A man, frightened by his wife, kills swimming caribou

A man and his wife face starvation due to a lack of caribou. When two caribou appear swimming across a lake, the man initially hesitates to hunt them. His wife’s desperate gestures prompt him to overcome his fear, successfully kill the caribou, and provide sustenance for them both. The man briefly distances himself but eventually returns to his wife.

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

Conflict with Nature: The man engages in a struggle to hunt caribou, highlighting the challenges humans face against natural forces.

Family Dynamics: The interaction between the man and his wife, especially his fear and subsequent actions, underscores complex marital relationships.

Trials and Tribulations: The couple faces the hardship of potential starvation, representing the broader theme of enduring and overcoming life’s challenges.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

A man and his wife were sitting where the caribou cross the lake. It looked as if they would starve to death. There were no caribou. Then suddenly there were two caribou swimming across. He had a canoe there into which he went and started to paddle toward the caribou. He did not paddle long and did not kill them, but turned around and started to paddle back. “What is the matter?” his wife said to herself. She was very hungry. He was paddling close to her. “What is the matter? We were about to die before; now we cannot live,” the woman was thinking. The deer were swimming over there in the middle of the lake. The man was paddling close and she spread her legs toward him. He was afraid and paddled away from her.

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He really left her and killed the caribou, and they blew ashore where the woman was sitting. The woman sat there, but the man was gone; he was far away. “I think he deserted me,” she said to herself. She did not know where the people were and feared she would die. Then he came back to her.

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A man saves his parents-in-law from starving

In a time of famine, a man noticed his mother-in-law lagging behind due to hunger. He instructed her to wait and, after making noises to distract her, hunted and killed two moose. Meanwhile, his father-in-law had also hunted a bear. Reuniting, they sustained themselves with the meat and later rejoined their group, who had moved on and were suffering from starvation.

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

Sacrifice: The son-in-law prioritizes the well-being of his parents-in-law, sharing his hunted meat to ensure their survival during a famine.

Community and Isolation: The son-in-law and his parents-in-law are isolated from the larger group, highlighting themes of familial bonds and the dynamics of community support versus abandonment.

Conflict with Nature: The struggle to find food and survive against the backdrop of a harsh, unforgiving natural environment underscores this theme.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

One time the people were starving and were traveling where there was a cache. One old woman was so hungry she sat down. Her son-in-law on ahead knew that his mother-in-law had sat down. His brother was far away. “Sit here and wait for me,” he said to her. “If I go in the timber, and if you hear something do not pay any attention to it.” Her son-in-law made a noise by breaking a stick, but she did not go to him. She could almost see her son-in-law, who was making a noise with his bowstring. He had killed two cow moose. His father-in-law had been sitting over there with his wife. The son-in-law went again to bring the meat. His father-in-law who had killed a bear, had also gone for the meat. They met each other there and traveled on happily.

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Because the other people had deserted them, they did not follow after them. They lived happily where they were, using the meat of the animals which they had killed for food. Some time after, they followed the remainder of the band, and came to the cache. The meat was gone. These first comers moved away again, but they did not succeed in killing anything and they nearly died of starvation. Those who came last had meat, but they did net share with those who came first to the cache.

A beaver kills an entire band of Cree

A young Cree hunter, preferring rabbit over fish, camped separately from his tribe. One day, his wife noticed an enemy’s reflection in water. Anticipating an attack, the hunter sent his family to the main camp. At dawn, enemies assaulted his empty tipi. Using snowshoes and invoking a south wind, he led them away, causing them to overheat and discard clothing. Summoning a north wind, he froze and defeated them all.

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: The man employs strategic deception by luring his pursuers away from their clothing and then changing the weather conditions to weaken them before attacking.

Trials and Tribulations: The protagonist faces the challenge of defending his family and himself against a large group of enemies, requiring resilience and resourcefulness.

Magic and Enchantment: The man’s ability to summon winds indicates the use of supernatural powers to influence natural elements in his favor.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

Obtained in English from Ike through John Bourassa.

There was a large camp of Indians at Hay Lake where they were spending the winter living on fish. A young married man, not caring for fish, was camping by himself at some distance, living on rabbit. Fearing an attack, he took the precaution of keeping a trail broken between his camp and the large camp on the lake. He did this by going over it with his snowshoes once a month.

