The Crow

The Crow & It's Feathers

The American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Characteristics:
Adult American crows are completely black birds weighing on average one pound. The feathers have a glossy and slightly iridescent look. Crows have strong legs and toes. The bill is black with a slight hook on the end. Stiff bristles cover their nostrils. About 20% of male birds are slightly larger than the females.

Young crows are about the same size as adults, but have blue eyes and pink inside the mouth. Both the eyes and mouth darken as the bird becomes an adult. In young birds, the ends of tail feathers are symmetrical and are more pointed than the wide, flat-ended feathers of adults. The wing and tail feathers of the young can become quite brown and ragged through the first winter and spring and only become darker and glossier; like adult feathers after the first molt.

Range:
American crows are native over North America. They can be found in lower Canada and through the continental United States.

Habitat:
American crows prefer open areas with nearby trees. Agricultural and grassland areas are ideal habitat for crows to forage for their food. American crows will also use nearby woodlots and forest edges for breeding and roosting. American crows thrive in suburban neighborhoods and urban parks, as well as in coastal habitats.

Diet:
American crows are omnivores and will eat almost anything. During the breeding season, crows consume insects and their larvae, worms, fruits, grains, and nuts. They actively hunt and prey on small animals such as frogs, mice, and young rabbits, though they more likely to scavenge carrion such as road kill. They also are significant nest predators, preying on the eggs and nestlings of smaller songbirds. In the fall and winter they eat more nuts, such as walnuts and acorns. On rare occasions, American crows will eat from bird feeders put out by humans. Crows often take advantage of human garbage.
American crows store food items such as meat and nuts in short-term caches. Hiding places are scattered around, rather than in one place. They may be in tree crevices or on the ground, where they are often covered with leaves or other material.
Crows forage primarily by walking on the ground and picking up the item, or by walking along tree branches. Foraging is usually done by a few individuals in a small area, but can also occur in groups over a larger area.
Crows will hold a nut under one foot and strike it with the bill to open it. To open a particularly heavy-shelled food items such as a walnuts or clams, a crow will fly high and drop it on a hard surface.

Communication:
American Crows are highly vocal. Unlike most other songbirds, males and females have the same songs. They have a complex system of loud, harsh caws often uttered in repetitive rhythmic series. Shorter and sharper caws called “kos” are probably alarm or alert calls. Slightly longer caws are probably used in territorial defense, and patterns of repetition may be matched in what may be considered “counter-singing,” or exchanges between territorial neighbors. “Double caws,” short caws repeated in stereotyped doublets, may serve as a call-to-arms vocalization, alerting family members to territorial intruders. Sometimes pairs or family members coordinate their cawing in a duet or chorus. Harsher cawing is used while mobbing potential predators.
People are less familiar with the large variety of softer calls crows can make. Melodic, highly variable coos accompanied by bowing postures are used among family members, possibly as greetings or other bonding signals. Coos of cage-mates become similar over time; this vocalization may therefore be the basis of the mimicry ability shown by pet crows. Crows also give several kinds of rattles.
Young crows make gargling sounds that eventually turn into adult vocalizations. Yearling crows also “ramble” or run through long sequences of different patterns and rhythms of cawing.

Life Cycle:
Breeding in American crows may begin as early as February and last through June. Nests are usually built by both males and females high in a sturdy conifer or hardwood tree. Females lay 4 to 5 light green colored eggs with brown markings. The female incubates her eggs, and they hatch after 18 days. While sitting on the nest, the female will beg for food like a baby bird, and her mate will bring it to her.

A Raven is the largest bird of the Crow Family.

Some uses and meaning of Crow Feathers by First People's Tribes:

Crow

Arapaho:hóuu

The crow is the messenger from and guide to the world beyond.

The crow was and is extremely important in Arapaho ceremony. The Crow Dance, which was a later derivation of the Ghost Dance, featured the crow as the central emblem. Crow feathers were widely used in both the Ghost and Crow Dances for making ceremonial items.

}Shamanic uses of Feather:


~ for healing, diagnosis, cleansing, journeying & divination ~
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Shamanic tools focus and express energy received from Spirit, the Web of Life and
individuals. They are a basic requirement when embarking on the Shamanic Path. They
can be used for healing, diagnosis, cleansing, journeying and divination.
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~ Shamanic Healing, Workshops & Ceremony ~

Feather
The feather has a variety of uses. They can be used to open chakras and brush down auras. In conjunction
with smudging herbs, they can cleanse auras and environments. In healing and ceremony they invoke the
energy of the particular bird from which they originate (eg, a Swan feather for transformative processes,
Crow & Raven feathers for Magic / Mysteries, Eagle feathers to take prayers to Heaven.)

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Crow: Known as the keeper of sacred law, the Crow is associated with spiritual strength, invisible forces and magic. Crows are said to be able to bend the laws of the physical universe, which allows them to shape shift. Many cultures believe the Crow is the custodian of knowledge since nothing escapes their sharp vision. The message of Crow is one of change. Crow may be asking you to “shape shift” your current reality into one of your dreams.

Raven: The Raven has carried the medicine of magic through the ages. It is said that the Raven is guardian of ceremonial magic in any healing circle where Raven is present. In some Native American cultures, the Raven is known as the “keeper of secrets”. Raven gives you the courage to enter the darkness of the void, where universal secrets are stored, and where the Raven resides. The Raven carries the energy of shape shifter. The message of the Raven may be putting you on notice that magic is in the air.

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The symbolic meaning of the Raven in Native American Indian lore describes the raven as a creature of metamorphosis, and symbolizes change/transformation.

In some tribes, the Raven is considered a trickster because of its transforming/changing attributes.

Often honored among medicine & holy men of tribes for its shape-shifting qualities, the Raven was called upon in ritual so that visions could be clarified. Native holy men understood that what the physical eye sees, is not necessarily the truth, and he would call upon the Raven for clarity in these matters.

Foremost, the Raven is the Native American bearer of magic, and a harbinger of messages from the cosmos. Messages that are beyond space and time are nestled in the midnight wings of the Raven and come to only those within the tribe who are worthy of the knowledge.

The Raven is also called upon in Native ritual for healing purposes. Specifically, the Raven is thought to provide long-distance healing.

The Raven is also a keeper of secrets, and can assist us in determining answers to our own “hidden” thoughts. Areas in our lives that we are unwilling to face, or secrets we keep that harm us – the Raven can help us expose the truth behind these (often distorted) secrets and wing us back to health and harmony.

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Symbolism of Feathers

It is commonly thought in most cultures that feathers are symbols of higher thought, spiritual progression. The line of thought here is that birds were considered divine creatures in primitive/ancient cultures because they are creatures of the sky (heaven) and therefore closer to God.

When you find feathers upon your path it could be taken to mean that you are on a higher spiritual path (whether you accept it or not), and it may be a sign of encouragement as you philosophically travel on this path.

Finding feathers on your path is also symbolic of having a lighter outlook on life or a particulary situation. When we see feathers in our midst it is considered a message that we need to lighten up, not take things too seriously, and try to find the joy in our situation.

Some common symbolic meaning of feathers are:

Heightened awareness
Light heartedness
Enlightenment
Prayer
Divinity
Progress
Dreaming of feathers in our midst is typically symbolic of wanting to achieve a higher goal, or overcome a challenge. It is also a reminder from our psyche that we are always connected to our higher source, and that our own divinity is undeniable.

RAVEN SYMBOLISM


If you're looking for raven symbolism pertaining to ill omen, death or other gruesome turns of thought, look elsewhere. There are plenty sources to feed macabre minds, and malign the raven.

It's not that I'm a big advocate of raven energy, and even if I were, it wouldn't matter because the raven needs no champion. Content to move about its bizarre ways in solo-mode, the raven could care less if I'm pro or con for its symbolic status.

I just think the raven has more to offer than uneducated conjecture and superstition (most of which has only cropped up over the last few centuries).

A lot of negative raven symbolism comes about from their appearance on battlefields. They are scavengers (and curious to a fault), and are often seen picking at mangled remains of fallen warriors on battle grounds.

Spans of massacred bodies and gore besieged with glimmery black ravens with chiseled beaks driving coldly into the bloody mire can conjure some nightmarish connotations. I'm betting a lot of the darker raven symbolism came from these eerie appearances at sites with massive death tolls.

This is underscored by the raven's placement in Celtic animal symbolism because it is a bird closely connected with battle and the Celtic goddess Morrigan, who was a remarkable prophetess (connecting oracle themes with the raven).

Nevertheless, this information on raven symbolism will focus on the raven's higher attributes.

For example, the raven's intelligence is possibly its most winning feature. Indeed, these birds can be trained to speak. This speaking ability leads into the legend of ravens being the ultimate oracle.

In fact, the raven is often heard to cackle utterances that sound like "cras, cras." The actual word cras is tomorrow in Latin. This lends more fuel to the legendary fires that distinguish the raven as a bird who can foretell the future, and reveal omens and signs.

Countless cultures point to the raven as a harbinger of powerful secrets. Moreover, the raven is a messenger too, so its business is in both keeping and communicating deep mysteries.

