Story of Beaver

Beaver, a great transformer, encounters various monsters along a well-traveled trail. He first confronts Wolverene, who kills travelers using a slippery glacier and a hidden spear. Feigning death, Beaver tricks and kills Wolverene and his family. Continuing his journey, Beaver outwits Sheep-Man, who pushes people off cliffs, by reversing the trap and causing Sheep-Man’s demise. Beaver’s cunning leads to the downfall of these malevolent beings.

Source: 
Kaska Tales
by James A. Teit
The American Folklore Society
Journal of American Folklore
Vol.30, No.118, pp. 427-473
October-December, 1917


► Themes of the story


Hero’s Journey: Beaver embarks on a transformative adventure, confronting and overcoming various challenges and adversaries.

Trickster: Beaver employs cunning and deception to outsmart his enemies, such as pretending to be dead to deceive Wolverene.

Moral Lessons: The tale imparts lessons about bravery, intelligence, and the triumph of good over evil through Beaver’s actions and decisions.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Kaska people


A long time ago, when all the animals were people, Beaver was a great transformer. He travelled along a wide trail that was much used. Along the trail were many monsters that preyed on people. He came to a place where people always disappeared. Wolverene killed them. His house was at the foot of a glacier, between two rocky bluffs. The glacier was very slippery, and people crossing it slid down to the bottom, where they were transfixed on a spear placed there by Wolverene. As soon as something touched the spear, Wolverene knew it, and came out at once. If they were dead, he carried the bodies home; if they were only wounded, he killed them. His house was full of peoples’ bones. Beaver went down this slide, and, cutting his lips with the spear so that they bled, pretended to be dead.

► Continue reading…

Wolverene knew something had been caught, and came out smiling and very happy. When he saw Beaver, he said, “What a large beaver!” Then he laughed, and said, “I have caught this clever man.” He carried the body home and put it down in his house. He had four flensing-knives. He used one after another, but they would not cut Beaver’s skin. Then he searched for the fourth knife. Beaver knew that this knife would cut him, so he opened his eyes to see where he might find a stick. One of Wolverene’s children noticed him, and called out, “Father, the Beaver has opened his eyes!” Wolverene answered, “You are mistaken. How can a dead man open his eyes?” Beaver jumped up and seized a stick, with which he broke Wolverene’s arms and legs. He killed him, and put his body before the fire to roast. He also killed all Wolverene’s children, and treated their bodies likewise.

Beaver went on, and came to a bluff overlooking a deep creek. He heard a dog barking below the cliff. He listened, and approached cautiously. Presently he saw a man on the top of the cliff, and went to him. This was Sheep-Man, who killed people by pushing them over the cliff. His wife attracted them by barking like a dog, and any who were not killed outright by the fall were clubbed by her at the bottom of the cliff. When Beaver reached Sheep-Man, the latter said, “Look at the sheep down below!” Beaver said, “You look first, you saw them first.” They quarrelled as to who should look over the brink first. At last Sheep-Man looked, and Beaver at once pushed him over. He was killed by the fall. When Sheep-Man’s wife heard the thud of something falling at the base of the cliff, she ran out quickly, and began to club the man before she noticed that it was her own husband. She then looked up and saw Beaver, who threw a rock at her head and killed her. This is why the head of the mountain-sheep is so small between the horns; and the tongues of sheep are black because they once ate men.

Beaver travelled on, and came to a large camp of Sheep people. The women were good, and called to him, “Why do you come this way?” He answered, “I am looking for friends who have passed along this trail.” The Sheep men followed him, and he ran among bluffs and rocks. It became dark; but they pursued him, just the same, by scenting him. He went down a steep place, and the Sheep did not know exactly which way he had gone. There his trail was a sheer cliff. They called out, “How did you get down?” and Beaver directed them to the sheer cliff. The Sheep then all ran over the cliff and were killed.

In the morning an old woman and girl arrived there. The woman proposed to marry Beaver, and had told the girl that when she slept with him, she (the girl) must club Beaver while he was asleep. Beaver refused the request of the women, and killed them both.

Beaver proceeded on his journey, and, after crossing a mountain, sat down on the trail. He saw a man coming, carrying a stick with a hook at the end. This was Marten-Man, who killed people (by hooking them between the legs). Beaver placed a piece of sheep’s flesh between his legs and sat still. Marten asked many questions of Beaver. They conversed together and told stories to each other. Meanwhile Marten pushed his stick underneath the snow and hooked the meat. Beaver ran away, and Marten chased him. As he ran, Beaver dropped pieces of sheep’s fat. Marten could not catch him, and turned back to his camp. He said to his wife, “I have lost some very fat game. The fat kept dropping from him as he ran. We will shift camp, and I will track him.” Next morning Marten tracked Beaver, and his wife and children followed behind. Beaver lay in wait for Marten, and killed him. He cut off one arm, and covered the rest of the body with snow. Then, making a camp, he scattered pieces of sheep’s fat about, and put Marten’s arm on a hook to roast. He had just hidden himself when Marten’s family appeared. The children were delighted, saying, “Father has killed some fat game. See the camp, and the arm roasting, and the pieces of fat scattered about!” They ran around on their snowshoes, laughing, and gathering up the pieces of fat. When Beaver appeared, the eldest boy was going to shoot him with an arrow; but Beaver called out, “Don’t! I am going to marry your sister.” His mother took hold of his arm, and said, “Don’t shoot! He will be your sister’s husband.” Beaver said, “I will make a big fire, so that the meat will roast quickly.” They did not know that it was Marten’s arm. Beaver brought in some wood covered with snow and put it on the fire, which now became smoky and nearly went out. He asked the mother and children to get down on their hands and knees and blow on the fire. When they did so, Beaver clubbed them, and killed them all excepting the youngest child, who ran away and climbed a tree. Beaver could not catch him, so he transformed him into the animal marten, saying, “Henceforth you shall be an ordinary marten, and shall eat rabbits and mice. You shall never again eat men.”

