A shaman’s son’s dog disrupts a caribou hunt, leading the villagers to kill the dog in anger. In retaliation, the shaman, whose manitou is the caribou, prevents the animals from entering the snares, causing widespread starvation. After his nephew’s urging, the shaman relents, allowing successful hunts and revealing his role in their suffering as retribution for his dog’s death.
Source:
Tahltan Tales
by James A. Teit
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.32, No.124, pp.198-250
April-June, 1917
Vol.34, No.133, pp.223-253
July-September, 1921
Vol.34, No.134, pp.335-356
October-December, 1921
► Themes of the story
Revenge and Justice: The shaman seeks retribution for the killing of his son’s dog by causing the people to starve, highlighting themes of vengeance and the consequences of actions.
Conflict with Nature: The community struggles against natural forces, as the shaman’s actions disrupt their ability to hunt caribou, leading to a battle for survival.
Moral Lessons: The story imparts ethical teachings about the repercussions of harming others and the importance of compassion and understanding within a community.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Tahltan people
The son of a shaman had a small dog. Once, when the people were driving caribou into snares, the dog followed them and scared all the caribou away. The people were angry, and killed the dog. The shaman also became angry, and made the caribou keep away from the snares. The caribou were his manitou, and he had control of them. The people tried time and again to drive caribou into their snares, but they always turned aside. The people were starving. All the dogs died, and some of the children. All the people were thin and weak; the shaman alone was fat, as he ate caribou-moss. The people asked the shaman to sing, and bring the caribou to the snares. He sang, and pretended to do so. His nephew came to him, and said, “You are a shaman, and your manitou is the caribou. You can get the caribou to go into the snares if you try.” Again the people drove caribou, this time into a narrow place between two lakes. The animals would not go into the snares, but instead ran into the lake.
► Continue reading…
The shaman’s nephew came to him again, and said to him, “You are bad. Better change your ways.” The shaman then became afraid that the people would find him out and kill him. Therefore he told his nephew to tell the people to try again and they would have good luck. They obeyed, and caught all the caribou. The shaman told them, “You are hungry, but you must not eat the caribou yet. There are many more people on yonder hill. [It is said that caribou like to be called people.] Go and drive them into the snares.” The people went as directed, but saw no caribou. However, they acted as if driving caribou off the hill into their snares, and many were caught. Four times they drove invisible caribou, and caught them as real caribou in their snares. Thus they killed great numbers. They had an abundance of meat, and all were now happy. The shaman told the people, “It was I who made you starve by keeping the caribou away. I did this because you killed my son’s dog. Had my nephew not talked to me, all of you would have died.”
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