The Snow-Man

Source: 
Chipewyan Tales
by Robert Harry Lowie
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 3
New York, 1912

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► Themes of the story

Conflict with Nature: The community struggles against an unending winter and its harsh consequences.

Loss and Renewal: The tale depicts a cycle of hardship during the extended winter, followed by rejuvenation with the return of summer.

Origin of Things: The story provides an explanation for the seasonal changes and the return of animals’ characteristics.

► From the same Region or People

• North America
  • Sub-Arctic Region
    • Chipewyan Lore

Learn more about the Chipewyan people

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Once it continued to be winter for two years. There were no geese in the country, and moose, deer, and caribou had no horns, the people did not know why. The ice never thawed during all this time. The Indians could not dig holes for their nets. They made big fires, heated stones red-hot, and threw them on the ice, but it was too thick to be broken through. The Indians were beginning to starve. Towards springtime there was a little thawing, but then it became winter once more. Many died of starvation. The survivors were crying for fear. One man started off towards Fond du Lac to set snares for partridges. When visiting his snares he met a person on the road. This person was quite white, and behind him came nothing but snow. It was the Snow-Man. The Indian said, “What are you coming here for? The Indians up north are killing all your children.” When Snow-Man heard this, he turned right about to the Barren Grounds. Then summer came, the geese returned, and moose and deer had horns once more.