Beaver continued his journey along the trail. When near a small, round lake, he saw that a giant was following him. He went around the lake, and the giant chased him. Beaver ran round and round the lake, the giant behind him. The latter could not catch him, and began to slacken his pace. He said to Beaver, “How can I catch you?” Beaver answered, “Make ready everything required for frying and cooking my meat, then make a snare, set it, and catch me.” The giant did as advised. Beaver put a large tree-stump in the snare and hid in the brush. The giant felt something in his snare, and began to pull on the line. It was very heavy, and he gave a mighty tug. The stump gave way, and, flying up, struck him on the forehead. The wound bled much, and the giant licked and swallowed the blood as it ran down his face. He was very tired and hungry, for he had chased Beaver all day. He sat down, and thought, “What shall I eat?” He thought of eating his ears, but said, “No! if I eat my ears, I shall spoil my hearing.” He thought of his nose, and said, “No! if I eat my nose, I shall no longer be able to smell.” He thought of all the different parts of his body, and at last of his privates. He could not think of their being of much use, so he cut them off and ate them. He felt sick, and said to himself, “I am getting very sleepy.” He was dying, but did not know it. He lay down and died.

Beaver continued his travels, and came to the edge of a large river. Happening to look round, he saw another giant coming. He took off his clothes, and painted himself with the white powdery substance that covers the outside bark of cottonwood-trees. He looked like a ghost. He put little sticks in his eyes to keep the eyelids open, and stood rigid and immovable alongside the trail. As the giant approached, he said, “That game looks very strange.” He took his axe and made as if he would strike; but Beaver never moved, or winked an eye. The giant said, “This cannot be game.” The giant tickled him in different parts of the body, but Beaver neither moved nor laughed. The giant said again, “This is funny.” He poked his finger in Beaver’s anus, and then smelled of it, saying, “Well, this smells like game, but the body does not act or look like game. This is very strange.” He departed wondering. Beaver ran away and climbed a tree. The giant changed his mind, and returned to examine him again. When he arrived at the place and found that he was gone, he said, “I am very sorry I did not hit him with my axe. It was surely game.” He followed the tracks to the bottom of a tree near the water-edge, but never looked up into the tree. He saw Beaver’s reflection in the river, and said, “There he is!” He struck at the reflection with his axe. Then he moved to the side and struck again. The giant kept this up for a long time, and was completely soaked with the splashing of the water. He had about made up his mind that he could not kill him, when Beaver laughed. The giant looked up into the tree and saw him. He said, “I will shoot you,” and he put an arrow on his bow. Beaver called, “Don’t! If you shoot me, I shall fall into the river, and you will lose me.” The giant said, “I will fire the tree;” and Beaver answered, “You mustn’t. If you do that, you will burn me up, and lose all my fat.” The giant said, “I will chop down the tree;” and Beaver answered, “No! if you do that, the tree will fall into the water, and you will lose me.” The giant said, “Then how shall I get you?” Beaver answered, “Get a long pole and put a noose at the end and catch me.” The giant agreed to this. Beaver said, “Go up on yonder hill and cut a pole.” The giant went up, and, seeing a good-looking pole, called out to Beaver, “Will this one do?” Beaver answered, “No, go farther! that is not the right kind.” Beaver kept on urging the giant to go farther, until he reached the top of the mountain. The giant showed a pole from there; and Beaver called out, “That one will do, now put a noose on it and get everything ready.” Beaver then came down out of the tree, and swam across the river. When the giant came back, he missed Beaver, and said, “He has got away. I am very sorry I did not shoot him.” Beaver talked to him from across the river. The giant asked him, “How did you get across there?” and Beaver answered, “I made my blanket into a canoe by tying it up and putting a board in the bottom.” The giant did this, and when nearly across began to sink. He called out, “Help! I am sinking!” and pushed out the pole he had cut for Beaver to catch it and pull him out. Beaver took hold of the pole and pushed the giant under water and drowned him.

Beaver now made a canoe and went down the river. He saw smoke and a camp, and put ashore and tied up his canoe. This was the camp of Woodchuck, who ate men. He said to Beaver, “I am a good man, and treat my guests well. I shall cook, that you may eat, for you must be hungry.” He cooked a mixture of human and other flesh. Beaver knew the human flesh and would not eat it. Woodchuck became angry, jumped on him, and scratched him. They fought a long time; and Beaver killed Woodchuck and threw his body into the river. He then burned his lodge and all his belongings.

Continuing down the river, Beaver reached the camp of Bushtail-Rat, who was also a cannibal. He said to Beaver, “Be my guest; I am a good man, and will treat you well. I will cook food for you.” He cooked a kettleful of flesh, which when done he served on a dish. He put the human flesh on the side of the dish next to Beaver, who did not touch it, but ate only from the other side of the dish. Rat was very angry, and he and his wife jumped on Beaver. They fought a long time and nearly killed Beaver, who in the end succeeded in killing both. When nearly dead, Rat-Man called out, “I have two caches! The good meat is in the eastern one, and the poor meat in the western one.” Beaver went to the eastern cache, and saw that it contained dried human flesh. He burned up the two caches and also Rat’s lodge, and all the implements which he used for killing people.

