Part 2

This old man, the Prophet, knew where the Mohawks went and he also knew that the wife was still alive, and that child was killed on the way to the Mohawks’ home, for he had that power. So the Ojibwa war party started for the Mohawk country and while they were going the old man said, “She has made her escape and is coming back.” So they all ran to meet her and they met her. She told a very bad (pitiful) story to the men. She said, “On the way every night I had to keep the fire going all night to keep them warm. Some days they all go out hunting, but one had to stay and watch me. One day they all went out but one bad man who stayed in camp to watch me. This bad man made a big fire and went out and cut a good-sized stick. Then he took my baby and ran the stick into him (through the anus) and roasted him in the big fire. Well, I could not do anything only cry, and this bad man came right in front of me and began to mock and cry, and facing the other way showed his buttocks. I grabbed his privates and pulled all I could, and he fell down and I got up and rolled him to the fire and burnt him. Then I took his gun, I did not run away till I killed every one them. Towards the evening one came when I was inside the camp, when he got near I shot him. He fell dead, and after a while another one came and I also shot him. I took his gun which was loaded. The last time two came together. Well, I thought, if I kill them this time I would be safe, so I made a good aim and fired at the first. He fell and the other tried to run away; before he got away I shot him dead and started to run back towards our country.” One of the Ojibwa war party took her home, and the rest went on their way to the Mohawk village. When they got there they killed some of the children to pay the Mohawks for what they did.

This woman made a good plan to get these Mohawks. She did not run away after she killed the first man for fear the rest would chase her and catch her, so she stayed in camp and killed them as they came in singly from hunting. She would take the gun of the man just killed and would be ready for the next.

The Mohawks in camping at night fixed some poles around the fire about two feet from the ground, and would lay on their backs with their feet on the poles, warming their hind quarters. The Ojibwa woman had to keep the fire going all night. The killing or torturing of children was the worst thing Indians could do. This ends this story.

Note.—All these fights took place in this locality. The river referred to is the Gull River. The Ojibwa used to come to where Beaverton now is and then across to South Bay, Balsam Lake, by another route south of the Portage Road. (This is borne out by other evidence than York’s.) I spoke of the embankment at South Bay to York, but he had never seen it though he had heard of it, and remarked that it was “one of the fighting grounds.”

NO. 12.

RAMA WITCHES. (NO. 1.)

Told by Peter York.

One time an old witch lived in Rama on the west side of Lake Couchiching. She covered herself with the skin of an owl when she wanted to fly at night for the purpose of taking the first joints off the fingers of children, which she used to string up like old-fashioned, dried apples in her camp. These children would die at once. She had the power to take these joints off.

One day she wanted to go to near where Atherley now is, and compelled two young men to go with her in the canoe, for she had the power to compel young men to go with her, generally the best of them. She wanted to go to a man’s place who had two black dogs. She wanted these dogs. When she arrived there she asked the man for the dogs, but he said “No!” She then asked him for one dog, but still he said “No.” She then took a paddle and shoved the canoe off shore saying to the man, “I shove off with one of your children.” (Meaning that one of his children would die.) The man said, “Maybe you will die yourself before you get home. The bees will have your meat.” She sat in the middle of the canoe with one of the young men paddling at the bow and the other at the stern. When about half way home the young man at the stern heard a bee humming overhead and looking up he saw the bee enter the woman’s ear into her head. In a short time her body was full of bees, eating her up, and she began to twist around and say: “Youh, youh,” and died in the canoe. The young men put her overboard at what is now Ground Hog Point, which took its name from her, for she was called “Kuk-oh-chees,” “The Ground Hog.”

She had forgotten to take her bag (medicine bag) with her and had left it in her camp. The man’s power was stronger than hers, for he killed her and nothing happened to him. He had power over the bees. Sometimes when this witch was looking for children at night she carried a light. The young men went with her because they were afraid she would kill them if they didn’t go.

She said as she died, “Well, anyway I never killed any big people, just children,” but the people found joints of fingers of grown-up persons on the strings as well as those of children in her camp.

Note.—Ground Hog Point is called in Ojibwa Kuk-oh-cheesh, Nāy-ash-sheeng.

NO. 13.

RAMA WITCHES. (NO. 2.)

Told by Peter York.

