<= JES

¥ TIS LE) @. =

i OTS Wee Re =
“sual ag ter ge A
_wothah Ae Ulead an in WW nT —
ont Nay OM waa ===
eI — eee
- _i i EB

The next day four sweat lodges were put up. Sweat lodges are
used for cleansing spiritually and physically, as well as for good
health. Soon Coyote Man looked up and saw his wife Otter Woman
approaching with a pipe in her hands. He was very happy. The spirit
told him, “Now we must perform the sacred ceremony before your
wife is able to go back with you.”

19


The Blackfeet people have different types of
ceremonies to help their people who are sick or
who are having problems in their lives.

The following story is about the origin of the
fly pipe ceremony which is used by a group of the
Blackfeet people to heal the sick spiritually and
physically.

13


23




tu ore Wi ithe al Nadir

null WW,

The woman went into the first sweat lodge. When she came out
there were all kinds of different bugs, weeds, and small sand piles in
the sweat lodge. She went into the second sweat lodge. When she
came out there were less bugs and weeds than the first time. Otter
Woman went into the third lodge and there were hardly any bugs or
weeds left in there. There were no bugs or weeds at all in the fourth
sweat lodge.

20


Booklets available in the Level IV sequence are listed below. Numbers refer to the Planned Sequence of use
in the Teacher’s Manual. Materials developed by these tribes and others in the Northwest are included in
the Levels I, II and III sequences.

1.

10.

11.

Warm Springs Animal Stories
The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon

. Snail Women at Sqa’le

The Suquamish Tribe of the Port Madison
Reservation

. Blue Jay - Star Child/Basket Woman

Muckleshoot Tribe

Assiniboine Woman Making Grease
Assiniboine Tribe of the Fort Peck Reservation

. Coyote

The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon

How the Summer Season Came
Assiniboine Tribe of the Fort Belknap
Reservation

. Little Weasel’s Dream

Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead
Reservation

Fort Hall Stories
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall
Reservation

The Bear Tepee

Northern Cheyenne Tribe

Sioux Stories and Legends

Sioux Tribe of the Fort Peck Reservation
Kootenai Stories

Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead
Reservation

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

Chief Mountain’s Medicine

Gros Ventre Tribe from the Fort Belknap
Reservation

Coyote the Trickster

Burns Paiute Reservation

Running Free

Shoalwater Bay

Salish Coyote Stories

Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead
Reservation

Coyote and the Cowboys
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall
Reservation

Napi’s Journey

Blackfeet Tribe

Warm Springs Stories

The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon

Tepee Making

Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead
Reservation

Baskets and Canoes
Skokomish Tribe

Warrior People
Blackfeet Tribe


22

Coyote Man then took his wife home. When he got
home he did what he was told to do. He set up four sweat
lodges and did the pipe ceremony as he had been told.

When Coyote Man and his wife entered the first
sweat lodge and came out, the lodge was filled with bugs
and weeds. The same thing happened with the second
and third lodges. The fourth lodge did not have any bugs
or weeds in it.

Coyote Man and his wife lived happily for some
time until he started becoming impatient with her.
Coyote Man said, “You forget everything. I tell you to do
something and you do the opposite thing.” One evening
Coyote Man and his friends sat around the campfire in
the lodge eating and telling stories. The fire started to
burn low. “Otter Woman, put some more wood on the fire
so it will keep burning.” Instead of Otter Woman putting
wood on the fire, she poured water on it. The men in the
lodge knew the man was getting angry so they went
home. After everyone was gone Coyote Man told his wife,
“I didn’t tell you to pour water on the fire. I told you to
put more wood on it. Everybody knows you are a Ghost
Woman and lazy.”


One night when Coyote Man was sleeping he heard people
talking. A man’s voice said, “You people see this man lying here? Get
away from him and don’t bother him. Go some place else. Leave him
alone and let him sleep.”

The spirit then told Coyote Man, “I feel sorry for you. I know
what you are after. You will get your wife back and you will go home
with her. You will have to go through a sacred ceremony, however,
before you can have your wife back. There are certain things that
you must remember not to do.”