Beaver continued his journey down the river, and came to the place where Kingfisher lived. He lived by spearing fish, and did not kill people. Beaver hid his canoe, changed himself into a large salmon, and swam to the place where Kingfisher used to draw water. Kingfisher saw him, and ran back to get his spear. He returned quickly and speared the salmon; but his spear-point broke off, and the fish swam away with it. Kingfisher was very sorry to lose his spear-head. He went back and sat down. Soon Beaver came along in his canoe. He had the spear-head hidden in a box in the canoe, where it could not be seen. Kingfisher said, “O my friend! I have just lost a big fish that went off with my spear-head. Had I caught the fish, we should have eaten together. I should have cooked it for you.” Beaver went up to Kingfisher’s lodge, where his host made him fall asleep and then read his thoughts. He found out that the spear-head was in Beaver’s canoe, and went to search for it; but he broke up the whole canoe before he succeeded in finding it. When Beaver awoke, he went down to the canoe and found it broken. He reproached Kingfisher, saying, “I thought you said you were a good man and always treated your guests well. Now you have broken my canoe.” Kingfisher said, “I wanted to get my spear-head, so that I may be sure to get food. If you are not satisfied, I will throw a sleep on you again.” Beaver did not kill Kingfisher, because he was not a cannibal. He lived entirely by killing fish.

When Beaver was leaving, Kingfisher said to him, “You will find Otter-Man living lower down; he is a bad man, and eats people. Look out for him! He has a rope stretched across the river a little above the surface of the water, and any canoe which hits it is cut to pieces.”

Beaver repaired his canoe and continued his journey. He watched for the rope. When he was near it, he lifted it up with a stick which he had taken aboard, and passed underneath. Some distance below he saw smoke on a point, put ashore, and came to the camp of Otter-Woman, who had in her privates animals that bit and killed men. The woman ran down to meet him, and cried, “You must be my husband!” She hurriedly bundled his belongings into her game-bag, tied it up, and was about to carry it up to her lodge. Beaver said, “Stay! I want to drink some cold water. Will you fetch me some?” She hurriedly brought some water from near by; but Beaver said, “That is no good, it is too warm. Go up to the spring in the mountain and get some really cold water.” When she had gone, Beaver cut one of the strings of the bag. Otter-Woman at once knew, and turned back. Beaver beckoned her to go on; and when she was far away, he cut the other strings of the bag, took out his belongings, and embarked in the canoe. He went downstream to an island where he made up his mind to camp over night. Otter-Woman came back, jumped into the river, swam to the island, and went to his camp. Beaver killed two beavers at this place for food. Otter-Woman took the skins, tanned and dressed them, sewed them into mitts for Beaver, and laid them by his side. Beaver and Otter-Woman staid on opposite sides of the fire. When Beaver awoke, he found the mitts the woman had made, and, looking across the fire, he saw her lying naked with her legs apart, in a tempting attitude. Beaver heated a stone, and, instead of having connection with her, he pushed the stone into her vagina and killed her. A weasel and mink came out, and he killed them. These animals bit men who had connection with the woman, and killed them.

