The hunting fetish

A hunter, weakened by starvation, struggled as moose consistently evaded him. He possessed a small moose figurine, believed to be part of his own flesh, gifted by a moose to bring good luck. Despite using this charm, the moose remained elusive. In despair, he buried the figurine in the snow and succumbed to hunger. It’s believed he offended the moose, leading to his demise.

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

Divine Punishment: The man’s death is a consequence of angering the moose, suggesting retribution from a higher power.

Sacred Objects: The moose figurine serves as a powerful artifact with mystical significance in hunting.

Conflict with Nature: The man’s struggle against natural forces, represented by the elusive moose, leads to his starvation.

► From the same Region or People

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

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

A man was starving and it seemed he could not live. He was dying of hunger because the moose detected his presence before he could get up to them. They knew he was a powerful man. He was so weak he could not walk very far.

He came where there were some moose but before he could shoot them they rushed off. He had a little moose, an image, that used to sit on him. He pulled that out and waved it in front of the moose, but they took no notice of it and continued to run off. He put the little moose under the snow and himself died immediately.

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The little moose was the same as his own flesh. They say he was using it to hunt with at the time when people were hunting with arrows. Because a moose liked the man it took out its own little one and put it in the man’s body and that gave him good luck. He must have angered the moose and because of that he died of hunger. They say that was the way it happened. [The last paragraph was obtained in response to a question as to the meaning of the story.]

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The loaned hunting dog

An old man owned a hunting dog, which was actually a wolf adept at hunting moose. A young man borrowed the dog but ignored instructions to reward it with the moose’s tongue, offering the liver instead. Angered, the dog killed the young man. The old man lamented his loss, but the dog eventually returned, and they continued hunting together.

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

Moral Lessons: The tale imparts the importance of following instructions and respecting established customs.

Conflict with Nature: The young man’s failure to adhere to natural laws or customs leads to his demise.

Ancestral Spirits: The old man’s relationship with the wolf-dog may symbolize a connection to ancestral knowledge or guidance.

► From the same Region or People

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

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

An old man had a hunting dog which was very good for moose. That was because it was not an ordinary dog but a wolf. A young man saw a moose track, but did not succeed in killing the moose. He came to the old man and said, “Grandfather, I saw a moose track, lend me your dog and I will go after it.” “My dog is mean,” the old man replied, “you must promise to treat the dog exactly as I tell you.”

The young man agreed to do so. “If you kill a moose the first thing you must do is to give the dog the end of the tongue. He is only pleased when I do that. You must do the same. Do not fail to do as I do, my grandson.”

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The young man went hunting with the dog and killed a moose. Instead of doing as the old man had told him he cut off the liver and threw it to the dog. The dog was angry and did not eat the liver but went off and left it there. The young man cut up the moose and started home. Being thirsty he went to get a drink. The dog which was lying there jumped on the man as he drank and disemboweled him, killing him. He ate all the man’s ribs.

Neither the man nor the dog returned. The Indians at the camp were going to bed, but the old man said, “There must be some reason my dog is not here. He has been howling and he does not do that without some reason. I told the young man repeatedly not to treat the dog in any way differently from the way I treat him. I loaned him the dog because he asked me for him so many times. The dog has probably killed him. I fear he is not living. Look for him and see if you can find out what has happened.”

They went out to look for him and came upon his tracks where he had been approaching the camp. They saw his body lying there in front of them. The dog had killed him. The dog was not there and they did not know where he had gone.

The old man who had been living by the dog’s aid said, “How shall I live? The dog with which I got my living has left me alone.” He was much displeased. He called the dog and the next morning it came back to him. He lived with the help of the dog again. The dog did not kill the old man who was able to live on good meat again. They say that was a very good dog.

They tell this story about the time the world was beginning.

The boy who was cared for by the wolf

A man with many children lost his wife during winter and abandoned an orphaned child he had been caring for. Upon returning in spring, he found the boy alive. The child revealed that a wolf had cared for him, providing warmth, fire, and meat. The boy survived into middle age before succumbing to illness.

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

Guardian Figures: The wolf acts as a protector and caretaker for the boy during his time of need.

Loss and Renewal: The boy experiences the loss of his caretakers but finds renewal through the wolf’s guardianship and his eventual reintegration into human society.

Ancestral Spirits: The narrative reflects the belief in animal spirits or ancestors taking care of humans, a common motif in indigenous cultures.

► From the same Region or People

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

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

This story was affirmed to be true by the narrator, John Bourassa, one of the most intelligent of the mixed-bloods in the vicinity of Vermilion. Lowie has a story of a bear who gave suck to a grown man.

One time there was a man who with many children was living by himself. In the middle of the winter his wife died, and he went to join the other people. He had been taking care of an orphan child, but now could do nothing for him, so he deserted him, leaving him alone in the camp.

When he passed by the next spring, he found the child was still alive and took him along, “How did you get through the winter without freezing?” he asked the child. “A wolf took care of me. He slept with me and made a fire for me. That is why I did not freeze to death. He also fed me with meat,” the boy said.

The boy lived long after this, until he was of middle age and finally died of some ailment.