Another old witch once lived in Rama. She disguised herself in a turkey’s skin when she wished to fly. She caused many people to die. One day when all the people were having a bee to hoe corn she went to the bee, leaving her turkey skin in her bag (medicine bag) at her home. There was a little boy who lived with her and who had often watched her through a hole in his blanket when she was dressing herself in this turkey skin, and thought that he would like to try it himself, so he took the turkey skin out of the bag and put it on. The skin was very much worn by now and had lost lots of feathers and was ragged, but still preserved the power to fly. So the boy flew over to the hoeing bee, and all the people began to say: “Look at the witch, look at the witch,” and the witch herself began to get very mad (angry) and act crazy when she saw the boy in her turkey skin. The boy lit on the ground and the people rushed over and took off the skin and found that it was only a boy. The witch’s son who was also there took an axe and rushed up to his witch mother and said, “You must stop causing people to die, or else I’ll put the axe to your head.” She said, “No! she would not.” Whereupon he struck her on the head with the axe and killed her on the spot.

NO. 14.

THE SOCIAL PROBLEM.

Told by Peter York.

Once a small party left the Rama Reserve for the purpose of going on a hunt up the Gull River waters. Amongst this party was a bad man who had left his wife on the Reserve and had taken another woman with him, which was a very bad thing to do. After being on the hunt for some time this man died and was prepared for burial, and a grave was dug. He was left in a place just outside the camp for three days before burial. One of the children of the camp who happened to go and look at the body, came back and said that clothes were pushed off the body’s face and breast, so the older people went to see. They found this was so and the man coming to life. He came to life and said that he had been in heaven and was sorry for what he had done by leaving his wife on the Reserve, etc., but that he knew he was going to die in exactly a month from that day at midday, and would never see Rama again. After a short while the party moved camp on their homeward journey, and at Balsam Lake when the month was just about to be up the man said that he was going to die and knew he could not stop it. So he made a little camp and went in there. He was all right the night before and also on the morning of the last day, but before noon he said his time was near and began to act terribly crazy-like. His eyes stuck out and he chewed his tongue and rolled around his camp in terrible agony. He acted so strangely and shook his camp so much that he so frightened the others that they were afraid to go near him and so left him alone to die. His actions continued till noon when the man died in horrible pain. Thus was he punished for leaving his wife and taking another woman.

NO. 15.

WINTIGOES (GIANTS).

Told by Peter York.

In olden times people used to believe that if a person fasted for a period of about ten or twelve days he would learn something about bears or lions, or something very strong, and if he dreamed of any of these animals he would be just as strong.

One time a man had a dream that he could fight with the Wintigoes any time. He could be just as big and just as strong, and during one winter time he knew that the Wintigo was coming to eat them (i.e. his family). He said to his wife “The Wintigo is coming to-night, and is going to eat us, and if my dream fails we shall be eaten by the Wintigo.” The night came and the man went out to meet the Wintigo a little way off. The wife listened for a little while, then she heard trees flying all over and she saw two great, big men biting each other and hitting each other with great, big trees, and also with their hands. This kept on for a long time, till all at once it went past, and she watched if her man would come home. After a while he came out of the woods just as small as he was when he went out to fight. He said, “I won the battle for the first time since I had my dream. You come over with me and I will show you where I finished the Wintigo.” They both went out till they came to the place where they saw, as if somebody had been underbrushing, so fierce was the battle that all the underbrush and small trees were knocked or trampled down. At the far end of this place they saw a great big man lying down dead, with his big kettle and a great big knife, for the Wintigo was going to kill and eat these people. So the man and wife went to work and gathered up wood and made a big fire and burned the Wintigo to ashes.

NO. 16.

LITTLE LYNX STORY.

Told by Peter York.

Black Bear had a very good winter one time. It was a very hard winter for the smaller animals on account of the snow and frost and storms. This big Black Bear used to go on the deer runways and catch a deer and eat him up, and the Lynx used to watch the Black Bear climb up in a tree and jump on the deer as they passed along the runways, which they had in the winter months, and which was an easy thing for a big black bear to do. Once when the Lynx was very hungry he could not catch anything as there was too much snow. Well, he thought that he would try and kill a deer, so he went out on one of their runways and watched for a deer to come along. Soon he saw one coming and he climbed up a tree and when the deer came under the tree the Lynx jumped on his back. The Deer started off wild and went all over the woods, but the Lynx still held on having a good hold and the Deer could not shake him off. The Deer knew that there was a leaning tree in the bush so he made for that, knowing that he could knock the Lynx off as he ran under the tree. The Deer ran very fast and as he ran under the tree there happened to be a knot on the under side of the tree where the Deer went, so the Lynx got his back skinned from his head to his tail. It also just happened that an Indian was out hunting that way and tracking deer. He saw a deer track which was a very bad one with blood all over. So he followed it up till he came to the Lynx lying dead and a little farther on he found the Big Buck dead too. The Deer had got so tired that he lay down and died. So the Indian had good luck finding them both.