Raven symbolism of wisdom and knowledge-keeping is connected with the Welsh hero Bran, the Blessed whose name means raven. Bran was the holder of ancestral memories, and his wisdom was legendary. So much so, that he had his head (the vessel of his powerful wisdom) removed and interred in the sacred White Mount in London. Ravens are still roosting there (in the Tower of London), and they're thought to keep Bran's wisdom protected and alive by their presence.

The raven is symbolic of mind, thought and wisdom according to Norse legend, as their god Odin was accompanied by two ravens: Hugin who represented the power of thought and active search for information. The other raven, Mugin represented the mind, and its ability to intuit meaning rather than hunting for it. Odin would send these two ravens out each day to sour across the lands. At day's end, they would return to Odin and speak to him of all they had spied upon and learned on their journeys.

Odin was also known as the Raven God. He had many daughters known as Valkyries who could transform into ravens . I like to think Valkyries would ride as ravens after a bloody battle and whisper to the souls of fallen Norse warriors to raise up from their bodies and come with them, where they would soar the skies to Valhalla. What a trip back home that would be.

There's more good news about raven symbolism from the ancient Greeks and Romans. In spite of its midnight-colored feathers, the raven was a solar animal in this culture, and was associated with both Athena and Apollo, both deities closely affiliated with the sun, and the light of wisdom .

Apollo was also a major oracular god, which makes its connection with the chatty and (and alarmingly human-like) conversational raven a smart match.

There are some Greco-Roman legends that say ravens were once all white. And, because the raven couldn't keep a secret to save its life, Apollo punished the raven by turning its bright white feathers black after it divulged too many secrets. There's also a version that said the owl replaced the raven by Athena's side as her associate of wisdom because of raven's blabber-mouthed tendencies.

Raven color changes are also mentioned in Christian lore when Noah sent a raven first to confirm the receding floodwaters. When the raven did not return, it was said God turned its feathers black for its failure, and Noah sent a dove out to do the raven's job. And since then, the raven has gotten a bad rap as being anti-mankind.

I'm not convinced. I rather think (as long as we're postulating over legends) the raven is very pro-mankind and its feathers turned black from sorrow - a heaviness in its heart to witness the floodwaters were still too high to accommodate the birthing ark.

Ravens are humanitarians in Native American symbolic legends too. In fact, the raven was a hero to many tribes. The Inuit for example believed the raven tricked a giant sea monster into submission, and to this day its body serves as the Alaskan mainland.

Other Native North American tribes saw the raven as the bringer of light. In fact, southwestern tribes (Hopi, Navajo, Zuni) felt the raven was flew out from the dark womb of the cosmos, and with it brought the light of the sun (dawning of understanding). Consequently, the raven is considered a venerated bird of creation, for without the raven, humans would forever live in darkness.

Dr. Carl Jung deemed raven symbolism to represent the shadow self, or the dark side of the psyche. I very much like this. Why? Because by acknowledging this dark side, we can effectively communicate with both halves of ourselves. This offers liberating balance, and facilitates tremendous wisdom (something the raven would be very pleased with).

In other words, through the consistent unveiling of inner depths, and the positive/active utilization of inner impulses the esoteric secrets become exposed to the light of our own consciousness. This is at the crux of what the raven speaks to me.

What does the raven whisper to you?




The Native Americans also had their own astrological horoscope, relating to seasons, gems and animals. The chart below will help you discover your own special gems, colours and animals.

Note: the astrological animal may not be your own personal totem animal. Use it instead as an additional helper.


Birth Date Totem Animal Gemstone
Dec 21-Jan 19 Snow Goose Green Peridot
Jan 20-Feb 18 Grey Otter Turquoise
Feb 19-Mar 20 Timber Wolf Green Jade
Mar 21-Apr 20 Falcon/Eagle Opal
Apr 21-May 20 Brown Beaver Yellow Jasper
May 21-Jun 20 Red Deer Orange Agate
Jun 21-Jul 21 Red Woodpecker Rose Quartz
Jul 22-Aug 21 Pink Salmon Red Carnelian
Aug 22-Sep 22 Kodiak Bear Brown Topaz
Sep 23-Oct 22 Black Crow Blue Azurite
Oct 23-Nov 21 Black Snake Purple Amethyst


Native American Legends about the Crow

ESKIMO LEGEND

An Eskimo Legend: CROW BRINGS DAYLIGHT
A long time ago when the world was first born, it was always dark in the north where the Inuit people lived. They thought it was dark all over the world until an old crow told the them about daylight and how he had seen it on his long journeys. The more they heard about daylight, the more the people wanted it.

"We could hunt further and for longer," they said. "We could see the polar bears coming and run before they attack us." The people begged the crow to go and bring them daylight, but he didn't want to. "It's a long way and I'm too old to fly that far," he said. But the people begged until he finally agreed to go.

He flapped his wings and launched into the dark sky, towards the east. He flew for a long time until his wings were tired. He was about to turn back when he saw the dim glow of daylight in the distance. "At last, there is daylight," said the tired crow. As he flew towards the dim light it became brighter and brighter until the whole sky was bright and he could see for miles. The exhausted bird landed in a tree near a village, wanting to rest. It was very cold.

A daughter of the chief came to the nearby river. As she dipped her bucket in the icy water, Crow turned himself into a speck of dust and drifted down onto her fur cloak. When she walked back to her father's snow lodge, she carried him with her. Inside the snow lodge it was warm and bright. The girl took off her cloak and the speck of dust drifted towards the chief's grandson, who was playing on the lodge floor. It floated into the child's ear and he started to cry.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" asked the chief, who was sitting at the fire. "Tell him you want to play with a ball of daylight," whispered the dust. The chief wanted his favorite grandson to be happy, and told his daughter to fetch the box of daylight balls. When she opened it for him, he took out a small ball wrapped a string around it and gave it to his grandson. The speck of dust scratched the child's ear again, making him cry.

"What's wrong, child?" asked the chief. "Tell him you want to play outside" whispered Crow. The child did so, and the chief and his daughter took him out into the snow. As soon as they left the snow lodge, the speck of dust turned back into Crow again. He put out his claws, grasped the string on the ball of daylight and flew into the sky, heading west. Finally he reached the land of the Inuit again and when he let go of the string, the ball dropped to the ground and shattered into tiny pieces. Light went into every home and the darkness left the sky.

All the people came from their houses. "We can see for miles! Look how blue the sky is, and the mountains in the distance! We couldn't see them before." They thanked Crow for bringing daylight to their land. He shook his beak. "I could only carry one small ball of daylight, and it'll need to gain its strength from time to time. So you'll only have daylight for half the year." The people said "But we're happy to have daylight for half the year! Before you brought the ball to us it was dark all the time!"

And so that is why, in the land of the Inuit in the far north, it is dark for one half of the year and light the other. The people never forgot it was Crow who brought them the gift of daylight and they take care never to hurt him - in case he decides to take it back.

INUIT (Eskimo) LEGEND

Owl and Raven

Owl and Raven were close friends. One day Raven made a new dress, dappled black and white, for Owl. Owl, in return, made for Raven a pair of Whale-bone boots and then began to make for her a white dress. When Owl wanted to fit the dress, Raven hopped about and would not sit still. Owl became very angry and said, "If I fly over you with a blubber lamp, don't jump." Raven continued to hop about. At last Owl became very angry and emptied the blubber lamp over the new white dress. Raven cried, "Qaq! Qaq!" Ever since that day Raven has been black all over.


ALUTE LEGENDS

Princess Raven

An Aleut Legend
Princess Raven The Chief did not like Raven because he could transform himself into various things. He thought about turning himself into a human, but Raven wanted the Chief to be able to notice his presence when he saw the princess.

"I will fly into the air above the river and turn myself into a hemlock needle. When it floats down to you. pick it up and swallow it." Princess nodded and wondered what was going to happen as Raven flew into the air.

In an instant he was gone. A small hemlock needle slowly fell towards the water. When it floated down to her, princess picked it up and swallowed it. She waited, but nothing happened. Then she felt a jerk in her back. The princess reached back to see what the pain was and to her surprise, she felt feathers, a wing grew out of her back and wrapped around her. It was so warm. The princess felt a love like never before.

Raven and the princess felt a Love like never before. Raven and the princess were joined together throughout all time. All creatures that saw them could feel the love drifting from the face of the princess and the wing of Raven.

Anisnabe(Anisinabe) Legend

The Man and The Ravens


There once was a man that enjoyed watching the black Raven's fly around, play, squawk, and chatter. He enjoyed them so much he would climb trees just to be closer to them. For many months the Ravens ignored the man, but after a while, one of the Ravens flew from a nearby tree and landed directly next to the man.

In utter amazement, the bird spoke to the man and asked, "You have been watching us for a long time. You have tried to get close to us. Why do you do this?"

The man replied, "I mean no harm. I have become enchanted with you and all your relatives. I enjoy the play, the squawking, and I wish I could learn your language so I could understand more about you."

Then the Raven responded, "We are honored that you want to know us, as long as you do not cause harm, we will teach you our language."

For many months the Ravens taught the man all about the language and how the Ravens lived from day to day. The man became so educated that he knew everything there was to know about the Ravens. Many of the Ravens saw the man and accepted him as a friend.