One morning while he was visiting his snares, his wife was sitting in the tipi lacing a pair of snowshoes. Her little boy who was just beginning to talk was playing beside her. The child looked into the dish of water in which the hide for lacing the snowshoes was being dampened and said to the mother, “Whose face is that in the water?” The mother looked in the vessel and saw the reflection of the face of a foe looking in over the door.

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Feeling sure there would be no attack in the daytime, the woman made no sign and went on rapidly with her work. The spy withdrew.

When her husband came home she asked him why he had peeked in over the door. Is not this your own tipi?” she asked him. The husband asked her if she was sure someone had done that. “Yes,” she said, “even the child noticed him. His track must be outside.” “I have been expecting this,” the man replied. “That is why I kept the trail to the large camp open. That is why I made the snowshoes, I wanted them to fight with. Hurry and finish lacing them by night, if you can. When it is dark so they cannot see you, you must take the child and go to the main camp. I will stay here and fight them alone. If we all go together to the big camp the enemy will follow and kill a good many.”

By hurrying, the woman finished lacing the snowshoes by dusk and, taking the child, went to the large camp, leaving her husband alone. Near morning, before the usual time of attacking, the man built a good fire and went out of the tipi taking his snowshoes and weapons. He sat down in the brush nearby to watch. At daybreak, a large party of the enemy attacked with much shouting. They surrounded the tipi and stabbed it through and through. Not hearing anyone, a man went in and called to those on the outside, “There is no one here.” “Yes there is,” the man called from his hiding place. He started to run on his large snowshoes which kept him on the surface of the snow. Making use of his medicine, he called for a south wind. It came and the party pursuing him began to sweat and drop off their clothes. When he had led them a long ways from their clothes he called for a north wind. It came, and the sweating enemy turned to go back for their abandoned clothing. On their way back they huddled around fires trying to keep warm. The man now turned on them and speared them, half frozen by their fires and killed them all.

He traveled all day to reach the large camp, fearing for the safety of his wife and child. As he approached the camp he heard the head man wailing for his supposed death. “No,” the man said, “I am not dead this time. I killed them all.”

A man and his wife are saved by lightning

A young married man is coerced by strangers into traveling to their distant land, where he faces starvation. They plan to kill him and take his wife, but he gives her a small piece of wood, instructing her to hold onto it. Lightning strikes, killing the strangers but sparing the wife. The couple endures a challenging journey home, surviving on beaver and bear meat.

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

Conflict with Authority: The man is coerced by an unfamiliar group, highlighting a struggle against oppressive forces.

Divine Intervention: The lightning strike that eliminates the antagonistic group can be seen as an act of divine intervention, saving the protagonists.

Trials and Tribulations: The couple endures significant hardships, including abduction, starvation, and a perilous journey back home.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

Some people came by who were not known. They took a fancy to a young married man and invited him to accompany them. He refused emphatically but when they insisted he went away with them. They were people who lived a long way off and he went with them a great distance to their country.

When they got there the young man began to starve. There was nothing he could do. He became weak. There was no meat and they gave him nothing to eat. He got so weak he walked with difficulty. “Well, never mind,” they said, “he will die. We will cross the large lake. The wind is very strong and cold against a man’s face. Let the cold kill him.”

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“We will take his wife,” they were saying to themselves. “Do not stay here,” they told her, “Go away. Do not wait for him. If you wait for him, you too will die.” They gave the man a piece of wood about four inches long. He did not take it but gave it to his wife. “If something happens suddenly do not let go of it,” he said to her. The woman moved her tipi.

The people could still be seen on the lake when the lightning struck among them. Not a flake of snow was left. There were many of the people and of them not one dark spot was left. The lightning had killed them all. There was just one dark speck out on the ice. The young man hurried out to see what it was. It was his wife and she was breathing a little. He took her back to his camp. There seemed to be no hope of their living, for their country was far away. “Although things are as they are, we will start back and go as far as we can before we die,” he said. They started back with nothing but their bare hands. With nothing to live on they were helpless. They were beginning to die of starvation when they suddenly came to an old beaver house. “I will set a net in the water for beaver,” he said to himself. “Make a fire and wait some place nearby for me,” he told his wife. He caught two beaver. They started back and traveled far with this food they had secured. When the beaver meat was gone and they were starving again they came where a large bear was lying. With that for food they came back until they reached their own land where there were small birds which served for food until they got back home. It was hard for them but they lived through it. Those people were like human beings but their only food was the flesh of foxes. [The informant said a tribe known as “Fox-eaters” used to live toward the south. The distance is indicated by the amount of food consumed by them, which the informant thought ought to have been sufficient for a very long journey.] The others were not accustomed to foxes and the flesh was tough for them.