NO. 17.

NANABUSH AND THE FOUR MEN. (NO. 4.)

Told by Peter York.

A good many years ago four Indians wanted to know something about “how to be a man that would know how to fight and never get hurt.” Well, they talked about it and decided to go and see Nanabush and ask these things. They made the journey, which took them two long years to get to his place. On the way up they could hear Nanabush beating his drum and saying to them, “Come on, my children.” Well, one day they heard him saying, “You will get to my place in the morning.” The morning came and they saw a clean place; everything looked to be good. They saw a big camp here and went to the door and rapped. Nanabush said, “Come in, my children,” and shook hands with them. They talked a little while when Nanabush said something to his daughter, who was a very nice-looking girl, and she started to cook something which was bear meat, and took some blueberries and cooked them (both) in a very little pot (about the size of a cup). While those men were watching the girl one of them thought, “I could eat all that in the pot with one spoonful.” Nanabush knew what this fellow was thinking about and said, “You will see if you can eat that much.” They all sat down and started to eat out of the little pot. They ate all that they wanted and the pot was still full. Nanabush said, “You men can’t eat it all.” After the meal Nanabush said, “Now you must tell me what you want to know. You have walked for a long time.” The first man said to Nanabush, “I would like to know if there is a battle in our country, and I would like to know that if I was shot at I would like the ball not to hit me.” Nanabush said, “This will happen so, you just think about me when going to fight.”

The next man came before Nanabush and said, “I am a hunter and I would like to call the game to me when I want them, some wild beasts.” Nanabush said, “This will be so, when you go hunting you call just what you want and they will come.”

The third man came before Nanabush. “Well,” he said, “I would like to get myself a wife, nobody likes me.” Nanabush said, “You see my daughter, you take her and she will be your wife.”

The fourth man came before Nanabush and said, “I would like to live forever.” Nanabush said (in reproach), “We all know that every man has got to die, and you would like to live forever.” He reached out his hand and took the fourth man and placed him on his side, when the man became a granite stone, and there were only three men that came back home. Everything that Nanabush said was so.

Nanabush said to the one that wanted a wife, that he must not speak to her till they got home, and they all started home happy. On the last day before reaching home the man who had Nanabush’s daughter wanted to talk to her, so he spoke to her, but before he had finished his words the girl was missing and could not be found, so he got home without a wife. This ends this story.

NO. 18.

NANABUSH AND THE YOUNG MAN AND WIFE. (NO. 5.)

Told by John York.

A good many years ago two families lived on an Island. One family had one son, and the other one daughter. The two young people got married and lived for a little while when the young wife took sick and died. The old people buried her on the Island, but the young husband went out after the burying, and the old people saw him lie down near the grave. Just as soon as he closed his eyes he saw his wife going away. He followed her for a long time but could not get near enough to catch her, so he went on till night came. She said to him (her husband), “We will camp here,” and she made her camp a little way ahead. He made his camp behind hers. The next morning came and they started again. On their way he saw a big house by the roadside, but before they reached the house he heard somebody talk to him and who told him that “this was the place where all the dogs live that you ever owned. The ones that you have used badly, and they will pay you for what you have done to them while living.” The man that spoke said to him, “I will help you. You take these bags of shoes and when the dogs attack you throw the shoes at them.” When the young husband got to the house the dogs attacked him. He dropped the bags of shoes and the dogs attacked the shoes and the young man passed out and saw his wife ahead of him the same as usual. The night came again and they camped out once more. The next day came and about noon they saw another house on the road ahead. When they came to this house they saw some people who invited them to eat, but they did not eat. This was the last house to be seen before they got to the place where they were going. They went on till they saw a great big house. The wife went in ahead and the man came in behind. When he got in he saw nothing but a big room full of little beds, but nobody was in the house. He went all over the house but could not find his wife so he went out and looked around. He saw another house nearby and went over to it. He rapped at the door and someone said, “Come in.” He went in and saw an old man sitting down who said to him, “You have come a long way to try and get your wife back. Once they get in that big house you can’t see them any more, but, if you want help I can help you a lot.” “I will be very much obliged if you will,” said the young man. “Well,” the old man said, “There will be a big dance in the big house to-night. They do that every time a new man or a new woman gets here. I will hide you in my pocket and at the dance I will catch her.” The night came. As soon as the sun went down people could be heard running around all over (spirits or ghosts).