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Thunderbirds

In Dane-zaa lore, thunderbirds inhabit high mountains, nesting on elevated hills where they clear surrounding timber. Visible only to those with strong supernatural abilities, these formidable creatures are feared by others, as they can attack and kill those who approach without such powers. Despite their strength, “earth’s roots” are believed to be more powerful. Thunderbirds are described as being about the size of jackpine partridges.

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

Supernatural Beings: The Thunderbirds themselves are powerful entities that reside on high mountains and possess the ability to destroy timber and attack humans.

Conflict with Nature: The Thunderbirds’ capacity to tear twisted trees apart and the danger they pose to humans highlight a struggle against formidable natural forces.

Sacred Spaces: The high mountains where the Thunderbirds dwell are considered perilous and are accessible only to those with significant supernatural power, indicating these locations hold spiritual significance.

► From the same Region or People

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

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

They breed where there is a high hill. They destroy all the timber where they make their nest. They live on every high mountain. The places where they live are dangerous. Only men with strong supernatural power can see them. Those are the only ones who know where they live. As soon as a person who has nothing of that kind (supernatural power) comes near, they attack him. The people who do not see them are afraid of them. They say they can kill a man because they are strong. “Earth’s roots” are the only things which are stronger than they are. They tear twisted trees to pieces. In reply to a question the informant added that the thunderbirds are about as large as the jackpine partridges. He said his father used to go to see the thunderbirds.

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Fournier’s grandfather’s supernatural power

In midwinter, a Beaver tribe faced starvation near Hay River. A surviving group sought help from a renowned medicine man, who vowed to ensure his relatives would never struggle to find game. He erected a painted medicine pole and sang, causing a thunderstorm and heavy snowfall. The snow buried the moose, leaving only their heads exposed, making them easy prey. As the snow melted, flooding allowed beavers to gnaw the tops of tall cottonwood trees along Hay River.

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

Magic and Enchantment: The medicineman’s ritual invokes supernatural forces to alter the environment, demonstrating the influence of higher powers in mortal affairs.

Conflict with Nature: The community faces the challenges of starvation due to harsh winter conditions and scarcity of game, highlighting their struggle against natural forces.

Sacred Spaces: The creation and use of the medicine pole serve as a focal point for the ritual, indicating a location of spiritual significance.

► 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 Fournier through John Bourassa. The informant was in his grandfather’s camp and remembers this incident well.

The informant’s father’s father was a great medicineman. A party of Beaver were traveling in midwinter beyond Hay River toward the Rocky Mountains. A band had been separated from the main party and through bad luck in hunting the men had all starved. The surviving women and children came to the grandfather’s camp. The old man, displeased because some of his relatives in this band had died, said he would make medicine so that none of his relatives would have trouble in killing all the game they wanted to eat. He made a medicine pole, painted it, and set it up. He had a man stand beside the pole and made it as high as the man. He then began to sing, and although it was the middle of the winter it thundered and began to snow. The snow fell until it was as high as the top of the pole. Then they could kill all the game they needed. Just the heads of the moose were sticking out of the snow and they could be killed with spears. When the snow melted the water was so high that the beaver gnawed the tops of the tallest Cottonwood trees along Hay River.

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A magician escapes the Cree by turning into a buffalo

An elderly man remains in his lodge, singing medicine songs, unaware of an attack by the Cree. As the Cree approach, they find only a buffalo ready to charge, which frightens them away. The buffalo is revealed to be the old man, who had transformed to escape harm. He had intended to rejuvenate himself by making new teeth and becoming young again.

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

Trickster: He uses cunning and his magical abilities to outsmart the Cree warriors.

Rebirth: The narrative touches upon the concept of rejuvenation, as the old man plans to make himself young again.

Conflict with Authority: The story depicts a confrontation between the individual (the old man) and an opposing force (the Cree).

► From the same Region or People

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

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

There were many people living together. Among them was an old man who was going to make new teeth for himself. While the Beaver were camped there for him the Cree came and attacked them. The other people all ran away but that old man did not get up. He was singing his medicine songs and did not know the Cree had come there. They went off after the Beaver but did not kill them. When the Cree came back they heard a man singing. They went to him. The old man was in a lodge. He pushed the poles up high so that he could be seen. There was no man there only a buffalo which was about to attack them. They were afraid of him. The buffalo was the old man.

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He had one child. “I will make my teeth come again,” he said. That is why they had made a camp for him. He had said he would make himself a young man again. They say that is the way they used to do. When old age was going to kill them they used to rejuvenate themselves in a lodge.

A magician spends a winter in a lake

A man, believing in his supernatural abilities, requests to be placed in a sack and submerged in a lake through an ice hole. He remains underwater throughout the winter, surviving until the snow melts, when he is retrieved alive. Others who attempted this feat often perished, indicating that only those with significant supernatural power could endure such trials.

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

Magic and Enchantment: The man’s belief in his supernatural powers and his survival suggest influence beyond the natural realm.

Trials and Tribulations: Enduring an entire winter submerged in a lake represents a significant test of endurance and faith in his abilities.

Conflict with Nature: The act of immersing oneself in a frozen lake for an extended period highlights a direct confrontation with natural elements.

