The North American Indian, Vol. 1Curtis, Edward S.
History
The North American Indian, Vol. 1
Curtis, Edward S.
Indians of North America
Then all gathered about it and danced and sang, until after four days the
seeds sprouted and the mountain began to expand and to increase in height.
This continued for four days, at the end of which time the mountain seemed
almost to reach the sky; but suddenly its growth ceased, and none knew the
cause. From Chunnaái came Whirlwind to tell the inhabitants how two of
their maidens had entered the sacred space on the mountain top and had
wantonly broken and destroyed plants and fruits, thus causing the mountain
to cease growing.
With two long poles and four buffalo horns, which then were straight, the
people made a ladder, which, when placed on the mountain top, reached the
sky. One of the four Great Whirlwinds, Níchitso, went up to see what this
new place was like. He put his head through the opening, and seeing that
the world was covered with water, at once descended the ladder. The four
Whirlwinds then went up; White Wind rolled the water to the east, but
still there was water at the south; Blue Wind rolled it away to the south,
but still there was water at the west; so Yellow Wind blew it away to the
west, and then there was water only at the north, which All-Color Wind
quickly blew away. Then the Winds blew over the earth for four days to dry
it; but they left some of the water, which flowed along in streams.
When they returned and told what they had done, the people sent Ká̑gĕ, the
Crow, who was wise, to view the land. They waited long, but Ká̑gĕ did not
return. Then they sent Little Whirlwind, who found the Crow perched upon
some dead bodies, plucking out their eyes; and because of his wickedness
in forgetting the people, his feathers, once white, had turned black. Then
Nagánschitn, the Badger, was sent to see if the land was good, but just as
soon as he had crawled through he sank in the black mud and could go no
farther, so Little Whirlwind was despatched to succor him. To this day
Badger’s legs are black. Next Kĕldinshé̆n, the Skunk, was sent, because he
was light in weight; but even he sank in the mud and blackened his legs.
Then the people sent Cha, the Beaver, who travelled about for a long time,
and finding all the water running away in streams, built dams and thus
formed many lakes. He came back and told the people that the land was good
to live in, which pleased them greatly. Then they started up the ladder,
and when all had passed over, it was found that their weight had bent the
buffalo horns, which ever since have been curved. Thus all the people came
out upon this earth at a place in the north.(3)
During the first days the Sun did not rise above the horizon, having been
held back in the east by a web that Mansché̆, the Spider, had woven about
him. But the people succeeded in tearing the web away, and from that time
the Sun each day has travelled across the whole sky.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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