The Native American's daily life was a walk with supernatural happenings, directed by the power of the Great Spirit. An important experience for a young man was the vision-search. Fortunate youths had a personal encounter with the Great Spirit and received evidence of a special ally or spirit-brother. At the same time, the individual might receive…

The Cheyenne version of how bones appeared in High Plains country streams, is detailed in this legend of fifty young men, a turtle and death. (RTS)

The origin of the Big Dipper is described in this Canadian Indian legend. (RTS)

This delightful American Indian legend describes a meeting between a mountain lion, numerous domesticated cats, and a small boy. (RTS)

This ancient Cherokee story details an encounter the Indians had with a strange beast after they misused nature thereby learning to respect the Creator. (RTS)

The American Indian oral tradition is presented in this article on the Omaha tribe's Rabbit Dance. (RTS)

This article presents the Abenaki version of their "discovery of the earth" and the origin of their one god, Katahdin. (RTS)

Presents a modern retelling of a St:lo (Coast Salish) legend about the origin of a tribal treasure, the wondrous Sxwaixwe mask. Discusses the legend's origins, the process of transforming essentially oral sources into an accessible contemporary form, and the educational value of storytelling. Contains 13 references. (SV)

This article presents the legend of Laidamlulu (Morning Star), noting how she received her name and duty. (RTS)

This is a tale of Two Fall Together, the name of a stretch of foamy water in the Mohawk River where a young man and Angry Spirit struggled and the Mohawks eventually lived in peace. (Author/RTS)

This book contains the traditional tales and beliefs of the Chippewa, Dogrib, Slavey, and Loucheux peoples. These histories and traditions were spoken to a priest named Emile Petitot (1838-1916) who wrote the words down in the Dene language. This edition was translated from the French and compared with versions in the original tongues by the…

This lesson book of the Karuk language, for elementary school students, teaches the Karuk "unifon" alphabet and some pronunciation. The lesson book includes exercises to familiarize children with animals and their Karuk names. The exercises also encourage children to learn Karuk names for colors and parts of the body. There is a legend,…

Provides an annotated list of resources for a unit on American Indian myths and legends. All of the listed materials were written by American Indian authors, set down in print as told by various tribal story tellers, or gathered by respected authorities on the American Indian. (MKM)

This document presents a bibliography of works dealing with the modern Maya. The titles listed are intended to complement the many academic studies devoted to the present day Maya. The document is divided into four sections: (1) personal histories, (2) dream analyses, (3) folktales, and (4) pictorial works. Each section is further divided between…

Following his own advice that elders of the tribe share their knowledge so that "the way of the Indians would come back to the children of today," Pete Beaverhead (1899-1975) tells of the traditions of respect and honor surrounding the eagle feather in a booklet illustrated with black and white drawings. The eagle is an Indian symbol of…