Beaver continued his voyage down the river. He saw the smoke of a big camp, and put ashore. Here lived Shrew-Woman, who was very small and very wise. The smoke from her lodge rose out of the grass. She asked him where he was going and where he had come from. When he told her, she advised him not to go farther down the river. She said, “An evil being lives lower down. He is gifted with great magical power, and has many cannibal monsters under his control. Above his house are two huge snake-like monsters with hairy manes, that lie one on each side of the river. When they sleep, their eyes are wide open; and when awake, their eyes are shut. When anything comes down the river, they both dart out their heads and seize and devour it.” Beaver said he was hungry, and Shrew cooked a few salmon-eggs for him in a tiny kettle. Beaver thought to himself, “That is not enough.” Shrew read his thoughts, and said, “You will find there is enough.” As the eggs cooked, they and the kettle grew bigger, and Beaver found he could not eat all. When Beaver left, Shrew gave him two fish to throw, one on each side, to the snakes when he reached them. He came down midstream in his canoe; and as he approached the snakes, he saw that their eyes were shut. He then knew they were awake; and, as he passed between them, they darted out their heads to devour him. He threw a fish into the mouth of each; and while they were devouring the fish, he passed on out of reach. A short distance below this place he saw two girls, sisters, playing on the shore. He went ashore above them, and, changing into a bluebird, flew near them. The sisters thought the bird could not fly very well, and chased it. At last the younger girl caught it and carried it home. When they reached their lodge (they slept together, and apart from their parents), the elder sister offered to buy the bird from the younger one by paying her a silver spoon she owned. The younger one agreed, and they exchanged. The elder girl took the bluebird to bed with her, and placed it between herself and her sister. When she awoke, she found a young man lying between them, and the bird was gone. The girls began to cry, for they knew their father would kill the man. They left him and went to breakfast. Their father noticed tears in their eyes, and asked them why they were crying. At last they told him of the young man, and he told them he wanted to see him. They brought the man to him, and he at once seized him and put him into a large kettle that he had on the fire. He kept him in there for two days boiling, then he lifted the lid to see if he were properly cooked. Beaver had changed himself into a little bird; and when the lid was lifted, he flew out and escaped. The cannibal tried hard to catch him, but without avail. During the interval the sisters felt very sorry for the man and cried often. That night Beaver came to them and slept between them as a man. In the morning they cried again, for they knew that their father would try again to kill him. Their father heard them, and knew the man was there. When they went to breakfast, their father asked them, and they finally told him the man was there. He said to them, “All right, you may keep him as a husband, and he shall work for me.” He told his son-in-law, “You must finish my canoe for me,” and showed him a large, partly finished canoe, the sides of which were kept apart by a cross-stick. When Beaver went inside to work, the cannibal pulled out the stick, and the sides closed in and imprisoned Beaver. The cannibal went home and told his wife that the strange man was dead or a prisoner. Shortly afterwards he returned to the canoe, and found it split and his son-in-law gone. Beaver had burst the canoe by spreading his elbows. Next morning the cannibal heard his daughters crying again; for they knew the difficult tasks their father would give to their husband, and that if he failed in any of them, he would lose his life. That day the cannibal told his son-in-law that he wanted some eagle-feathers for his arrows, and directed him to a big tree where the Bald-Headed Eagle lived, who ate people. Beaver climbed the tree, and found only two young Eagles in the nest. He asked them when their parents would come home; and they answered, “Our mother will come with wind and rain at noon, carrying the legs of a man. Our father will come with wind and hail in the evening, carrying the upper part of a man. He eats the rest.” One of Eagle’s children always told his parents everything. He therefore could not be trusted, so Beaver killed him. Beaver said to the other, “When your mother comes, tell her your brother got sick in the head and died; and you are sick in the head now too, and will die by and by if you eat any more of that meat she brings. You must not eat any of the meat. If she asks what it is that smells like a man around here, tell her it is only the smell of the game she brought.” Beaver hid with a club outside the edge of the nest. When the Mother-Eagle arrived, she asked why her son was dead, and the boy told her all as directed by Beaver. He also refused to eat of the meat she had brought. The mother said, “Very well, I will eat the meat myself.” When she had eaten just a little, a piece stuck in her throat and threatened to choke her. She then knew there was something wrong. Beaver jumped up and clubbed her, and threw the body away. Beaver told the boy to tell the same story to his father, and, if the latter asked where his wife was, to tell him she had not yet come home. When the Father-Eagle arrived, he asked for his wife. When he was told that she had not yet come, he said, “That is strange, she always arrives here before me.” The boy refused to eat the meat he brought; so the father began to eat it himself, choked on it, and was killed by Beaver, who now descended, plucked the feathers out of the dead birds, and returned. The cannibal was much surprised that Beaver had returned alive. Next day he told his daughters that their husband had to get sinew for tying the feathers on his arrows. When they told Beaver, he sent one of them back to learn where he had to go; and her father told her he had to go to the hairy cannibal monster who lived beyond Shrew-Woman’s house. On the way Beaver called on the Shrew and told her of the task he had to perform. She said to him, “I will help you.” They went off together; and when near the monster’s place, she dug a hole for Beaver in which to conceal himself. The hair was worn off the monster’s haunches through sitting on the ground. When Shrew drew near, the monster asked her what she wanted. She said, “I want you to help me. I am cold, and I want some of the long hair from your body to weave a blanket for myself.” The monster told her to pluck some hair from his haunches. She pretended to pull the hair, and said, “The hair is too tough and coarse here, it will not pull out.” He told her to try another place. She did so, and said the same. Finally she said, “The hair under your arm seems to be the best. I will pluck some from there.” The monster said, “All right.” She pulled out much of the hair from under the arm over the heart, and left a bare spot. Beaver then shot an arrow at this vital place and mortally wounded the beast, who immediately crawled into his hole or den. Shrew crawled in, and found he was dead. Shrew-Woman now had plenty of meat, and she cut out the sinew for Beaver, who went back with it. When Beaver brought home the sinew, the women were glad, and their father was very angry. Next morning he told his daughters to tell their husband to get glue to fasten the feathers and sinew on his arrows. He sent one of his wives back to ask where to get it. Her father said, “Down there in the lake.” There lived a monster-fish, probably a kind of pike or a sturgeon, that ate people as they went along the shore. Beaver took his spear and went to the lake and speared the fish, which moved the whole lake in his death struggles. When he was dead, Beaver cut out the part used for glue from behind the dorsal fin, and returned home. The cannibal was now very angry, and said to his wife, “This fellow has killed all my pets that kill men, and my arrows are not yet made.” Next day he sent him for paint to paint his arrows with, and sent word that it was up the river where he had passed. As Beaver went by, he called on Shrew-Woman for advice. She told him that the snake-monsters he had passed coming down the river lay on the paint. She said she would assist him. She made a man of clay to throw into the middle of the river. She said, “When they see him, they will pounce on him, and then you may steal the paint from underneath the tail of the one on this side of the river.” Beaver brought back the paint. The cannibal now transformed his daughters into grizzly bears, and put them on a side-hill across the river. He pointed out the bears to his son-in-law, and said, “Do you see those bears across the water? Let us go and kill them! You will go on the top of the hill, I shall drive them to you, and you will shoot them.” He gave his arrows to Beaver, who saw that none of them had heads. Beaver, however, was prepared for this, and had hidden two bone arrow-heads in his hair. When Beaver got to the top of the hill, he put the bone heads on two arrows. The cannibal drove the bears, and, when they came near the top, Beaver shot the headless arrows at them; but they all broke, and none of them penetrated. He then fired the arrows with heads, and killed both the bears. The cannibal was very angry, and chased him with a knife. As he could not run fast, he called on his wife, who was fleet of foot, to chase Beaver. When she had nearly caught up with Beaver, the latter made the ground crack behind him, and the woman fell down. Again she gained on him; but he reached a lake, jumped in, and changed himself into a beaver. The cannibal said to his wife, “You can run fast; go back and fetch my net, that I may catch him.” The woman brought the beaver-net, and they set it in the lake. They tried for several days, but could not catch Beaver. The cannibal then called for the man (bird) with a big stomach to come and drink up the lake. He came and drank the lake dry. Beaver then hid in the mud, and the cannibal and his wife probed all over for him. At last they felt him, and Beaver realized that he was in extreme danger. He called on Snipe, saying, “Quick! They have found me. Hurry and punch a hole in the stomach of that bad man (bird)!” Snipe approached the Bird-Man, who was sitting quite still on the edge of the basin where the lake had been. He was so full of water he could not move, and felt very heavy. He said to Snipe, “Don’t come near me!” Snipe answered, “I shall not harm you. I am just looking for food near you.” Snipe made a swift stroke with his bill, and punched a hole through Bird-Man’s stomach and belly; and the water gushed out, and soon filled the lake. Beaver began to swim about, and the cannibal and his wife rushed hurriedly away for fear of drowning. The woman told her husband to come home, saying he could not beat their son-in-law. On the way back they came to the bodies of their daughters, and began to cry. Beaver followed them, and, coming to the place, said, “Why do you cry? They are only sleeping.” He said to the bodies of the bears, “Wake up!” and they arose and changed into the women they had been. They went off with him as his wives. The cannibal man was now powerless to do harm, and consented fully to his daughters marrying Beaver. Before they parted, he gave each of them a feather, which he told them to put in the water wherever they got their drinking-water. He told them that the feathers, although in the water, would always be dry as long as their husband remained faithful to them and did not go with other women, but the moment he was unfaithful the feathers would become wet. They were then to leave their husband and return home. Beaver went back to his own country, [some say “in the sky”, others “to the east”] and took his wives with him. The women examined the feathers every day, and knew that their husband was faithful. A long time afterwards Beaver met his former wife, who made love to him. He was unable to resist, and had connection with her. On the following morning, when his wives went for water, they found the feathers wet. They said, “We will leave our husband, for our father told us to do this. Heat will come, and the people will suffer for this.” Soon great clouds appeared, and the women disappeared in them. [Some people say “they ascended to the sky”] Such a great heat came, that finally the water boiled. People jumped into the streams and lakes to cool themselves, and died. Beaver’s first wife was the first one to die of the heat. Beaver put his brothers in a shady place, and covered them thickly with brush and grass to keep them cool. All the people died excepting Beaver and his brothers. When the weather became cool again, Beaver made snowshoes for his brothers, and left them. He went off to search for his wives. He found their tracks and followed them. He found their old camps, with lynx-meat cooked by suspending it from a pole with hook and line before the fire. He did not touch any of the meat, and always camped off to the side. At last he came to a camp where the wood was still smoking. It was their last camp before reaching their parents. Beaver camped to the side of it. That night his father-in-law came into his camp and took up his place on the opposite side of the fire. Both men hung their trousers above the fire to dry. Neither of them spoke. In the night the cannibal interchanged the trousers, putting his own where Beaver’s had been. Beaver arose very early in the morning, threw the cannibal’s trousers into the fire, and put on his own. When the cannibal discovered that he had no trousers, he said it would be very bad for him if the sun got up and he were without trousers. Beaver had two pairs, and the cannibal begged Beaver to give him one pair. When the sun was about to get up, Beaver took pity on him and gave him a pair, which he at once put on. The cannibal then acknowledged that Beaver was more powerful than he, and left him, ascending towards the sky. [Some people say “to the sky,” for this cannibal was the Sun and lived there.] Beaver watched where he went, and, following, came to where his wives were. He took them back, and travelled to where people were. After he had met them, they all travelled together. As they journeyed, two Ravens began to fly ahead of them. The Ravens drove all the game away, so that the people could not get any. It was winter, and they began to starve. When people died, the Ravens picked out their eyes. At last all the people had died excepting Beaver and his wives. The Ravens flew over them, saying, “Yes, you are alive yet, but it will not be for long. You will soon be dead too, and then we shall eat your eyes.” The Ravens always flew ahead of them wherever they travelled, and at night roosted on a tree near by. It was moonlight, and Beaver burrowed under the snow until he was past the tree where the Ravens were sleeping. Then he ran ahead, and found the country full of caribou and other game that the Ravens had been driving ahead. He killed many caribou, and returned the way he had come. Beaver now pretended to be dead to deceive the Ravens. He told his wives to put his hands up near his eyes and cover him with brush. The Ravens awoke at daybreak, and, looking down, saw that Beaver seemed to be dead. Beaver’s wives left, crying. The Ravens flew over their heads, saying, “Yes, by and by you will be dead also, and we shall pick out your eyes.” They flew back and alighted on the brush. Here they disputed as to which eye each would take. Beaver suddenly seized their legs, and they begged to be let off. Beaver, however, had no mercy on them, and burned them alive in the campfire, saying, “What about the people you have killed? Why should I spare you?” Beaver now went out to where he had killed the caribou. When he was about to return home, he smeared blood over his snowshoes, so his wives would know that he had killed game.