This old man was the man who sang at the dance so he started the dance a little after dark. He who was sitting in the pocket was watching his wife. He saw her coming and dancing too. When she got near the old man caught her and got a very small box and put her in and went out. This broke up the dance. The old man took the box to his house. There were two little boxes, one for the wife, and another in which was an oil of some kind. The old man said to the young husband, “It took you four years to get here and you will get back in two days. Beware (listen) and do what I say. When you get home, get two small stones and make them hot, open the box of oil and let it melt on the stones. Cover yourself and the boxes with blankets. You listen till you hear her speak and then open the box. You will see her alive again.” The young husband did all this when he got back home and his wife came to life again. They came to where they started at first on the Island. There was nobody living there this time so they sat down and after a little while he said, “Do you see that point up there? Watch a little while and you will see two canoes coming this way. There will be our parents in them.” The canoes came out in the lake straight for the island and when they came near they stopped. The old people said, “Someone’s at the grave.” The two young people spoke, “Come on, we got back here again alive.” The old people almost jumped out in the water when they saw their children and heard them talking.

In olden times people used to believe in feeding the dead by burning some bread and meat (food) over the grave, and this was what brought the parents back to the island at this particular time.

Note.—(The old man in this story is Nanabush, who was also the man that spoke about the dogs.)

This story is from John York, who claims it is a true story and happened in the days gone by.

NO. 19.

THE LITTLE DOG STORY.

Told by Peter York.

In the old days people used to have faith in their dogs. One time a man had a very small, little dog. When he went out hunting he put the little dog inside of his coat. Every time the little dog tried to bark the man knew that there was some game near.

One night while the man was asleep the little dog licked him on the face till he woke up, which went to show that there was trouble at hand. The little dog tried to take his master outside the camp. They both went out and the little dog began to roll in the snow. Every time he rolled he grew bigger. He rolled till he got to be as big as a good-sized calf, then he stopped and watched the lake. They saw a great, big dog coming across the ice to kill the man. The man’s dog went out to meet this one and conquered it. This big dog was a grey-looking one with no hair.

NO. 20.

KILLING THE OLD PEOPLE.

Told by John York.

In the days gone by when an old man or woman got helpless they used to be killed outright.

One time while two families, one of which had an old woman, were out camping, they decided to kill the old woman. They told her that they were going to move to some other place. They took her by the hand and led her to the bush some distance away where they stopped in a lonely place and told her to sit there till they got ready to build a camp. Instead of making a camp they went back home and left her to die. The old woman was left on a river bank, and it happened that one of the boys was out hunting that way and when he was coming back home he saw his grandmother sitting by the river side. He wondered how she got there, but told her to get in the canoe and took her back to camp. He left her near the camp telling her to come in after dark. The hunter then went into the camp and after a while the old woman came in. Everybody sat still, they did not know what to say, as they had thought that she would have died that night out on the river bank. She never told how she came back, neither did her grandson, so it was never known to the rest. The people quit killing the old people from that time. They never did it again. The Indians used to do this; when people got too old they were killed to be got out of the way.

NO. 21.

OJIBWA AND MOHAWK. (NO. 5.)

Told by Peter York.

The Mohawks were so bad that they used to kill for nothing. One time there were three Ojibwa brothers, and one day the Mohawks met one of the brothers and killed him. They hid him in the bush and took his scalp home. When the other two came to know that their brother had been killed they got mad (angry) and both got ready with war clubs and lots of shot and powder. When they got to the Mohawk village their enemies were waiting for them to come. These brothers did all they could; they killed about three to five hundred of the Mohawks. While the fight was going on, one of the two Ojibwas got shot in the leg, and the leg was broken below the knee, but he fought on till he got tired and sick. “Well,” he said to his brother, “we are going to get beaten. I will die in their hands, you run away and tell our people what has happened.” The other brother started back home and left his brother to be killed, who was killed some time later. The one that got home told all the people what had happened. Everybody got ready to go down and kill all the Mohawks. When they got to the place where the fight was they saw the dead man sitting up dressed in some very nice things, such as buckskin clothing, but his scalp was taken.

When the Ojibwas got to the Mohawk village their captain gave a big yell to show the Mohawks that there was going to be a fight, and started to kill everyone who was in the village. When they got through they searched the place for the scalp that was taken from the brother and when they found it they burnt the village and started back home. When they got there they had a big time over the recovered scalp.

NO. 22.

NANABUSH. (NO. 6.)

Told by John York.

It was never known how Nanabush was born, only that he was working for God for many years (York says 2,000 years, which is evidently his expression to denote a very long time) looking after the world, such as to regulate the weather, rain, snow, and other things.

Nanabush did have a wife once, but only one child which was a girl. While living together he made up his mind to send his wife away to look after the dead, those that died long years ago, where she is now.