One day, an older Raven was flying far over the man, dropped a walnut perfectly on the man's head. It was done on purpose and all the Ravens almost fell off their branches laughing so hard the way they do. One Raven was flying and was laughing so hard he had to crash land right in front of the man.

The man was feeling bad and was hurt by being made fun of, so he asked the Raven in front of him, "Why are you all picking on me."

The Raven stopped laughing and became very serious. "We thought you understood us, but apparently you don't. If you did you would know that we are not mocking you... well maybe a bit, but it is done in our way of having fun. We are 'playing' with you and that is all. It is not to be taken seriously. You should know us better."

The man took sometime to understand this and over time a few more practical jokes were played on the man and he in turn pulled a few "good ones" on the birds. A good time was had by all and the man became even closer to the Ravens.

Then another event occurred. A young Raven swooped out of the sky and pecked the man on the head. Then another young Raven swooped down and did the same thing. The man ran across the field and into the woods but the Ravens kept chasing him and very skillfully they flew at high speeds through the woods tormenting the man. Finally the two stopped and started to yell mean words, fighting words at the man.

Again the man did not understand, but he knew the two Ravens were very mad at him, so he decided to leave and let the Ravens be. The man went away for many months.

As he did his duties in the his tribal village, he told all the people about his adventures and what he learned about the Ravens. Some listened with intent, others just thought the man was a fool to study the Ravens so. The villagers gave the man a new name of "Black Feather" because of his close relationship to the birds, but the man objected and said, "I am no longer close to the Raven people."

From above there was a squawking sound of a single Raven. Some of the people looked up and were surprised that they could understand the Raven, others just looked around because they could hear nothing but squawking. The Raven was speaking to the man and said, "It is true, you are closer to us than any Anishinabe (Human) has ever come. You are close, but you still don't understand us fully. I invite you to return to us, many miss you."

Black Feather started to follow the Raven but then stopped at the edge of the village. He looked around to make sure no other Anishinabe could hear then asked the Raven, "why do you ask me back when the two Ravens where fighting with me and were mean."

"The Raven landed at Black Feathers feet and said, "See how little you understand us. The two young Ravens did not fight with you because you are Anishinabe, it is because they accepted you as a member of the Raven people. You should know that we fight among ourselves too. It is a part of our way of life. Instead of sulking and leaving you should have fought back."

Black Feather stood in silence and said, "There is much about Ravens I don't understand. Maybe we are too different people to ever understand each other. I should stop and return to my people in the village."

The Raven again shook his head and told Black Feather, "That is your choice, but again I tell you that you have come closer to us Raven people than any other Anishinabe. Would you throw this all away just because you can't understand us yet?"

Black Feather responded, "It's useless, how can I ever understand you, I can't even fly!"

A thousand bursts of laughter was heard from all the surrounding trees and Black Feather knew that all the Raven People were there, hiding and listening.

"Of course you can't fly. You are Anishinabe and we are Ravens. But we accept you as one of us. We play with you. We fight with you. We love you and want you back. We also recommend you don't try to fly in order to be like us, because then, you would not be Anishinabe nor a Raven but something else. We like you as an Anishinabe that understands us as Ravens. Join us or not the decision is yours."

Black Feather returned to the Anishinabe village and bid everyone farewell because he had decided to live with the Raven people. After all the farewells and such he started to leave the village. All the Anishinabe people were there to see him off, and high over head was a thousand Raven's.

Then from high above one of the older Ravens dropped a walnut shell and again with remarkable aim, plunked Black Feather right on the head. All the Ravens started laughing hard and all the Anishinabe were laughing too.

Black Feather laughed and looked up at the old Raven and said, "Good one."

Reprinted by permission by the author since 2005, Charles P. Whitedog, Ojibway. email: [e-mail]

MAKAH LEGEND

When the Animals and the Birds Were Made

The Indians who live on the farthest point of the northwest corner of Washington State used to tell stories, not about one Changer, but about the Two-Men-Who-Changed-Things. So did their close relatives, who lived on Vancouver Island, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

When the world was very young, there were no people on the Earth. There were no birds or animals, either. There was nothing but grass and sand and creatures that were neither animals nor people but had some of the traits of people and some of the traits of animals.

Then the two brothers of the Sun and the Moon came to the Earth. Their names were Ho-ho-e-ap-bess, which means "The Two-Men-Who- Changed- Things." They came to make the Earth ready for a new race of people, the Indians. The Two-Men-Who-Changed-Things called all the creatures to them. Some they changed to animals and birds. Some they changed to trees and smaller plants.

Among them was a bad thief. He was always stealing food from creatures who were fishermen and hunters. The Two-Men-Who- Changed-Things transformed him into Seal. They shortened his arms and tied his legs so that only his feet could move. Then they threw Seal into the Ocean and said to him, "Now you will have to catch your own fish if you are to have anything to eat."

One of the creatures was a great fisherman. He was always on the rocks or was wading with his long fishing spear. He kept it ready to thrust into some fish. He always wore a little cape, round and white over his shoulders. The Two-Men-Who-Changed-Things transformed him into Great Blue Heron. The cape became the white feathers around the neck of Great Blue Heron. The long fishing spear became his sharp pointed bill.

Another creature was both a fisherman and a thief. He had stolen a necklace of shells. The Two-Men-Who-Changed-Things transformed him into Kingfisher. The necklace of shells was turned into a ring of feathers around Kingfisher's neck. He is still a fisherman. He watches the water, and when he sees a fish, he dives headfirst with a splash into the water.

Two creatures had huge appetites. They devoured everything they could find. The Two-Men-Who-Changed-Things transformed one of them into Raven. They transformed his wife into Crow. Both Raven and Crow were given strong beaks so that they could tear their food. Raven croaks "Cr-r-ruck!" and Crow answers with a loud "Cah! Cah!"

The Two-Men-Who-Changed-Things called Bluejay's son to them and asked, "Which do you wish to be--a bird or a fish?"

"I don't want to be either," he answered.

"Then we will transform you into Mink. You will live on land. You will eat the fish you can catch from the water or can pick up on the shore. "

Then the Two-Men-Who-Changed-Things remembered that the new people would need wood for many things.

They called one of the creatures to them and said "The Indians will want tough wood to make bows with. They will want tough wood to make wedges with, so that they can split logs. You are tough and strong. We will change you into the yew tree."

They called some little creatures to them. "The new people will need many slender, straight shoots for arrows. You will be the arrowwood. You will be white with many blossoms in early summer."

They called a big, fat creature to them. "The Indians will need big trunks with soft wood so that they can make canoes. You will be the cedar trees. The Indians will make many things from your bark and from your roots."

The Two-Men-Who-Changed-Things knew that the Indians would need wood for fuel. So they called an old creature to them. "You are old, and your heart is dry. You will make good kindling, for your grease has turned hard and will make pitch. You will be the spruce tree. When you grow old, you will always make dry wood that will be good for fires."

To another creature they said, "You shall be the hemlock. Your bark will be good for tanning hides. Your branches will be used in the sweat lodges."

A creature with a cross temper they changed into a crab apple tree, saying, "You shall always bear sour fruit."

Another creature they changed into the wild cherry tree, so that the new people would have fruit and could use the cherry bark for medicine.

A thin, tough creature they changed into the alder tree, so that the new people would have hard wood for their canoe paddles.

Thus the Two-Men-Who-Changed-Things got the world ready for the new people who were to come. They made the world as it was when the Indians lived in it.

SIOUX LEGEND

How The Crow Came To Be Black

In days long past, when the earth and the people on it were still young, all crows were white as snow. In those ancient times the people had neither horses nor firearms nor weapons of iron. Yet they depended upon the buffalo hunt to give them enough food to survive.

Hunting the big buffalo on foot with stone-tipped weapons was hard, uncertain, and dangerous. The crows made things even more difficult for the hunters, because they were friends of the buffalo. Soaring high above the prairie, they could see everything that was going on. Whenever they spied hunters approaching a buffalo herd, they flew to their friends and, perching between their horns, warned them: "Caw, caw, caw, cousins, hunters are coming. They are creeping up through that gully over there. They are coming up behind that hill. Watch out! Caw, caw, caw!" Hearing this, the buffalo would stampede, and the people starved.

The people held a council to decide what to do. Now, among the crows was a huge one, twice as big as all the others. This crow was their leader. One wise old chief got up and made this suggestion: "We must capture the big white crow," he said, "and teach him a lesson. It's either that or go hungry."

He brought out a large buffalo skin, with the head and horns still attached. He put it on the back of a young brave, saying: "Nephew, sneak among the buffalo. They will think you are one of them, and you can capture the big white crow."

Disguised as a buffalo, the young man crept among the herd as if he were grazing. The big, shaggy beasts paid him no attention.

Then the hunters marched out from their camp after him, their bows at the ready. As they approached the herd, the crows came flying, as usual, warning the buffalo: "Caw, caw, caw, cousins, the hunters are coming to kill you. Watch out for their arrows. Caw, caw, caw!" and as usual, all the buffalo stampeded off and away - all, that is, except the young hunter in disguise under his shaggy skin, who pretended to go on grazing as before.

Then the big white crow came gliding down, perched on the hunter's shoulders, and flapping his wings, said: "Caw, caw, caw, brother, are you deaf? The hunters are close by, just over the hill. Save yourself!"