The narrator said that there was more of this story, but he did not remember it.


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Hunting experiences

These narratives recount close encounters with moose, martens, weasels, bears, and grizzlies, highlighting the hunters’ skills, challenges, and the unpredictable nature of the wilderness. The stories offer a glimpse into the traditional hunting practices and experiences of the Dane-zaa people.

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 hunters face challenges posed by animals and the environment, highlighting the struggle between humans and natural forces.

Trials and Tribulations: The hunters undergo a series of challenges, such as tracking elusive prey and dealing with malfunctioning equipment, testing their perseverance and skills.

Ancestral Spirits: References to advice from elders and traditional hunting practices indicate a connection to ancestral knowledge guiding present actions.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people


I. I had been hunting all day without seeing a track when toward sunset I started toward some distant pines. Just at dusk I came near a bluff and there I saw a moose track. A strong wind was blowing. “I wish I had seen your track in the day time,” I said to myself. I started after the moose and when I was about to pass behind the pines I looked ahead and saw a moose standing by a tree. I came up to it, raised my gun and aimed it. I could not see the sights of the gun. My father had told me to put snow on the end of the gun when shooting at night. I did this and aimed low when I saw nothing and then high, gradually lowering the gun until it seemed to me right when I shot. The moose ran along one side of me.

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I looked for it again toward the west and again saw it standing. I reloaded the gun and again put snow on the end of the barrel. I raised the gun again until I thought it was aimed right and fired. The moose ran in the same direction again.