Two brothers escape the enemy by flight

Two brothers camped together, despite ominous dreams. Spotting approaching Cree enemies, they fled, with the older brother insisting on carrying a roasted beaver for sustenance. After three days of pursuit, they managed to escape, ate the beaver, and regained their strength, ultimately finding safety.

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

Trials and Tribulations: The brothers face the challenge of evading their pursuers over an extended period, testing their endurance and resolve.

Family Dynamics: The narrative centers on the relationship between the two brothers, highlighting their cooperation and differing perspectives during their escape.

Cunning and Deception: The brothers employ their wits and strategies to outmaneuver the Cree and ensure their survival.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

Once there were two brothers who were camping together. They were not having good dreams. “We better not do as we are doing,” one of them said. “We are doing all right here,” the other replied. “We will roast the beaver and eat it, and remain here until the snow melts.” The older brother looked around and then said to his younger brother, “You say we are in a good place. What is that over there?” He looked and saw there were Cree in the direction they were going. “What shall we do?” asked the older brother. “I will carry the beaver,” he said. “We will run away,” said the older one. “Never mind the beaver, throw it away,” the younger one said. “Well, if we get out of this alive it will be hard to get along without meat. I will carry it over there,” the older brother said.

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They ran off and the Cree chased them. They could not get away from the Cree who came up to them and were about to kill them. The younger brother was usually able to run very fast but he could not run like that now. “He will be killed; he is clumsy with fright,” the older brother said to himself. His legs were pounding together with fear. Then he ran like a moose and got some distance from the Cree. “You carry this beaver,” the older brother said. “Never mind it, we will throw it away,” the younger brother replied. “Do not do that. Carry it,” he insisted. Then he consented to carry it and they ran away from the Cree nevertheless.

After they had been running three nights they made a camp and slept. They roasted the beaver and ate it. After that they lived happily again. They were very tired but after they had eaten they were all right again.

Torturing the enemy

A lone Beaver man encounters a Cree individual who invites him to his nearby camp. The Beaver man waits, constructing a fence and trail. When several Cree arrive, he kills them, including an old woman he enslaves and tortures. He then attacks two blind Cree elders and their young men, killing them all. The story highlights the Beaver man’s formidable prowess.

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

Revenge and Justice: The Beaver man’s actions can be interpreted as acts of vengeance, and the narrative explores the consequences of such retributive justice.

Cunning and Deception: The Beaver man employs deceit to gain the trust of the Cree before betraying and killing them.

Tragic Flaw: The Beaver man’s excessive pride or ruthlessness leads him to commit heinous acts, ultimately defining his character and fate.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

A man was walking by himself. A Cree, too, was walking from the opposite direction. When they met they sat down by each other and the Cree said, “Brother-in-law, how far away is your camp? My camp is close by.” “My camp is a long distance away,” the Beaver replied. “While you are waiting for me, break open this beaver house. We will come to you tomorrow morning,” the Cree said. While the Beaver was waiting for him he made a fence and beat down the snow, making a trail. Then while he was making the fence several Cree came there.

The old man, the Beaver, was sitting by the others cutting a pole in two. He tried in vain. “Brother-in-law, break it for me,” he said.

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Just as soon as he broke it he stabbed him and killed him. Among those who were coming up was the father of the young man who was stabbed. As soon as he heard his son scream they all began to rush forward. As they were rushing along the Beaver shot them with arrows. He killed them all not leaving a single one alive. The mother of the Cree was coming along. “I killed your sons here,” he said. “You are not coming here for nothing.” He made a slave of her causing her to suffer terribly. He used to burn her skin. He killed that old woman too. Afterward he took [as slaves] those who had lived with them.

The old man asked if they knew of any people living close by. He was told there were two old blind men who had enough young men to make a war party. “We will go after them,” the old man said. When they came there they saw the winter trail in the snow. “Wait for me here and be making camp while I go there,” the leader said.

