Wonyoni, an elderly hunter, encounters Cree warriors while hunting moose. To divert them, he rolls a large stone down a hill, creating noise that misleads the Cree into chasing the stone, thinking it’s him. Seizing the opportunity, Wonyoni safely returns to his camp, outsmarting his pursuers.
Source:
The Beaver Indians
by Pliny Earle Goddard
The American Museum of Natural History – Anthropological Papers
Volume X, Part 4
New York, 1912
► Themes of the story
Cunning and Deception: Wonyoni outsmarts the Cree by using a clever trick to mislead them.
Conflict with Authority: The story depicts an individual evading pursuit by a dominant or opposing group.
Trickster: Wonyoni plays the role of a trickster, using wit rather than strength to overcome his enemies.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about the Dane-zaa people
The old man, Wonyoni, was hunting moose with a dog when he became aware of Cree in the neighborhood. “What shall I do?” he said to himself and began to study the situation. He started off making tracks away from the place where his camp was situated. He came to an open place, looking back now and then. He was looking for the Cree, when suddenly he saw a man. He was traveling toward a large river and when he came there, he found a large stone and carried it with him up the hill where he was going to lie down for the night. He was on the watch there when suddenly the Cree were all around him. “How shall I get away from here?” he said to himself. Still considering this he went to bed. The Cree were all around him.
► Continue reading…
When they made a rush at him to kill him he kicked the large stone he had brought up the hill so that it rolled down, breaking the trees as it went. The Cree thinking it was Wonyoni running away, chased after it. The old man immediately started back to his camp. The Cree were sitting there waiting for daylight so they could catch him. They did not kill him and he got back to his camp without being discovered because he was smart.
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Dreamtime Whispers 