Foreword and Personal History / by Wilson Wewa -- Legends of the Northern Paiute -- Legend 1. The Creation Story and the Malheur Cave -- Legend 2. The Creation of the Human People -- Legend 3. The Bridge of the Gods, the Great Floods, and the Human People -- Legend 4. How the Seasons Came to Be -- Legend 5. When the Animals Were Still People and Starvation Hit the Land -- Legend 6. "Animal Village," Lady Big Horn Sheep, and a Mother Turned Into Stone -- Legend 7. The Epic Battle of the Giant Numuzo'ho and Coyote; Fort Rock and Monkey Face -- Legend 8. A Story of Hunting and the Patience of the Hunter -- Legend 9. Old Lady Jack Rabbit, Little Fat Jack Rabbit Girl, and the Ants -- Legend 10. Why the Badger has Long Claws and Digs -- Legend 11. A Big Dance in the Village; The Vanity of Coyote and Why Badger is Flat and Mean -- Legend 12. How the Stars Got Their Twinkle, Why Coyote Howls to the Sky -- Legend 13. Why Porcupines Eat Willows and Cottonwood Saplings -- Legend 14. Black Bear's Gift of Roots and Medicine -- Legend 15. Coyote and the Escape of Mouse -- Legend 16. Why the Rat's Tail Has No Hair -- Legend 17. The Deer and the Antelope as Brothers -- Legend 18. Obsidian and Rock, Deer and Coyote -- Legend 19. First Woman Travels in Search of Her Husband...and is Followed by a Skull and Bones -- Legend 20. A Legend of Darker and Lighter Skinned Children; and Prophecies of White People Coming Out of the East -- Comments on Rock Art; "Coyote Writing" and "Spiritual Writing" in Paiute Country -- Glossary.
Summary:
"Legends of the Northern Paiute shares and preserves twenty-one original and previously unpublished Northern Paiute legends, as told by Wilson Wewa, a spiritual leader and oral historian of the Warm Springs Paiute. These legends were originally told around the fires of Paiute camps and villages during the 'story-telling season' of winter in the Great Basin of the American West. They were shared with Paiute communities as a way to pass on tribal visions of the 'animal people' and the 'human people,' their origins and values, their spiritual and natural environment, and their culture and daily lives. The legends in this volume were recorded, transcribed, reviewed, and edited by Wilson Wewa and James Gardner. Each legend was recorded, then read and edited out loud, to respect the creativity, warmth, and flow of Paiute storytelling. The stories selected for inclusion include familiar characters from native legends, such as Coyote, as well as intriguing characters unique to the Northern Paiute, such as the creature embodied in the Smith Rock pinnacle, now known as Monkey Face, but known to the Paiutes in Central Oregon as Nuwuzoho the Cannibal. Wewa's apprenticeship to Northern Paiute culture began when he was about six years old. These legends were passed on to him by his grandmother and other tribal elders. They are now made available to future generations of tribal members, and to students, scholars, and readers interested in Wewa's fresh and authentic voice. These legends are best read and appreciated as they were told--out loud, shared with others, and delivered with all of the verve, cadence, creativity, and humor of original Paiute storytellers on those clear, cold winter nights in the high desert"--Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.