But the young brave reached out from under the buffalo skin and grabbed the crow by the legs.

With a rawhide string he tied the big bird's feet and fastened the other end to a stone. No matter how the crow struggled, he could not escape.

Again the people sat in council. "What shall we do with this big, bad crow, who has made us go hungry again and again?"

"I'll burn him up!" answered one angry hunter, and before anybody could stop him, he yanked the crow from the hands of his captor and thrust it into the council fire, string, stone and all. "This will teach you," he said.

Of course, the string that held the stone burned through almost at once, and the big crow managed to fly out of the fire. But he was badly singed, and some of his feathers were charred. Though he was still big, he was no longer white.

"Caw, caw, caw," he cried, flying away as quickly as he could, "I'll never do it again; I'll stop warning the buffalo, and so will the Crow nation. I promise! Caw, caw, caw."

Thus the crow escaped. But ever since, all crows have been black.

- Told by Good White Buffalo at Winner, Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota, 1964.

White River Sioux Legend

Spotted Eagle and Black Crow

Many lifetimes ago there lived two braves warriors. One was named Wanblee Gleshka, Spotted Eagle. The other was Kangi Sapa, Black Crow.

They were friends but, as it happened, were also in love with the same girl, Zintkala Luta Win - Red Bird. She was beautiful as well as accomplished in tanning and quill-work, and she liked Spotted Eagle best, which made Black Crow unhappy and jealous.

Black Crow went to his friend and said: "Let's go on a war party against the Pahani. We'll get ourselves some fine horses and earn eagle feathers."

"Good idea," said Spotted Eagle, and the two young men purified themselves in a sweat bath. They got out their war medicine and their shields, painted their faces, and did all that warriors should do before a raid. Then they rode out against the Pahani.

The raid did not go well. The Pahani were watchful, and the young warriors could not get near the herd. Not only did they fail to capture any ponies, they even lost their own mounts while they were trying to creep up to the enemy's herd.

Spotted Eagle and Black Crow had a hard time escaping on foot because the Pahani were searching for them everywhere.

At one time the two had to hide underwater in a lake and breathe through long, hollow reeds which were sticking up above the surface. But at least they were clever at hiding, and the Pahani finally gave up the hunt.

Traveling on foot made the trip home a long one. Their moccasins were tattered, their feet bleeding. At last they came to a high cliff. "Let's go up there," said Black Crow, "and find out whether the enemy is following us."

Clambering up, they looked over the countryside and saw that no one was on their trail. But on a ledge far below them they spied a nest with two young eagles in it. "Let's get those eagles, at least," Black Crow said.

There was no way to climb down the sheer rock wall, but Black Crow took his rawhide lariat, made a loop in it, put the rope around Spotted Eagle's chest, and lowered him.

When his friend was on the ledge with the nest, Black Crow said to himself: "I can leave him there to die. When I come home alone, Red Bird will marry me."

He threw his end of the rope down and went away without looking back or listening to Spotted Eagle's cries.

At last it dawned on Spotted Eagle that his friend had betrayed him, that he had been left to die. The lariat was much too short to lower himself to the ground; an abyss of three hundred feet lay beneath him. He was alone with the two young eagles, who screeched angrily at the strange, two-legged creature that had invaded their home.

Black Crow returned to his village. "Spotted Eagle died a warrior's death," he told the people. "The Pahani killed him."

There was loud wailing throughout the village, because everybody had liked Spotted Eagle. Red Bird slashed her arms with a sharp knife and cut her hair to make her sorrow plain to all. But in the end because life must go on, she became Black Crow's wife.

Spotted Eagle, however, did not die on his lonely ledge. The eagles got used to him, and the old eagles brought plenty of food - rabbits, prairie dogs, and sage hens - which he shared with the two chicks.

Maybe it was the eagle medicine in his bundle, which he carried on his chest that made the eagles accept him. Still, he had to tie himself to a little rock sticking out of the cliff to keep from falling off in his sleep. In this way he spent some uncomfortable weeks, after all, he was a human being and not a bird to whom a crack in the rock face is home.

At last the young eagles were big enough to practice flying. "What will become of me now?" thought the young man. "Once the fledglings have flown the nest, the old birds won't bring any more food."

Then he had an inspiration, and told himself, "Perhaps I'll die. Very likely I will. But I won't just sit here and give up."

Spotted Eagle took his little pipe out of his medicine bundle, lifted it up to the sky, and prayed: "Wakan Tanka, onshimala ye: Great Spirit, pity me. You have created man and his brother, the eagle. You have given me the eagle's name. Now I will try to let the eagles carry me to the ground. Let the eagles help me; let me succeed."

He smoked and felt a surge of confidence. Then he grabbed hold of the legs of the two young eagles. "Brothers," he told them, "you have accepted me as one of your own. Now we will live together, or die together. Hoka-hey!" and he jumped off the ledge.

He expected to be shattered on the ground below, but with a mighty flapping of wings, the two young eagles broke his fall and the three landed safely. Spotted Eagle said a prayer of thanks to the ones above. Then he thanked the eagles and told them that one day he would be back with gifts and have a giveaway in their honor.

Spotted Eagle returned to his village. The excitement was great. He had been dead and had come back to life. Everybody asked him how it happened that he was not dead, but he wouldn't tell them. "I escaped," he said, "that's all."

He saw his love married to his treacherous friend and bore it in silence. He was not one to bring strife and enmity to his people, to set one family against the other. Besides, what had happened could not be changed. Thus he accepted his fate.

A year or so later, a great war party of the Pahani attacked his village. The enemy outnumbered the Sioux tenfold, and Spotted Eagle's band had no chance for victory. All the warriors could do was fight a slow rear-guard action to give the aged, the women, and the children time to escape across the river.

Guarding their people this way, the handful of Sioux fought bravely, charging the enemy again and again, forcing the Pahani to halt and regroup. Each time, the Sioux retreated a little, taking up a new position on a hill or across a gully. In this way they could save their families.

Showing the greatest courage, exposing their bodies freely, were Spotted Eagle and Black Crow. In the end they alone faced the enemy.

Then, suddenly, Black Crow's horse was hit by several arrows and collapsed under him. "Brother, forgive me for what I have done," he cried to Spotted Eagle, "let me jump on your horse behind you."

Spotted Eagle answered: "You are a Kit Fox member, a sash wearer. Pin your sash as sign that you will fight to the finish. Then, if you survive, I will forgive you; and if you die, I will forgive you also."

Black Crow answered: "I am a Fox. I shall pin my sash. I will win here or die here."

He sang his death song. He fought stoutly. There was no one to release him by unpinning him and taking him up on a horse. He was hit by lances and arrows and died a warrior's death. Many Pahani died with him.

Spotted Eagle had been the only one to watch Black Crow's last fight. At last he joined his people, safe across the river, where the Pahani did not follow them. "Your husband died well," Spotted Eagle told Red Bird.

After some time had passed, Spotted Eagle married Red Bird. And much, much later he told his parents, and no one else, how Black Crow had betrayed him. "I forgive him now," he said, "because once, long ago, he was my friend, and because Red Bird and I are happy now."

After a long winter, Spotted Eagle told his wife when spring came again: "I must go away for a few days to fulfill a promise. And I have to go alone."

He rode off by himself to that cliff and stood again at its foot, below the ledge where the eagles' nest had been. He pointed his sacred pipe to the four directions, then down to Grandmother Earth and up to the Grandfather sky letting the smoke ascend to the sky, calling out: "Wanblee Mishunkala, little Eagle Brothers, hear me."

High above in the clouds appeared two black dots, circling. These were the eagles who had saved his life. They came at his call, their huge wings spread royally. Swooping down, uttering a shrill cry of joy and recognition, they alighted at his feet.

He stroked them with his feather fan, thanked them many times, and fed them choice morsels of buffalo meat. He fastened small medicine bundles around their legs as a sign of friendship, and spread tobacco offerings around the foot of the cliff. Thus he made a pact of friendship and brotherhood between Wanblee Oyate - the eagle nation - and his own people.

Afterwards the stately birds soared up again into the sky, circling motionless, carried by the wind, disappearing into the clouds.

Spotted Eagle turned his horse's head homeward, going back to Red Bird with deep content.

- Told by Jenny Leading Cloud in White River, Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota, 1967.

}Another Souix Legend

The Story of the Pet Crow

Once upon a time there came to a large village a plague of crows. So thick were they that the poor women were sorely tried keeping them out of their tepees and driving them away from their lines of jerked buffalo meat. Indeed they got so numerous and were such a great nuisance that the Chief finally gave orders to his camp criers or heralds to go out among the different camps and announce the orders of their Chief, that war should be made upon the crows to extermination; that their nests were to be destroyed and all eggs broken. The war of extermination was to continue until not a crow remained, except the youngest found was to be brought to him alive.

For a week the war on the crows continued. Thousands of dead crows were brought in daily, and at the end of the week not a bird of that species could be seen in the neighborhood. Those that escaped the deadly arrow of the warriors, flew away, never to return to those parts again.