As I went after the moose again I saw something dark on the snow. “What is it?” I thought to myself and taking some of it up I put it in my mouth. It was blood and I thought I had killed the moose, I went where there was something dark under a tree. I took up a stick and stabbed it under its head. I had killed it.

II. We were making a road and carrying some traps we were going to set. My brother-in-law and my elder brother went on ahead while I set a trap. I came where my brother-in-law was sitting by a little creek. He was killing himself with laughter. I asked him why he was laughing and he told me to look. A marten and a weasel were fighting. Although the weasel is small, he is smart. We sat there watching them. Just as we decided to shoot and kill the marten they started to fight again. “Fight hard,” my brother-in-law told them and they ran off. We killed nothing after all.

III. It happened once when I was a boy that I was after a bear. The bear chased me and when he came up to me my gun would not go off. I threw it away and fled empty handed. I pulled out my knife and ran under a leaning tree and jumped back over it. The bear did the same and we jumped toward each other. The bear struck out with his foreleg and I disemboweled him with the knife which was two-edged.

IV. I had a single-barreled gun when two dogs were barking in front of a grizzly’s den. The bear ran out after the dogs but my gun would not go off. The cap came off. The bear chased me all about until I bit the cap together and then the gun went off. The bullet broke the bear’s backbone. I went with dogs after a moose in the early morning. The dogs barked at the moose which stood still and then ran after the dogs. It ran so close to me, it stepped on my snowshoes. It was so close I could hear its heart beat. I was holding the gun by its muzzle and I fired. The moose fell and I jumped off the snowshoe. Its leg was sticking through the snowshoe. I skinned the moose and went home to my tipi.


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A description of primitive life

The narrative discusses the challenging existence of the Beaver Indians before contact with white settlers. They relied on snares, bows, and arrows for hunting, and crafted tools from natural materials like moose horn and beaver teeth due to the absence of iron. Fire was made by striking stones together, and shelters were constructed manually. Food scarcity often led to near-starvation conditions, highlighting their resilience in a harsh environment.

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 Dane-zaa people’s struggle against natural forces to secure food and resources.

Cultural Heroes: The reference to “the one who made this world” suggests foundational figures or deities influencing their way of life.

Sacred Objects: The use of specific tools and methods, such as beaver teeth and moose horn chisels, which may hold cultural significance.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people


Formerly, before white people were known, they were living in a miserable way. They were making their living with snares and bows and arrows. They used a piece of horn to chisel for beaver, and it was a very miserable way. There was no iron at that time, and the beaver chisels were made of moose horn. That they might see the beaver under the ice, they made shovels of wood to remove the snow. When they had no iron, they used beaver teeth [The teeth were left attached to the jawbone. Petitot has a story of a giant who had the teeth of a giant beaver for a knife.] The one who made this world told us it would be that way. They made fire by rubbing two stones together with dry grass rubbed fine for tinder. They made their houses and firewood with their hands.

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They made knives by rubbing stones sharp, with which they cut the meat they ate.

They say that living that way the people were near starvation. They were close to dead people, living that way. When they had no meat in their bellies, they used to put pine brush under their belts. There was nothing inside of them, and the brush enabled them to breathe without bending.

When, at first, they were living with snares, they used to put trees in a row, leaving a passageway between. When the moose passed along there, they were caught in the snares. When they had no combs they made combs of pine-brush.


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The killing of the trader at Fort St. John

A young man disobeys a white trader’s orders and returns to his community. Angered, the trader poisons him. In retaliation, the young man’s kin kill the trader and ambush his returning crew, eliminating them all. They seize the store’s goods, living off them for years. Once depleted, they revert to traditional hunting, avoiding white settlements out of fear, and relying solely on bows and arrows.

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 community seeks retribution for the young man’s death by killing the trader and his associates.

Conflict with Authority: The young man’s initial disobedience and the subsequent violent response from his community represent a challenge to the trader’s authority.

Community and Isolation: Following the conflict, the community isolates themselves, avoiding contact with white men out of fear.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people


A white man gave the young man orders but notwithstanding, he went back to his people. The trader was angry and killed the boy with medicine (poison). His friends knew this had happened and went to the post [this refers to the trading post at Fort St. John, called by the Beaver gtitkwe, “Spruce House.” The first post stood on the east side of North Pine River, near where it enters the Peace] and killed the trader. The young men attached to the post had gone for wood in a boat. The Beaver were lying in wait for them. When they returned and the white men stepped ashore they shot them and killed them all. The steersman jumped into the water. He came to the surface far out in the stream. They shot at him and killed him.

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They took the goods from the store and lived many years on them. When they were gone they lived with “their bows and arrows. They remained in the woods and did not visit a white man’s house because they were afraid. From that time they increased, living with their bows and arrows, not having gunpowder.

Second version. It seems that the white traders first had a trading post at Pine River. The Beaver Indians killed the man in charge of the post, and all his servants. After that these Indians kept away from white people, and were afraid to go near them thinking they would be killed. Some time after they built another post which has remained until the present time.


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A Dog-Rib kills some men

In a time before European contact, a Dog-Rib individual prepared a camp for an approaching group and warned some Beaver people about nearby fox holes, intending to harm them. A conflict ensued, resulting in many Beaver deaths, though some escaped. This violence stemmed from ongoing hostilities with the Cree. Eventually, the Beaver and Cree reconciled, ending their conflicts.

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 Dog-Rib individual’s deceitful actions can be seen as a challenge to the established norms or authority within the community.

Cunning and Deception: The Dog-Rib uses deceit by falsely informing the Beaver about fox holes, leading them into a trap.