► From the same Region or People

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

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

A man was put in a sack which was then lowered into a lake through a hole which had been cut in the ice. The man to whom it was done had said, “Do that to me.” He thought he had supernatural power to endure that. The others kept watch while he sat in the water all winter until the snow was nearly melted. They saw he was still alive and took him out.

Some who tried to do that died and others lived. Those who were not very powerful supernaturally, died. Many who did such things to each other died. Before white people came there was no sickness. At first they died only when they were using supernatural power on each other.

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A magician cuts his throat with impunity

Two men, sharing a wife, decide to test their supernatural powers by beheading each other. The first man survives decapitation unharmed, but when the second man attempts the same, he fails to restore himself and seeks help. The first man heals him, revealing their unequal abilities. This story highlights themes of hubris and the limits of one’s power.

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

Supernatural Beings: The protagonists possess supernatural abilities, allowing them to survive otherwise fatal injuries.

Trials and Tribulations: The men undergo a dangerous test to prove their powers, facing life-threatening challenges.

Cunning and Deception: The story involves elements of testing and outwitting death through supernatural means.

► From the same Region or People

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

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

There was a man who had great supernatural power. The man with whom he shared a wife said to himself, “I, too, am just the same sort.” Thinking they would test their power they decided to cut off each other’s heads. The first man had his head cut off but he did not die. Then his companion cut his throat. He tried in vain to fix it again. He drew his hand across his throat twice but it made no difference. He was unable to restore himself. He went to his companion and said, “I thought I was the same kind as you but I am not.” Then his partner called him to him and put his hand on his throat. After that he got well. They lived all right. They were only testing themselves. At first before there were any white people, the Indians were powerful men. They secured their livings by means of supernatural power. That was when they used to wear leather.

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The equally matched magicians

Two rival magicians transform into a bear and a buffalo, respectively, to confront each other. Realizing they are equally matched and unable to gain an advantage, they exchange remarks about each other’s perceived weaknesses. Recognizing their equality in power, they decide to make peace and become friends.

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: Each individual uses transformation as a tactic, possibly to gain an advantage over the other.

Moral Lessons: The story imparts a lesson about the futility of jealousy and the value of recognizing equality, leading to reconciliation.

Community and Isolation: The narrative begins with one man isolating himself due to jealousy, which ultimately leads to a confrontation and subsequent reconciliation, reflecting themes of estrangement and reunion within a community.

► From the same Region or People

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

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people

The people were jealous of each other and because of that one man had camped alone. A party of Indians started to go to this man’s camp, but when they came within sight of it the man who was jealous of him said he would go to the camp alone. He started toward it changing himself into a bear when he came near. The people saw him as he was running along and warned the man for whom he was coming that his enemy was approaching. When the man heard what was said he turned himself into a buffalo and jumped out. They met each other; the one a buffalo and the other a bear. Neither could get the advantage over the other because they were afraid of each other.

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Then the man who was a buffalo spoke to the man who was a bear saying, “Your food is so short you are saying to yourself, ‘What can I do?’ and that way you run toward me.” The bear too, said to the buffalo, “You, too, because your teeth are short you are saying to yourself, ‘What can I do?’ That is the matter with you.” They were both alike in power and immediately made friends.

The redeeming of a doomed man

A man attempts to harm another using supernatural power, declaring he will go no further than a white patch of soil. The targeted man encounters an old figure at this spot, who urges him to retrieve his belongings. Upon learning of this, his father-in-law confronts the old man, offering an otterskin to negotiate his son-in-law’s safety, ultimately saving his life through supernatural means.

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 father-in-law offers an otterskin to the underground person to save his son-in-law’s life, symbolizing a personal sacrifice.

Supernatural Beings: The narrative includes an “underground person” with supernatural abilities, highlighting interactions with otherworldly entities.

Moral Lessons: The tale imparts a lesson on the importance of courage and the protective role of family members.

► 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 having a bad quarrel and because of it one man tried to injure another through his supernatural power. “There is no one stronger than I and because of that you will go no further than that patch of white soil,” he said of the man he wished to injure. The man went hunting and came to a white patch of soil. [The Beaver seers refer to winter as the white patch and summer as the dark patch; winter may have been the original meaning here and the Indian informant has wrongly construed it.] An old man sitting there said to the man as he came near him, “Quick, go back and get your personal property.” The man started back for his property. “Hurry,” he called after him.

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The man came back to his camp and was tying up his things, when his father-in-law asked what he was going to do with his property. “A man who was sitting in front of me told me to come back to him quickly and I am doing it,” replied the son-in-law. “You did not used to be afraid of a man’s mind. Pay no attention to what he said. Sit here and I will go to him,” the father-in-law said.

He took an otterskin and started away to the place where the man was sitting. When he came to the white spot, and the man sitting there saw him, he called out, “Am I nobody that I call a man and you come instead?” “Well, let him alone anyway,” he said. He made a trade with him for the otterskin and left him.

They say the old man did that. He bought off his son-in-law who was about to be killed. That man was an underground person. They say the old man saved his son-in-law’s life by his supernatural power.