At the end of the war made upon the crows, there was brought to the Chief's tepee the youngest found. Indeed, so young was the bird that it was only the great medicine of the Chief that kept him alive until he could hop about and find his own food. The Chief spent most of his time in his lodge teaching the young crow to understand and talk the language of the tribe. After the crow had mastered this, the Chief then taught him the languages of the neighboring tribes. When the crow had mastered these different languages the chief would send him on long journeys to ascertain the location of the camps of the different enemies.

When the crow would find a large Indian camp he would alight and hop about, pretending to be picking up scraps, but really keeping his ears open for anything he might hear. He would hang around all day, and at night when they would all gather in the large council tent (which always stood in the center of the village) to determine upon their next raid, and plan for a horse stealing trip, Mr. Crow was always nearby to hear all their plans discussed. He would then fly away to his master (the Chief) and tell him all that he had learned.

The Chief would then send a band of his warriors to lie in ambush for the raiding party, and, as the enemy would not suspect anything they would go blindly into the pitfall of death thus set for them. Thus the crow was the scout of this chief, whose reputation as a Wakan (Holy man) soon reached all of the different tribes. The Chief's warriors would intercept, ambush and annihilate every war party headed for his camp.

So, finally learning that they could not make war on this chief's people unbeknown to them, they gave up making war on this particular band. When meat was running low in the camp this chief would send the crow out to look for buffalo. When he discovered a herd he would return and report to his master; then the chief would order out the hunters and they would return laden with meat. Thus the crow kept the camp all the time informed of everything that would be of benefit to them.

One day the crow disappeared, over which there was great grief among the tribe. A week had passed away, when Mr. Crow reappeared. There was great rejoicing upon his return, but the crow was downcast and would not speak, but sat with a drooping head perched at the top of the chief's tepee, and refused all food that was offered to him. In vain did the chief try to get the crow to tell him the cause of his silence and seeming grief. The crow would not speak until the chief said: "Well, I will take a few of my warriors and go out and try to ascertain what has happened to cause you to act as you do."

Upon hearing this, the crow said: "Don't go. I dreaded to tell you what I know to be a fact, as I have heard it from some great medicine men. I was traveling over the mountains west of here, when I spied three old men sitting at the top of the highest peak. I very cautiously dropped down behind a rock and listened to their talk. I heard your name mentioned by one of them, then your brother's name was mentioned. Then the third, who was the oldest, said: 'in three days from today the lightning will kill those two brothers whom all the nations fear.'"

Upon hearing what the crow stated the tribe became grief stricken. On the morning of the third day the chief ordered a nice tepee placed upon the highest point, far enough away from the village, so that the peals of thunder would not alarm the babies of the camp.

A great feast was given, and after the feasting was over there came in six young maidens leading the war horses of the two brothers. The horses were painted and decorated as if for a charge on the enemy. One maiden walked ahead of the chief's horse bearing in her hands the bow and arrows of the great warrior. Next came two maidens, one on either side of the prancing war steed, each holding a rein. Behind the chief's horse came the fourth maiden. Like the first, she bore in her hands the bow and arrows of the chief's brother. Then the fifth and sixth maidens each holding a rein, walked on either side of the prancing horse of the chief's brother. They advanced and circled the large gathering and finally stopped directly in front of the two brothers, who immediately arose and taking their bows and arrows vaulted lightly upon their war steeds, and singing their death song, galloped off amid a great cry of grief from the people who loved them most dearly.

Heading straight for the tepee that had been placed upon the highest point, adjacent to the village, they soon arrived at their destination and, dismounting from their horses, turned, waved their hands to their band, and disappeared within the tepee. Scarcely had they entered the lodge when the rumblings of distant thunder could be heard. Nearer, and nearer, came the sound, until at last the storm overspread the locality in all its fury. Flash upon flash of lightning burst forth from the heavens. Deafening peals of thunder followed each flash. Finally, one flash brighter than any of the others, one peal more deafening than those preceding it, and the storm had passed.

Sadly the warriors gathered together, mounted their horses and slowly rode to the tepee on the high point. Arriving there they looked inside the lodge and saw the two brothers lying cold and still in death, each holding the lariat of his favorite war horse. The horses also lay dead side by side in front of the tent. (From this came the custom of killing the favorite horse of a dead warrior at the burial of the owner).

As the Indians sadly left the hill to return home, they heard a noise at the top of the tepee, and looking up they saw the crow sitting on one of the splintered tepee poles. He was crying most pitifully, and as they rode off he flew up high in the air and his pitiful "caw" became fainter and fainter till at they heard it no more. And from that day, the story goes, no crow ever goes near the village of that band of Indians.

Tlingit Legends

Raven

No one knows just how the story of Raven really begins so each starts from the point where he does know it. Here it was always begun in this way. . . .

When Raven was born his father tried to instruct him and train him in every way and after he grew up, told him he would give him strength to make a world. After trying in all sons of ways Raven finally succeeded. Then there was no light in this world, but it was told him that far up the Nass was a large house in which someone kept light just for himself.

Raven thought over all kinds of plans for getting this light the world and finally he hit on a good one. The rich man living there had a daughter, and he thought, "I will make myself very small and drop into the water in the form of a small piece of dirt. The girl swallowed this dirt and became pregnant.

When her time was completed, they made a hole for her as was customary in which she was to bring forth, and lined it with rich furs of all sorts. But the child did not wish to be born on those fine things. Then its grandfather felt sad and said, "What do you think it would be best to put into that hole? Shall we put in moss?" So they put moss inside and the baby Was born on it. Its eyes were very bright and moved around rapidly.

Round bundles of varying shapes and sizes hung about on the walls of the house. When the child became a little larger it crawled around back of the people weeping continually, and as it cried it pointed to the bundles. This lasted many days. Then its grandfather said, "Give my grandchild what he is crying for. Give him that one hanging on the end. That is the bag of stars."

So the child played with this, rolling it about on the floor back of the people, until suddenly he let it go up through the smoke hole. It went straight up into the sky and the stars scattered out of it, arranging themselves as you now see them. That was what he went there for.

Some time after this he began crying again, and he cried so much that it was thought he would die. Then his grandfather said, "Untie the next one and give it to him." He played and played with it around behind his mother. After a while he let that go up through the smoke hole also, and there was the big moon.

Now just one thing more remained, the box that held the daylight, and h6 cried for that. His eyes turned around and. showed different colors, and the people began thinking that he must be something other than an ordinary baby. But it always happens that a grandfather loves his grandchild just as he does his own daughter, so the grandfather said, "Untie the last thing and give it to him." His grandfather felt very sad when he gave this to him. When the child had this in his hands, he uttered the raven cry, "Ga," and flew out with it through the smoke hole. Then the person from whom he had stolen it said, "That old manuring raven has gotten all of my things."

Journeying on. Raven was told of another place, where a man had an everlasting spring of water. This man was named Petrel [Ganu'k]. Raven wanted this water because there was none to drink in this world, but Petrel always slept by his spring, and he had a cover over it so as to keep it all to himself. Then Raven came in and said to him, "My brother-in-law, I have just come to see you. How are you?" He told Petrel of all kinds of things that were happening outside, trying to induce him to go out to look at them, but Petrel was too smart for him and refused.

When night came, Raven said, "I am going to sleep with you, brother-in-law." So they went to bed, and toward morning Raven heard Petrel sleeping very soundly. Then he went outside, took some dog manure and put it around Petrel's buttocks. When it was beginning to grow light, he said, "Wake up, wake up, wake up, brother-in-law, you have defecated all over your clothes." Petrel got up, looked at himself, and thought it was true, so he took his blankets and went outside. Then Raven went over to Petrel's spring, took off the cover and began drinking. After he had drunk up almost all of the water, Petrel came in and saw him. Then Raven flew straight up crying "Ga."

Before he got through the smoke hole, however. Petrel said, "My spirits up the smoke hole, catch him." So Raven stuck there, and Petrel put pitchwood on the fire under him so as to make a quantity of smoke. Raven was white before that time, but the smoke made him of the color you find him today. Still he did not drop the water. When the smoke-hole spirits let him go, he flew around the nearest point and rubbed him- self all over so as to clear off as much of the soot as possible.

This happened somewhere about the Nass, and afterwards he started up this way. First he let some water fall from his mouth and made the Nass. By and by he spit more out and made the Stikine. Next he spit out Taku river, then Chilkat, then Alsek, and all the other large rivers. The small drops that came out of his mouth made the small salmon creeks.

After this Raven went on again and came to a large town where were people who had never seen daylight. They were out catching eulachon in the darkness when he came to the bank opposite, and he asked them to take him across but they would not. Then he said to them, "If you don't come over I will have daylight break on you." But they answered, "Where are you from ? Do you come from far up the Nass where lives the man who has daylight ?"

At this Raven opened his box just a little and shed so great a light on them that they were nearly thrown down. He shut it quickly, but they quarreled with him so much across the creek that he became angry and opened the box completely, when the sun flew up into the sky. Then those people who had sea-otter or fur-seal skins, or the skins of any other sea animals, went into the ocean, while those who had land-otter, bear, or marten skins, or the skins of any other land animals, went into the woods, becoming the animals whose skins they wore.