He went to the two blind Cree men, took them by the hair and burned their faces in the fire. “I shall stay here in this condition until my young men get back,” one of the old men said. The other old man said the same thing, “I, too, shall remain in the same condition.” Then one of the young men was coming home and the Beaver man ran after him and killed him. He really killed them all. There were very many men but he himself alone killed them all. They say that Beaver was a powerful man.

A young man tries to escape the responsibility of parenthood

In a time of scarcity, a young man persuades his father to camp separately from their group. Despite initial doubts, the young man successfully hunts two moose, providing for his family. Later, he rejoins the main group and faces criticism over a woman, leading him to return to his father’s camp. Unbeknownst to him, he has fathered a child, whom his mother eagerly accepts, hoping the child will become a hunting partner for her son.

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

Family Dynamics: The narrative centers on the relationships within a family, highlighting the young man’s attempt to escape his role as a parent and his parents’ willingness to assume responsibility for their grandchild.

Conflict with Authority: The young man’s decision to abandon his parental duties can be seen as a challenge to societal and familial expectations regarding responsibility and duty.

Community and Isolation: The young man’s actions lead to a form of isolation as he distances himself from his familial and societal roles, contrasting with the communal approach of his parents.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

The people were very hungry. It seemed as if they would not live. They had made a cache and were going to that. When they were not yet in sight of it, the son of an old man suggested they camp about alone. “We cannot do that,” his father said, “we shall die.” The young man insisted that they camp by themselves. “Are you able to keep the fire pushed together if we do as you say? ‘ the father asked his son. “Yes, I will keep the fire pushed together,” the son promised. “Well, start off in the direction you want to go,” the father said. The young man started off and left a big pile of wood as a sign of the place where they were to camp. “Why do not you look after things? You said you would keep the fire pushed together. What is the matter?” his father said.

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“You said you would push the fire together. You do not act like a man. My children would be fed at the cache and now, because you talked that way, I fear they will die,” the old man said. The young man took the snares and set two for moose. Before long the snares made a noise and two moose had been caught. The old man moved the camp to them. “Father, I am going ahead where the other people are,” the young man said. “Do not go,” his father said, but the boy insisted he would go there.

He started off and came where the other people were. They scolded him because of a woman. Soon after that he went back to his father’s camp. The old man was on ahead. A woman had given birth to a child of which he was the father. “My grandchild,” the woman said, “I wonder whose it is?” “I guess it is that young man’s child,” someone said. The old man’s wife asked if it was a boy. “Yes, it is a boy,” they told her. “Go after him quickly,” the old woman said. “I will raise it. I have one child and this one will be his partner and they will hunt together.”

The rival husbands

A strong man takes another’s wife but fails to provide for her and her children. The original husband, though poor, eventually hunts successfully, bringing back meat for his starving children. The stronger man, unable to match this feat, returns the wife, acknowledging his inadequacy. This story highlights themes of true capability and responsibility.

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

Love and Betrayal: The narrative centers on a man who takes another’s wife, leading to complex interpersonal dynamics and feelings of betrayal.

Family Dynamics: The story highlights the struggles of a father striving to provide for his children amidst challenging circumstances.

Cunning and Deception: One character deceives others by pretending to have hunted successfully, using blood from his nose and arranged pine brush to simulate a kill.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

Once there was a man who, although poor was strong. There was a married man, camped by himself who was not so strong. Having lost his wife to the stronger man, he said to himself, “Why is it he does not kill anything? They will kill my children.” He continued living with them in the same camp. The man who had taken the wife away hunted a good deal but did not kill anything. Although the children were about to die of starvation he paid no attention to them. The other man who had always been poor hunted but did not kill anything. Finally, the grandmother of the children said to her son-in-law, “It seems as if your children will starve. Why do you not do something about it?” “Well, get my arrows out,” he replied to his mother-in-law.

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He hunted along one side of the road until he came to a band of caribou. He killed them all and carried a large quantity of the meat back with him for the children. The poor man who shared the camp with him had said he would move the camp to a considerable distance. The father went back to the road which he followed. He had already passed the new camp. They had not gone further than he had in hunting. Suddenly, he saw the tent standing in front of him. He put the load down outside and went in without it. “Mother-in-law, you will find some partridge dung over there from which you can make some soup for the children,” he said. “I brought it for that purpose; bring it inside.” His partner spoke up, “I saw it lying there and left it. Do not get it, for my children will choke on it.” The old woman brought the load in, and when the other man saw it was meat he was much pleased. They went for the remainder of the meat.

