through this water. Let the people stop crying. I shall help them.” Mother-Corn looked at the bird, and said, “Make a pathway for us, and you shall have some of my people to remain with you here.” The bird flew and jumped into the water. The bird was so swift that it parted the waters wherever it went, and came out on the other side of the water and left the waters parted. This bird was the Loon. The people went over on dry land and crossed to the other side. Some of the people turned back, and as they went into the water they turned into Loons. The other people journeyed on.