Raven and How The Tides Began

Once, long ago, when the world was new, there was Raven. Raven and his people lived near the shore of the Big Water. At this time there were no tides, and the people would get their food from the Big Water, as sometimes good things to eat like clams, would wash up along the shore. But the people could not go out into the Big Water, for it was very deep. After a while, the people became many and soon there was not enough food for all the people and for Raven. You see, Raven was sometimes very greedy and loved to eat the good things that washed up on the shore.

Now Raven was sorely troubled that there was not enough to eat and fill his hungry belly. Raven sat down and began to think about this problem. Soon Raven fell into a deep sleep. Great Spirit having pity upon the people came to Raven in a dream and said to Raven, "Raven, I have seen that you and the people are suffering because there is not enough to eat. There lies at the end of the world, at the edge of the Big water, a cave. In this cave sits an old woman who holds the tide line across her lap. This controls the ebb and flow or rising and falling of the water. She holds this line very strongly. If, perhaps, you can get her to let go of the line, the water will fall and the people will be able to get some of the good things to eat from the Big Water because they will be uncovered by the water. This will not be easy for you to do, Raven, for the woman holds the line very tightly. Raven, you are clever and perhaps you can trick her into letting go of the line."

Soon Raven awoke from his dream. Raven knew what he must do to help the people and to feed his hungry belly.

So Raven flew. He flew and flew. For four days and nights Raven flew. Finally Raven came to the cave at the end of the world, at the edge of the Big Water.

Raven looked and saw the old woman sitting in the cave with the line across her lap. She was holding it very tightly.

Raven began walking in front of the cave; rubbing his belly, and saying in a loud voice, "Mmm, Mmm those clams sure were good!"

The old woman heard Raven just outside the cave and leaned a little forward to see Raven, saying, "Raven, Raven! Where did you get those clams?"

Raven paid no attention to the woman and walked again in front of the cave, rubbing his belly and saying in a loud voice, "Mmm, Mmm those clams sure tasted good! I wish I had some more!"

The old woman leaned forward even further and said, " Raven, Raven! Where did you get those clams?"

Raven again paid no attention to the woman. He walked again in front of the cave, rubbing his belly and saying, "Mmm, Mmm! I sure wish I had some more of those clams!!"

The old woman leaned even further forward. Suddenly, Raven kicked some said up into the woman's eyes. She could not see, and tried to brush the sand out of her eyes. When she did, she let go of the line! The waters fell back and soon some of the Big Water was uncovered. Raven saw what had happened and was happy. He flew home thinking of all of the good things that he would soon be eating.

When Raven arrived home the people were happy. Now they had many good things to eat from the Big Water. They thanked Raven and Great Spirit for helping them and held a big feast. Raven was happy because his belly was soon full of the good things that he loved to eat.

For many days, Raven and his people ate all the good things from the Big Water. But soon many of the creatures of the Big Water began to die. They lie on the shore and began to rot and smell. The people went to Raven and said, " Raven, you must do something! The creatures of the Big Water are dying! We will also die for we will soon have nothing to eat! Help us, Raven!"

So Raven flew. He flew and flew. For four days and nights he flew to the end of the world, at the edge of the Big Water, to the cave of the woman who held the tide.

When Raven got there, he looked into the cave. The woman was still trying to get the sand out of her eyes. She heard Raven approach and said, "Raven, Raven! Is that you? You tricked me! Help me get the sand out of my eyes, and help me to find the tide line!"

Raven said, " Yes, I did trick you. I wanted to get all of the good things from the Big Water that I love to eat. So I tricked you into letting go and the waters fell. But now, the creatures of the Big Water are dying, and the people have little to eat. If I help you, will you help the people by letting go of the tide line from time to time? Then the people will be able to get some of the good things from the Big Water that they like to eat. And the creatures of the Big Water will not die because the waters that are their home do not cover them."

The old woman said, "Yes, Raven, I agree, if you will help me, I will help the people."

So Raven cleared the sand out of the woman's eyes, sat her back in the cave and gave her the tide line to hold across her lap. From time to time the woman would let go of the line and the waters would fall back. Raven then flew back home to his people, who gave thanks to Raven for helping them. And that is how the tides began.

Tsimshian Legends

Raven Becomes Voracious

At one time the whole world was covered with darkness. At the southern point of Queen Charlotte Islands there was a town in which the animals lived. Its name was Kungalas.

A chief and his wife were living there, and with them a boy, their only child, who was loved very much by his parents. Therefore his father tried to keep him out of danger. He built for his son a bed above his own, in the rear of his large house. He washed him regularly, and the boy grew up to be a youth.

When he was quite large the youth became ill, and, being very sick, it was not long before he died. Therefore the hearts of his parents were very sad. They cried on account of their beloved child. The chief invited his tribe, and all the (animal) people went to the chief's house and entered. Then the chief ordered the child's body to be laid out; and he said, "Take out his intestines."

His attendants laid out the body of the chief's child, took out the intestines, burned them at the rear of the chief's house, and placed the body on the bed which his father had built for his son. The chief and the chieftainess wailed every morning under the corpse of their dead son, and his tribe cried with them. They did so every day after the young man's death.

One morning before daylight came, the chieftainess went again to wail. She arose, and looked up to where her son was lying. There she saw a youth, bright as fire, lying where the body of their son had been. Therefore she called her husband, and said to him, "Our beloved child has come back to life." Therefore the chief arose and went to the foot of the ladder which reached to the place where the body had been. He went up to his son, and said, "Is it you, my beloved son? Is it you?" Then the shining youth said, "Yes, it is I." Then suddenly gladness touched the hearts of the parents.

The tribe entered again to console their chief and their chieftainess. When the people entered, they were much surprised to see the shining youth there. He spoke to them. "Heaven was much annoyed by your constant wailing, so He sent me down to comfort your minds." The great tribe of the chief were very glad because the prince lived again among them. His parents loved him more than ever.

The shining youth ate very little. He staid there a long time, and he did not eat at all; he only chewed a little fat, but he did not eat any. The chief had two great slaves--a miserable man and his wife. The great slaves were called Mouth At Each End. Every morning they brought all kinds of food into the house. One day, when they came in from where they had been, they brought a large cut of whale meat. They threw it on the fire and ate it. They did this every time they came back from hunting. Then the chieftainess tried to give food to her son who had come back to life, but he declined it and lived without food.

The chieftainess was very anxious to give her son something to eat. She was afraid that her son would die again. On the following day the shining youth took a walk to refresh himself. As soon as he had gone out, the chief went up the ladder to where he thought his son had his bed. Behold, there was the corpse of his own son! Nevertheless he loved his new child.

One day the chief and chieftainess went out to visit the tribe, and the two great slaves entered, carrying a large piece of whale meat. They threw the whale fat into the fire and ate of it. Then the shining youth came toward them and questioned the two great slaves, asking them, "What makes you so hungry?" The two great slaves replied, "We are hungry because we have eaten scabs from our shin bones." Therefore the shining youth said to them, "Do you like what you eat?" Then the slave-man said, "Yes, my dear!"

Therefore the prince replied, "I will also try the scabs you speak about." Then the slave-woman said, "No, my dear! Don't desire to be as we are." The prince repeated, "I will just taste it and spit it out again." The male slave cut off a small piece of whale meat and put in a small scab. Then the female slave scolded her husband for what he was doing. "O bad man! what have you been doing to the poor prince?" The shining prince took up the piece of meat with the scab in it, put it into his mouth, tasted it, and spit it out again.

Then he went back to his bed. When the chief and the chieftainess came back from their visit, the prince said to his mother, "Mother, I am very hungry." The chieftainess said at once, "Oh, dear, is it true, is it true?" She ordered her slaves to feed her beloved son with rich food. The slaves prepared rich food, and the youth ate it all. Again he was very hungry and ate everything, and the slaves gave him more to eat than before.

He did so for several days, and soon all the provisions in his father's house were at an end. Then the prince went to every house of his father's people and ate the provisions that were in the houses. This was because he had tasted the scabs of Mouth At Each End. Now the provisions were all used up. The chief knew that the provisions of his tribe were almost exhausted. Therefore the treat chief felt sad and ashamed on account of what his son had done, for he had devoured almost all the provisions of his tribe.

Therefore the chief invited all the people in, and said, "I will send my child away before he eats all our provisions and we lack food." Then all the people agreed to what the chief had said. As soon as they had all agreed, the chief called his son. He told him to sit down in the rear of the house. As soon as he had sat down there, the chief spoke to his son, and said, "My dear son, I shall send you away inland to the other side of the ocean."

He gave his son a small round stone and a raven blanket and a dried sea-lion bladder filled with all kinds of berries. The chief said to his son, "When you fly across the ocean and feel weary, drop this round stone on the sea, and you shall find rest on it; and when you reach the mainland, scatter the various kinds of fruit all over the land; and also scatter the salmon roe in all the rivers and brooks, and also the trout roe; so that you may not lack food as long as you live in this world."

Then he started. His father named him Giant.

An American Indian Legend - Nation Unknown

Raven Fools Crow

Raven used to live high up in the upper Skagit River country. He was very lazy. In the summer when the other animals were busy gathering food for winter, he would be flying from rock to stump and stump to rock making fun of them. Raven just laughed when Crow (his cousin) urged him to follow Squirrel's example but Raven never prepared for the cold months, when the snow would drift over the ground and cover all the remaining food.