The other man went away hunting the next morning and came home in the evening. His leggings were covered with frozen blood. He did not bring back meat but said they would go for it in the morning. When they came where he claimed to have killed the animals it was apparent the caribou had run away from him. The blood on his leggings was from his nose. He had broken pine brush and covered it with snow thinking it would be mistaken for caribou carcasses. “What is the matter; it is nothing but pine brush. He said it was caribou meat,” the father of the children said when he saw it.

They went back and the man who had taken the wife away gave her back, for he concluded he was not capable enough around the camp to have the responsibility of a wife. They say he was that kind of a man.

This happened when they were wearing breechcloths of skin.

A man wins his faithless wives by wrestling

An elderly chief with two wives struggled to provide food during a harsh winter. Suspecting his wives were mistreating him, he discovered they had left him for another man. Determined, the chief tracked them down and challenged their new husband to a wrestling match. Proving his superior strength, he defeated the rival and reclaimed his wives.

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

Family Dynamics: The narrative centers on the complex relationships within a family, highlighting issues of loyalty and betrayal between the husband and his wives.

Trials and Tribulations: The protagonist faces significant challenges, including abandonment and the struggle to reclaim his family, which he overcomes through personal effort.

Revenge and Justice: The old man seeks to restore his honor and rightful place by confronting and defeating the man who took his wives, serving as a form of personal justice.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

There was an old man who was highly respected and the chief of his band. He had two wives. They were starving, for although he was trying to secure beaver he did not succeed in killing any. He thought the women were starving but wondered at the way they were treating him. Occasionally he killed a small beaver. He would give it to the women and ask them to cook it for him. “Take it up away from the water,” he would tell them. They would leave only the shoulder of the beaver for him. The old man ate only that. “I think they are trying to starve me,” he said to himself. Wondering what they were planning to do, he went to bed. In the morning the two women got up. “Get up,” they told the old man, “what is the matter? You never acted this way before.”

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The two women went off and left him. The old man pretended he was trying hard to get up. “They are alive all right I guess but mean,” he said to himself.

He remained there all winter alone. When the snow was all melted he started off in the direction the women had gone. They had both married the same man. The man they had married was also a strong man. “I will go and see my wives’ other husband,” the old man said.

His rival was not far away. He came to him and they began to wrestle. The man who had taken the women away was thrown down for the other man was the stronger. They say the first man was called, “Strong Man.” The other one was strong. He left the man saying, “You wanted them; marry them.” He went off and began to chisel for beaver with a moose horn. This happened before there were any white people.

An old man escapes a plot only to be killed in revenge

An elderly man living alone with his young wife survives an assassination attempt by a young hunter who desires his wife. The old man kills the hunter in self-defense and flees, seeking refuge among strangers. Unbeknownst to him, these strangers are the hunter’s relatives. Upon learning of his deed, they exact revenge by killing the old man.

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

Love and Betrayal: The young man’s proposal to the old man’s wife and her implicit acceptance represent betrayal within a relationship.

Revenge and Justice: The old man’s act of killing the young man in self-defense leads to his own death at the hands of the young man’s relatives, highlighting cycles of retribution.

Tragic Flaw: The old man’s decision to share his story with strangers, who turn out to be the young man’s relatives, leads to his demise.

► From the same Region or People

North America
- Sub-Arctic Region
  - Dane-zaa Lore

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

There was one old man who camped by himself, living on rabbits which he was taking in snares. He had a wife who was a young girl. A young man who was living with some strange Indians was out hunting and came to the woman. He told her that he would kill the old man when he was out looking after his snares. “If I kill him I will marry you,” he told her. When the old man went out to look after his snares the young man went in the same direction. He watched for him behind some willows which were covered with snow. A rabbit had been snared and was hanging high up on the spring pole. When the old man stretched up to pull it down with a wooden hook he carried, the young man shot him. The old man jumped up and the arrow went under him.

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The old man rushed after the young man who tried in vain to run away. He caught him and killed him.

Because the young man had many relatives the old man ran off. He came to some people who were living far away whom he did not know. They were the relatives of the young man he had killed. He was telling them his experiences when they broke in on him saying, “You are telling us about our youngest brother whom you have killed. We were wondering who killed him and it turns out to be you.” They killed the old man, although he was very pitiful.