The North American Indian, Vol. 1Curtis, Edward S.
History
The North American Indian, Vol. 1
Curtis, Edward S.
Indians of North America
But the Earth was not still; it kept shifting and rolling and dancing up
and down, so Kútĕrastan made four great posts—colored black, blue, yellow,
and white—to support it. Then he directed Stĕnátlĭhăn to sing a song. She
sang, "The world is made and will soon sit still." These two then stood
and faced Chuganaái and Hádĭntĭn Skhĭn, when into their midst came
Nĭlchídĭlhkĭzn, who dashed away to the cardinal points with the four
posts, which he placed under the sides of the earth; and upon them it sat
and was still. This pleased Kútĕrastan, so he sang a song, repeating, "The
world is now made and sits still."
Then Kútĕrastan began another song, referring to the sky. None existed as
yet, and he felt there ought to be one. Four times he chanted the song, at
the end of the fourth time spreading his hands wide before him, when lo!
there stood twenty-eight men and women ready to help make a sky to cover
the earth. He next chanted a song for the purpose of making chiefs for the
sky and the earth, and at its close sent Ndídĭlhkĭzn, the Lightning Maker,
to encircle the world. Ndídĭlhkĭzn departed at once, but returned in a
short time with three very uncouth persons, two girls and a boy, whom he
had found in the sky in a large turquoise bowl. Not one of them had eyes,
ears, hair, mouth, nose, or teeth, and though they had arms and legs, they
had neither fingers nor toes.
Chuganaái at once sent for Doh, the Fly, to come and erect a _kaché̆_, or
sweat-house. It took but a short time to put up the framework, which
Stĕnátlĭhăn covered closely with four heavy clouds: a black cloud on the
east, a blue one on the south, a yellow one on the west, and a white one
on the north. Out in front of the doorway, at the east, she spread a soft
red cloud for a foot-blanket after the sweat. Twelve stones were heated in
a fire, and four of them placed in the _kaché̆_. Kútĕrastan, Stĕnátlĭhăn,
Chuganaái, and Hádĭntĭn Skhĭn each inspected the sweat-house and
pronounced it well made. The three newcomers were bidden to enter and were
followed by Chuganaái, Nĭlchídĭlhkĭzn, Ndídĭlhkĭzn, Nôkusé, and Doh. The
eight sang songs as their sweat began. Chuganaái led, singing four songs,
and each of the others followed in turn with the same number. They had had
a good sweat by the time the songs were finished, so Stĕnátlĭhăn removed
the black cloud and all came out. She then placed the three strangers on
the red-cloud blanket, and under the direction of Kútĕrastan made for them
fingers, toes, mouth, eyes, ears, hair, and nose. Then Kútĕrastan bade
them welcome, making the boy, whom he called Yádĭlhkĭh Skhĭn, Sky Boy,
chief of the sky and its people. The second he named Nigostú̆n Nalí̆n,
Earth Daughter, and placed her in charge of the earth and its crops; while
to the third, Hádĭnĭn Nalí̆n, Pollen Girl, was assigned the care of the
health of the earth’s people. This duty also devolved upon Hádĭntĭn Skhĭn,
but each looks more to the welfare of his own sex than to that of the
other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account