But now Raven was in trouble. Winter had come and the snows were deep. He was hungry and Raven loved to eat. He had to find someone who would share their food with him.

Raven went to see Squirrel. He had a huge supply of pine nuts and seeds and other food hidden all over the place. Raven poked his head in squirrel's nest in a old fir tree. Squirrel had lots to eat. Raven politely begged for some food. Squirrel scolded him that was always Squirrel's way "You refused to work and save for winter and you poked much fun at me, you deserve to starve!"

Raven went looking for Bear. But Bear was sound asleep in his cave and could not be wakened. Raven looked around for some food, but it was all in Bear's belly. Bear had already eaten it all and was sleeping till spring.

Raven was now very hungry. He thought: "Who can give me something to eat? Everyone is either stingy like Squirrel or sleeping like Bear and Marmot, or they have gone South for winter like the snow birds." Then he thought of Crow he would be easy to fool!

Raven flew to Crow's nest. "Cousin Crow, we must talk about your coming potlatch!" Crow answered. "I have not planned a potlatch"

Raven ignored his response. "Crow, everyone is talking about your potlatch will you sing at it?" "Sing?" Crow had not known that anybody really cared for his singing voice, though in those days, Crow's song was much more like that of Wood Thrush than it is today.

Raven continued to talk of Crow's potlatch. "You are very talented and possess a beautiful voice - everyone will be so disappointed if you don't sing at your potlatch!"

"What potlatch? .... You really like my singing?"

"We love your singing, Crow," Raven answered. "The Winter's cold has chilled the forest and we're cold and hungry and singing will help us forget our cold feet and empty stomachs. Now you get started fixing the food, looks like you have plenty here and I will go invite the guests to your potlatch. You can practice your songs as you cook!"

Crow's hesitation now overcome, he began to prepare all the food he had collected for winter, and as he prepared it, he practiced his songs. The more he thought the feast and how everyone wanted to hear him sing, the more excited he got about it.

Meanwhile Raven was offering invitations to all the animals of the forest. (Of course Marmot and Beaver were sleeping like Bear, and Robin and Goose were gone South) To each he said the same thing: "Come to My potlatch! I have worked hard to prepare it. There will be much food at Raven's potlatch and Crow is helping and will sing for us. There will be fern roots and wild potatoes, dried berries, fish and meat. Come to My potlatch! It will be a great occasion." Raven did not invite Squirrel however since he had refused to share his food with Raven. But all the rest of the animals were invited to Raven's Potlatch.

When he returned to Crow - he was busy singing and cooking. Raven told him, "Everyone is coming - be sure and fix all your food, they will be hungry after their journey. And your songs are sounding so good! Crow's potlatch will be a great feast!"

As the guest arrived, Raven welcomed each one to his potlatch. There was Deer and Mountain Goat and Mouse, Rabbit, Ptarmigan and Jay. The guests were seated and the food was brought out. Crow started to sit and eat, but Raven asked him for a song first. "It's not good to sing on a full stomach, Crow".

So Crow began to sing. Every time he would stop to eat - Raven would insist he sing another song. "You can't sing with your mouth full, Crow!" Encouraged again and again by the guests who were busy stuffing themselves with Crow's food. Crow sang song after song after song all day until night and Crow's voice became hoarser and hoarser until all he could do was "Caw - caw".

As was the custom - the left over food was collected by the guests and taken by them for their homeward journey. Even Raven had taken his share and left as Crow was cleaning up. Crow had nothing left to eat. " At least," Crow thought, "I won't go hungry, I will be invited to their feasts." For it was the custom that having been entertained, each guest was now obliged to return the favor and invite the host for a return potlatch.

But the invitations never came. Since all the guests thought it was Raven who hosted the feast, Raven was invited to enough dinners to keep his stomach full for several winters and he never went hungry.

But Crow, who had been fooled, had been reduced to starving, and never regained his singing voice either. He was destined to spend his winters begging in the camps of men for scraps of food. And that's where we find him today, squabbling over scraps in grocery store parking lots.

An American Indian Legend - Nation Unknownas told by Louis Miranda

Raven: The Brave Warrior

What I will be relating here is something that was often told to me by my late mother and many of my older relatives. I also heard it told to a group by the storyteller and this is how they would start: This was something that was suppose to happen in the long ago when all birds and animals were human beings.

It was said that this must have been summertime and Raven was at home with his parents and friends. There came a day when a lot of women got together and said, "If we only had a man to steer and paddle the canoe for us, we would go picking blackberries." To get to where the blackberries were, was some distance.

The Raven must have overheard the remark and immediately he said, "Why worry, I am here. I will go and paddle the canoe for you all of you, wherever you want to go. I want all of you, my younger sister's, to know that as long as I am here with all of you, and if you want anything done, do not hesitate to ask me. I would be glad to go and paddle the canoe for all of you, if you want to go and look for blackberries. I would also like to tell you all, with me you have no fear of anything or anyone. I would be there to protect you and see that you all would arrive safely home with all your berries."

So, the women got aboard their canoe with the great man who is going to paddle their canoe for them to their destination. The great paddle and protector sat in the stern of the canoe and all he done was steer the canoe, not once did he take a paddle stroke.

One of his sisters said to him, " Why is it that you just sit there? Why do you not help us by doing some paddling?" Their brave and willing helper said it's a very hard job to keep the canoe going straight and avoid bumping any driftwood. I am also keeping a close look-out along the shore and the bushes in case of lurking enemies who would be spying on us. So, why are you talking ? You all are having it to easy. All you are doing is paddling, talking and laughing. And here, I have the hardest work to do, keep the canoe straight and also protecting you all from the enemy," So, the women said no more and continued their paddling while their brave protector and willing helper sat in the stern of the canoe, half asleep.

Finally, they arrived at the place where the blackberries were. They beached their canoe, picked up their baskets and struck off. But, before they left, their bother said, "Do not fear, I will stay here and protect the canoe. Whenever you get your baskets full you can bring it down and I will see that no harm will happen to your berries."

When the women took off, their brave brother and protector made himself comfortable and in a good position to protect his sisters and he went sleep. Whenever one of the sisters got a basket full of berries and brought it down to the canoe so that it would be protected, they would see that their great protector would be sound asleep. They would strike the side of the canoe to wake up their protector.

When he awoke, he would say, " I must have been concentrating so hard on the enemy that I was not aware of you when you were coming down." So again, he said, "You all have nothing to fear. Put your berries in the canoe and no harm shall happen to them. For, I will be here and should the enemy arrive I will protect your berries with my life.

The women would put the berries in the canoe and take off again, and as soon as the berry pickers would disappear, the brave warrior would go back to sleep. So, this time, he did not sleep too long. He woke up and he felt hungry, really hungry, but he had no lunch with him and there was nothing for him to eat.

Then, he seen the berries and he thought , "Why not, I got real tired paddling, steering and also protecting them from the enemy, and all they did was talk and laugh. Here I am again, driving the enemy. Ready to give up my life to protect them and their berries and as a reward for my strenuous labor, I see no harm in taking a few berries."

So he began, he took one, sat there and another one. He took two and again he took three berries, finally, he was taking them by the handful and he kept on until the berries were about all gone. he left a few in the basket and these he crushed. Then, he took the basket and the crushed berries and emptied it on his head, face and his entire body.

This done, he sat there feeling a little sick but he didn't dare go to sleep, and not long after that battle he heard his sisters coming down towards their canoe. He laid down in the bottom of the canoe and started to groan when the women arrived. They seen their dear brother layer in the bottom of the canoe and seen that all of their berries were gone.

They approached their great warrior brother and he replied, "You all are standing there asking what happened and here I am, dying. I know I am going to die, but I will be satisfied to know that I am dying for a good cause, trying to protect your berries from the enemy. Since, I fought so hard but I lost, I am asking a favor from you all. I want you to take, this, your brave warrior brother who gave up his life to protect your berries, take me lay there until I die. I do not want anyone to be near me when I am dying."

So, the sisters waited for their oldest sister, who was very feeble and therefor very slow in anything that she was doing. She finally arrived, so they got aboard the canoe and paddled their brave dying warrior of a brother to the little island. He pointed out and complying to his dying request, they paddled and when they arrived at the island, They put ashore their brave warrior dying brother.

They started to wept over the one who gave up his life trying to protects their berries, so their brave dying brother said , "I am satisfied that I am dying, knowing that you are all showing your respect by weeping over me. "he done it, he done it our brave warrior brother, he done it,he done it, our brave warrior brother." I want you all to say that when you cry and mourn over me."

The sisters said the word the words that he told them to say. The dying warrior said, "Good! My younger sisters, good. I want you all to say that." The oldest sister (the snail), who was very slow and unable to go far from the beach seen all what their brother was doing. She started to weep and this is what she said, "He done it, he done it, in his sly minky ways, he done it, he done it, in his sly minky ways."

The dying warrior said, "No younger sister, don't say that, don't say that . Say this, say this: He done it, he done it, our brave warrior brother, he done it, he done it, our brave warrior brother, you say that." Again the snail started to weep and again she said, "He done it, in his sly minky ways, my brother." When she stopped weeping her sister got mad at her.