Revenge and Justice: The subsequent attack by the Beaver can be interpreted as an act of retribution for the Dog-Rib’s deceit.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people


One time a Dog-Rib who was making a camp ready for those who were coming said to some Beaver, “There are fox holes where you are.” He said it because he thought he might kill them. The Beaver went in and began to shoot. They killed many of the Beaver but a few got away. They killed them as they ran. It was his younger brother who did this.

It was on account of the Cree. They were very miserable on account of them. Before white people came they were hunting each other. The Cree were trying to kill the Beaver. Now they have made friends with each other and nothing happens now.

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A battle on an island

A large war party sought enemies and discovered them camped on an island surrounded by strong rapids. Using songs, they induced sleep among the enemy, then formed a human chain to cross the treacherous waters. Upon reaching the island, they silenced alert geese and launched a surprise attack, killing all but one adversary who escaped into the water. The defeated group, known as the Tsat’u, had never encountered white men.

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: They use songs to lull the enemy into sleep, employing cunning tactics to gain an advantage.

Magic and Enchantment: The use of songs to induce sleep suggests a connection to supernatural abilities or forces.

War and Peace: The central focus of the story is a battle between opposing groups.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people


A large war party set out and traveled a long way looking for the enemy. They did not find them but came down to a large river. “We shall not find them,” they said, among themselves. Someone sang some songs to locate them and said that the enemy were living not far downstream. The party went on and came where they could see them. The enemy were camped on an island with strong rapids surrounding it and they were difficult to attack. They had killed some people and were protecting themselves in this manner. Toward evening one of the attacking party sang a song and caused all the enemy to sleep but one man who did not yield. Another of the party said he would try and sang a song against him, making him fall asleep.

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They attempted to cross to the island but the water was strong and they were being carried downstream with only their heads projecting above the water. One of the men then told the others to take hold of him and not to let go. Forming a chain, they succeeded in swimming across to the island. When they were ready to go to the enemy for the attack they saw some geese sitting there. One of the geese was about to make an outcry when one of the men told the goose not to do it. The goose obeyed. They rushed upon the enemy and killed them. There was one man who did not die although they stabbed him all over. He jumped in the water and disappeared. They did not find his body. It was difficult, but they succeeded in killing them all.

The people who were killed were not Cree but a people called Tsat’u. [They were said to be the band of deskj, the old man whose death is related in the previous story.] They say those people had never seen white men.

Second version

Obtained from Ike in English through John Bourassa.

Once long ago there was a band of Indians who kept killing people. It was not known who they were or to what tribe they belonged. Finally there was a medicineman [Fournier, who was sitting by, said this man was his mother’s grandfather] who after being importuned for a long time said he knew where this band was to be found. A large company of young men agreed to go with this man and make war on the Indians. He led them toward the mountains across from Dunvegan. When the party came to the mountains, the medicineman said the people they sought were not far away and that they might see them tomorrow.

After they had slept he told them that the enemy were nearby. He said that soon a deer driven by the flies would run right into the party. They were to kill the deer and take only a little of the meat. A little beyond that they would come to an open place which they should not cross. Perhaps from there something could be seen. As had been foretold they met with the deer and then came to the bank of a river. They saw the camp on the opposite side with many canoes drawn up on the shore. There were many men in sight. The medicineman directed them to wait until morning to make the attack. One of the party made medicine to cause the enemy to sleep soundly. Early in the morning, they crossed the river. A flock of geese were about to make an outcry when the medicineman made a motion toward the ground and told them to keep still which they did. As they approached the camp, a dog started to bark and ran toward the camp. They all rushed forward thinking the camp would be alarmed by the dog. They ran so fast one of the young men overtook the dog and killed it with a knife. The medicine-making had been so effective no one was wakened by the barking of the dog. They killed them all but one man who ran and jumped in the river. As he jumped, one of the attacking party disemboweled him. Neither he nor his body was seen again.


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A blind man’s attempt at defence

A war party visits an old blind man, suspecting he is part of a troublesome band they’ve been seeking. The blind man, aware of their intentions, prepares to defend himself with a concealed knife. His son-in-law, sensing danger, flees. The old man attempts to attack the intruders but mistakenly stabs a blanket. The visitors then kill him and his wives, acknowledging that his blindness made their assault possible.

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 elder attempts to deceive the intruders by hiding his weapon and pretending to be hospitable, aiming to catch them off guard.

Tragic Flaw: The elder’s blindness, while not a moral failing, serves as a vulnerability that leads to his downfall.

Revenge and Justice: The attackers seek retribution against the elder’s band, whom they consider troublesome, leading to the elder’s death.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people


Once a party went to war. After they had been traveling some time they came where people were living. Thinking they had found the people they were seeking, they went into the tipi to visit them. An old man [this old blind man’s name was deskj, a “Rocky Mountain” Indian, (tsa’t’u) that is, Fort St. John Beaver] sitting there asked them where they were going. They replied that they were just camping about. The old man, suspecting they were not telling the truth, asked a boy if there were children in the party. The boy told his grandfather, “No.” “That is what I thought,” the old man replied. “If they were camping about there would be children along.”

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Then those who were visiting him said, “Grandfather, what did you say? You talk a foreign language all the time.” The old man sat with one foot on a knife with which he was intending to kill them. He was blind and did not know the knife was partly in sight. He reached behind his back and found some choice pieces of meat which he took out and roasted. He ate it by himself thinking that it was his last meal. He did not offer food to his guests.

Just then his son-in-law came back and entered the tipi. “I want a drink,” he said to his wife. “I think the water is all gone.” “You are not an old man, get it yourself,” the old man said. He took up the vessel and went for the water. He had left his snowshoes and bow and arrows at some distance from the camp because he did not recognize the visitors and suspected they were only pretending to pay a visit. Instead of getting the water he went back where he had left his things, and taking them, started to run away. When the strangers saw him, they called to him, “What are you doing, my friend? You are running away and we are paying you a visit.” The young man ran on until he was out of sight.

