Traditions of the North American Indians: Being a Second and Revised Edition of "Tales of an Indian Camp.", Volume 1 |
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Common terms and phrases
answered arms arrows asked bade bear beasts beautiful beaver beloved bird bison Black Bear Blackfoot bosom brave brother Burntwood cabin called canoe Charlevoix cheek Chenos Chepewyan corn dance daughter death deer Delawares dreams eagle ears earth Evil Spirit eyes father fear feast fire fish flesh flowers Gray Owls hair happy head chief heard heart hunt hunter hunting-grounds Indians Iroquois Lake Lake Superior land Lenape Lenni Lenape lived lodge Mad Buffalo maiden maize Master Mengwe Minnatarees moon mother mountains Narragansetts nation never night Osage painted peace pipe of peace Piqua Pocasset priest Ricara river Rocky Mountains Sasasquit scalp-lock scalps Shawanos shout singing skin snow song soul spear stars strange tell Teton thee things thou thunder told tradition tree tribe voice Wahconda's Walkullas Wanawosh warrior wife wild winds woman women woods young
Popular passages
Page 42 - Kiehtan, to be the principal and maker of all the rest, and to be made by none. He, they say, created the heavens, earth, sea, and all creatures contained therein ; also that he made one man and one woman, of whom they and we and all mankind came : but how they became so far dispersed, that know they not.
Page 306 - ... formed by placing in the ground poles or forks six feet high, across which a long pole is extended the whole length of the structure. Against this ridge-pole are placed broad boards, and pieces of canoes, in a slanting direction, so as to form a shed. It stands east and west, and neither of the extremities is closed.
Page 170 - Indian when he see industrious Squaw, which he like, he go to him, place his two forefingers close aside each other, make two look like one — look Squaw in the face — see him smile...
Page 168 - ... all the nations proceeded from them, excepting the whites, whose origin they pretend not to know. When a man is killed in battle the thunder is supposed to take him up, they do not know where. In going to battle each man traces an imaginary figure of the thunder on the soil; and he who represents it incorrectly is killed by the thunder. A person saw this thunder one day on the ground, with a beautiful mockasin on each side of it; having much need of a pair, he took them and went his way; but...
Page 166 - About twenty feet from the entrance begins a lake, the water of which is transparent, and extends to an unsearchable distance; for the darkness of the cave prevents all attempts to acquire a knowledge of it. I threw a small pebble towards the interior parts of it with my utmost strength.
Page 141 - Attired in a frightful dress, he approaches his patient, with a variety of contortions and gestures, and performs by his side and over him all the antic tricks that his imagination can suggest. He breathes on him, blows in his mouth, and squirts some medicines which he has prepared in his face, mouth and nose ; he rattles his gourd filled with dry beans or pebbles, pulls out and handles about a variety of sticks and bundles in which he appears to be seeking for the proper remedy, all...
Page 8 - War, we saw, had given them into our hands. But who were the strange tribe? Were they armed as we were, and was their Great Medicine (Great Spirit) like ours? Warriors, you all knew the Young Eagle, the son of the Old Eagle, who is here with us; but his wings are feeble, he flies no more to the field of blood. The Young Eagle feared nothing but shame, and he said — '"I see many men sit round a fire, I will go and see who they are!
Page 196 - This medicine stone is the great oracle of the Mandans, and whatever it announces is believed with implicit confidence. Every spring, and, on some occasions, during the summer, a deputation visits the sacred spot, where there is a thick, porous stone twenty feet in circumference, with a smooth sm> face.
Page 166 - I threw a small pebble towards the interior parts of it with my utmost strength. I could hear that it fell into the water ; and, notwithstanding it was of so small a size, it caused an astonishing and horrible noise, that reverberated through all those gloomy regions.
Page 211 - ... it flattens itself in a moment, and its spots, which are of various dyes, become visibly brighter through rage ; at the same time, it blows from its mouth with great force a subtile wind...