They said to her, "Why do you say that, yet, you can see that our brave warrior brother is dying from trying to protect us and our berries." The snail sister said, "you all know that I am very slow when I am walking so I just along the beach. I could see all that was happening at the canoe. Yes, he did have a big battle, this brave warrior brother of ours. His great enemy name is Raven. That is the enemy our dying warrior was battling, it was himself that ate all our berries, then he spilt the juice from the berries all aver his head, his face and his entire body. Then he sat there and waited. When he heard you all coming down to the canoe, he laid down and started to groan, so there lays the enemy."

She started to beat the great warrior and when he went to stand up to get away, all of the other sisters started to beat him up. When he passed out they took him and threw him into the beach and they left him there. But, Raven knew that there were a lot of sea eggs, clams, and also a lot of berries on that island. This was his reason for asking to be put ashore there, so he could die in peace. So ends the story of the brave warrior as the story was told to them, then told to us.

An American Indian Legend - Nation Unknown

The Sun-Dance With Little Black Crow and Jack Rabbit

One day Little Black Crow was perched on a limb as the wise old Jack Rabbit came hoping down the trail.

Little Crow said to Jack Rabbit, "Hey, where are you going?" Jack Rabbit said, "I am going to the Sun-Dance. Would you like to go with me?" Little Crow replied, "No thank you, the Sun-Dance is about religion and its not for me."

Jack Rabbit replied, "No Little Crow, the Sun-Dance is about a way of life". Little Black Crow thought about this and agreed to accompany Jack Rabbit.

Before going to a Sun-Dance, everyone must go into a Inipi Oolowan (sweat lodge). A sweat lodge is a small domed-shaped hut made of willow saplings. All sorts of animals, birds and humans sit on Mother Earth around a pit dug in the center. Special stones are heated red hot in a fire built outside the sweat lodge and brought inside by the Fire Keeper. Once many red hot stones are carried inside the sweat lodge and placed in the dirt pit, the door is closed tight where no light can be seen.

Sitting in blackness of the sweat lodge, Little Black Crow and Jack Rabbit listened as a loud hissing sound began to fill the darkness as a medicine man poured cool water in the dirt pit on the hot stones. Several minutes passed as the hissing sound grew louder and hot steam filled the small lodge.

Little Black Crow loudly whispered to his friend, "Jack Rabbit it is hot in here!" Soon everyone gathered around the circle began to sing, except Little Crow who did not know the strange songs. As they sang the hot steam continued to form a thick cloud and the heat was nearly unbearable for Little Black Crow. To his relief, the door opened and he quickly scampered outside. Jack Rabbit then told his friend, "Oh, I forgot to tell you we must do this four times."

Little Black Crow did not think he would survive in the cramped, dark and stifling heat of the sweat lodge. But after the last round, Little Crow gratefully poured himself outside the lodge and joined all the other animals, birds and humans on their way to the Sun-Dance.

Deep in the forest along the path to the Sun-Dance, they meet Brown Badger who gives Little Black Crow a tiny pair of moccasins so he can dance during ceremonies. Next, they meet Gray Otter who gives Little Crow an eagle bone whistle so he can call Grandfather Thunder during the Sun-Dance.

Finally, late at night they arrive at the dance grounds where many humans and creatures of all sorts have gathered. After a restful night of sleep, dance ceremonies began at sunrise with the sounds of singing and many drums pounding out a hypnotic beat as eagles and hawks flew in circles above.

Little Black Crow awoke with a startle at the sound of the loud drums and said, "Hey, what is going on? The sun is barely up yet!" Jack Rabbit said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you ceremonies go from sunrise to sunset."

Ho! Pita Wamblii, Ho! Pita Wamblii, Ho! Pita Wamblii, Ho! Pita Wamblii they sang from sun-up to sun-down. As the day passed and evening descended upon the gathering, Little Black Crow complained to his friend, Jack Rabbit, "I am hungry, it is time to find some food." Jack Rabbit looked at his little friend and said, "I am sorry Little Crow, I forgot to tell you there will be no food for four days and nights."

Little Crow wondered if he could survive the Sun-Dance, but he loved the singing, drumming and dancing. Then he told his companion, "O.k. no food, but how about some water?, I am thirsty." Jack Rabbit says, "Oh, I forgot to tell you something. There will be no water for four days." Fear struck Little Black Crow as he knew survival would be difficult.

"I told you that I did not believe in this religious stuff," said Little Black Crow. "No, no," replied Jack Rabbit. "This is not religion, it is a way of life!"

The second day goes by with all the singers singing and the drummers drumming. Little Crow goes to sleep trying to escape the hunger and thirst.

The third day the singers are singing and the drummers are drumming. The dancers are dancing. Then everyone sleeps.

Finally, the most important day of the ceremonies arrives. On the forth day the humans, animals and birds will make a sacrifice of courage and Jack Rabbit will tell why there is a Sun-Dance. By this time, Little Black Crow is weak, hungry, thirsty and frightened. But, he very much enjoyed the singing and dancing.

Regardless of this, Little Crow shows great courage and completes the Sun-Dance. Then with great ceremony, Jack Rabbit speaks.

"Aho, my friends! There was a time long ago when all the animals, birds and humans all lived together and talked to each other. Now, that time is going away. It is sad. That is one reason why we perform the Sun-Dance. So, we will not lose this gift of talking and living together."

With that and many more things said, Little Black Crow became very happy! He was jumping around and spinning in circles as he yelled, "Now I can talk to humans!"

Jack Rabbit walked slowly to his friend and said, " Oh, I forgot to tell you something. You must first Sun-Dance four times, once a year before you can talk to humans."

After the Sun-Dance there was a great feast. As Little Black Crow was busy eating and drinking to his heart's content, humans, birds and other animals gathered around Jack Rabbit. Someone asked, "Do you think Little Black Crow will come to the Sun-Dance next year?"

Jack Rabbit looked at them all and said, "Yes! He has good singers and good drummers!

"Ho! Pita Wamblii!!"

An American Indian Legend - Nation Unknown

Why The Raven Is Black

Long ago when the Earth was very young the Great Spirit was painting the birds along the banks of the river.

He had just finished with Raven's feathers, and Raven was looking at them in the river. But Raven was unpleased and he looked back to the Great Spirit, but he had already gone. He then looked at Eagle, whose feathers he admired very much. Then he noticed that The Great Spirit had left his paints by the river.

Raven asked Eagle to paint him as beautifully as The Great Spirit had painted him, but Eagle refused.

Raven begged Eagle until he finally agreed, Eagle painted Raven and when he was finished he was very pleased.. Raven went to look at his feathers in the river.. He was furious, his feathers where a mess compared to before.. He and Eagle fought, spilling the Great Spirits paints all over Raven, Raven leapt into the river and flapped against the current but the black color would not fade. Seconds later the Great Spirit returned. Raven begged the Great Spirit to paint him again, to fix his ugly feathers, but the Great Spirit refused, and said "Because of your sin of envy you shall learn to value what you have, from this day forward you will remain with Black beak, Black feet, Black breast, and Black eyes.

A Zuni Legend

Origin Of The Raven And The Macaw

The priest who was named Yanauluha carried ever in his hand a staff which now in the daylight was plumed and covered with feathers - yellow, blue- green, red, white, black, and varied.

Attached to it were shells, which made a song-like tinkle. The people when they saw it stretched out their hands and asked many questions.

Then the priest balanced it in his hand, and struck with it a hard place, and blew upon it. Amid the plumes appeared four round things-mere eggs they were. Two were blue like the sky and two dun-red like the flesh of the Earth- mother.

Then the people asked many questions.,

"These," said the priests, "are the seed of living beings. Choose which ye will follow. From two eggs shall come beings of beautiful plumage, colored like the grass and fruits of summer. Where they fly and ye follow, shall always be summer. Without toil, fields of food shall flourish. And from the other two eggs shall come evil beings, piebald, with white, without colors. And where these two shall fly and ye shall follow, winter strives with summer. Only by labor shall the fields yield fruit, and your children and theirs shall strive for the fruits. Which do ye choose?"

"The blue! The blue!" cried the people, and those who were strongest carried off the blue eggs, leaving the red eggs to those who waited. They laid the blue eggs with much gentleness in soft sand on the sunny side of a hill, watching day by day. They were precious of color; surely they would be the precious birds of the Summer-land. Then the eggs cracked and the birds came out, with open eyes and pin feathers under their skins.

"We chose wisely," said the people. "Yellow and blue, red and green, are their dresses, even seen through their skins." So they fed them freely of all the foods which men favor. Thus they taught them to eat all desirable food. But when the feathers appeared, they were black with white bandings. They were ravens. And they flew away croaking hoarse laughs and mocking our fathers.

But the other eggs became beautiful macaws, and were wafted by a toss of the priest's wand to the faraway Summer-land.

So those who had chosen the raven, became the Raven People. They were the Winter People and they were many and strong. But those who had chosen the macaw, became the Macaw People. They were the Summer People, and few in number, and less strong, but they were wiser because they were more deliberate. The priest Yanauluha, being wise, became their father, even as the Sun-father is among the little moons of the sky. He and his sisters were the ancestors of the priest-keepers of things.

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