The old man was holding his foot on the knife so that the knife was projecting a little. “He will do something,” the guests said in Cree. They folded up a blanket and put it between themselves and him, saying he would mistake it for a man. The old man did as they thought he would. He stabbed the blanket thinking it was a man. The men then ran out and began to shoot at him from a distance. They killed him. He too was shooting at the strangers and nearly killed a man although he could not see them. “If he had not been blind we would not have succeeded in killing him,” they said to each other.

They killed all his wives. They were hunting for that man for his band was bad and had been annoying the Indians.


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Putting the enemy to sleep by magic

two brothers encounter a large group of strangers. The elder brother hesitates to attack due to their numbers, but the younger insists. They approach the group under the guise of being scolded members of a larger party and invite four young men to accompany them. After nightfall, one brother uses supernatural powers to induce sleep, allowing them to kill the men with knives.

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 brothers employ deceit by pretending to be harmless and gaining the trust of their enemies before attacking.

Magic and Enchantment: They use supernatural powers to induce sleep in their victims, showcasing the use of magic in achieving their goals.

Conflict with Authority: By deceiving and killing members of another group, the brothers challenge and disrupt the established order, leading to conflict.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people


Two men started out to kill people. As they were going along the road they saw a large number of people sitting down. The two men were not themselves seen. “Well, let us get away from them,” said the elder brother, and they turned back. “Let us shoot them anyway,” said the younger brother. “There are too many people, we will get caught,” the older one insisted. “Let us shoot them anyway,” the younger brother repeated and pointed his gun at them again. “We will get caught, there are too many of them,” the older said again. “Well, turn back, if you are afraid,” the younger one said, and they turned back. “I will fool them,” one of them said. They put their weapons on the ground and went where the people from a distant country were sitting.

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When these people saw them they asked the young men what they were looking for. They replied that they were not out on a foolish errand but belonged to a large party who were traveling over by the river. They had gone off by themselves because they had been scolded. They proposed that four young men should return with them.

With these four men they came down to a very large river. After sunset they went to bed. One of the two young men tried to make them sleep by use of supernatural power. “One of them must be a powerful medicineman,” he said to himself. After considerable time he caused them all to sleep. “Now,” he said to his companion, and they killed them all with their knives.


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A man finds beaver in small places

A man boasts about his ability to catch beavers even in confined spaces. He enlists companions to help drive muskrats and beavers into a small area for an easy hunt. Despite their efforts, the beaver eludes them. Eventually, after enduring hunger, they discover a stick and find the beaver sitting nearby, leading to a successful hunt that pleases everyone.

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


Quest: The man’s journey to hunt beavers and muskrats represents a pursuit to achieve a specific goal.

Cunning and Deception: The man uses strategic methods to outsmart and capture the animals, reflecting the use of wit to achieve his objectives.

Conflict with Nature: The narrative centers on the man’s struggle against natural creatures, highlighting the challenges humans face when interacting with the natural world.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people


One man went to get beaver. “I should be able to kill beaver even in very small places,” he said to himself. He went back and asked someone to go with him after beaver and muskrats. He said they could go behind and drive the muskrats ahead so they might kill them in a small beaver place and eat them all up. They went there and started after them and the muskrats ran off ahead of them. When he came back there again the men were sitting at the small beaver place. “We will eat it all up,” he said. “We will make a hole under his food and go in there. Far up there they came to the end. They looked for him there but he was not to be found. Then one man went into a minkskin and looked for him.

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Then he found him and started after him. There at the end he pushed the wood out. He went home again.

Then they were very hungry. “Go look for some sticks,” he told them. They looked for them and found a stick. When they were looking for it they saw the beaver sitting. They killed them all. The people were pleased.


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The killing of the children avenged

The story recounts a tragic event where, during a buffalo hunt, a group of children is killed by strangers. Upon discovering the massacre, the grieving parents rush back, but one young man remains composed. He later tracks down the perpetrators, mutilates them by cutting off their ears, and leaves them to suffer, thus avenging the slain children.

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 narrative centers on avenging the slain children, highlighting retribution and the restoration of moral order.

Tragic Flaw: The initial complacency or negligence of the community members may have contributed to the tragedy, underscoring human vulnerabilities.

Family Dynamics: The story delves into familial bonds, emphasizing the deep impact of the children’s loss on their parents and the community.

► From the same Region or People

Learn more about the Dane-zaa people


The men were away after buffalo and their wives were moving the camp along after them. There was one woman living with them. “When you were named Wind-crossing-each-other, you used to say they (the Cree) are coming after us.” “Yes,” she said. This woman (?) who was coming along behind them turned off on another road. She made a road far from that place, not stopping to sleep until it was daylight. When one could see, the young buffaloes were coming from way over there. They drank up all the water. All the children were saying, “Mother, father, here is mother’s camp.” Now strange people had killed all the children. All the children had followed her along the upper road. She had put them in a hole there.

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An old woman ran from there to where the men were killing the buffalo and said, “Come, our children have all been killed. The men started running on the snow without their moccasins. They were crying because their children were all killed. There was one boy, the old woman’s son, who did not care. “Do as you please,” he told them. “I will come in the morning.” He did not care, he simply pulled the meat out of his mouth. When it was nearly daylight he started. The others were lying on the ground with cramps. He went after the others. They were crying because their children had been killed. He cut off the ears of some of them and let them suffer still living. He made them like the rest of his relatives. “Let them suffer,” he said and so he had revenge. [Both the text and the interpretation were so poorly done that the narrative is hardly intelligible.]


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