17


= MA )IA ‘ Si oll, Wael TV,
—aiuie Deen” Wa Wary ie

Wada
wy We ib RU ca LO

(rfauscaene—

The skull reached the north bank of the river and traveled
around the outside of the seven buffalo that were grazing. The buf-
falo entered the river in single file and swam across the river toward
the hunters on the south bank.

The hunters started shooting at the buffalo as they emerged
from the water. Six of the buffalo were killed.


ASW

= — Ali ee Ny ava
wy jw A ata) NG ie Ao WAvpWwaw hall fens ihr 14 bbw aa pl

i Mt AA eat
scl, WAMWAtls ate pein * Marea wn Ween cofatnarnens—

The skull story is about a skull which helped some Indian
hunters get buffalo meat for their families several generations ago.
The Indian elders who passed this story on say that it actually
happened.

The people were camped and still living in tepees at the time
that this story took place.

Two Bear arose at daybreak and went out to where his horse
had been picketed for the night. He led his horse down to the creek to
water him. There he met Running Crane and Black Crow.

The men walked back to Two Bear’s tepee where they sat down
to talk about the buffalo hunt they were going on that day. Winter
had just turned to early spring and food was very scarce in the
encampment. The winter had been long and cold with very much
snow. Shortly, Flying Eagle and Many Horses entered the tepee and
joined the group.

After spending some time making a decision about heading
north to hunt, the five men mounted their horses and rode off.


We have attempted to relate some of the legendary
stories which have been handed down from generation to
generation by our Blackfeet people. The Blackfeet Tribe is
located in Montana, U.S.A., but other segments of our people
are located in Alberta, Canada. These people are called the
Blood Tribe, North Piegan, and Blackfoot. Relatives and
friends continue to go back and forth across the U.S. and
Canadian border to visit and share in tribal ceremonies and
celebrations.

We especially thank elderly people like Laurie Plume,
who have shared with us their great wisdom and knowledge
about our Indian culture.


Coyote Man realized he had finally reached Big Sand, the land
of the spirits.

18


, Wh if “a
Nevill

Black Crow, a person who loved to tell jokes, started kicking at
a small dirt covered mound near some brush. He unearthed a human
skull. He picked the skull up and started talking to the skull in the
Blackfeet language. “Who are you? How did you get here? I’m going
to paint this skull with my red paint.” he told the other hunters.
Running Crane said, “You should not bother the dead. Let them rest
in peace.” “I mean no harm.” said Black Crow. “This is our religious
and sacred ceremony to purify and cleanse. People who need help for
any kind of problem are painted and prayed for to help them with
whatever is troubling them.”

After Black Crow had carefully painted the skull he laid it in
the water. Instead of the skull floating down the river like the hunter
thought it would, it floated straight across the river to the north
bank. The hunters stared in amazement.


24

Otter Woman went screaming to the bed and covered up witha
buffalo robe. Coyote Man thought about what he had said. He re-
membered that he had been told not to use the word Ghost Woman
and the word “lazy.” He regretted using those words. He was very

sorry. He went over to his wife where she was covered with the
buffalo robe.


Ghost Woman

¥ The Indian Reading Series ¥

Level V Book 4


10

EN i mn
— \ il

o: farrcarnems—

The hunters started the butchering of the animals by skinning
the hides from the six buffalo. As Indian people butcher they
usually eat the kidney or brisket of the animal while the parts are
still very fresh. Flying Eagle cut a part of a kidney and brisket. He
put them into the river. “We will share these parts with the skull
spirit.” he said.

The hunters finished the butchering of the animals and went
back to camp still very much amazed by all that had happened that
day. Two Bear said, “I believe the skull’s spirit and other spirits that
the skull called helped us get food for our people today.” At their
lodges they gave thanks again to the Creator for providing food and
for meeting their other needs.


WW pa S

ah i
dave WN all eT NWA) a1,
Naa SA tte

= ———S~

—_— O.fantearnens—

The seventh buffalo was wounded but it jumped back into the
river and started swimming across. The hunters let it go. Flying
Eagle said, “We were helped in getting food for our families and
friends. We cannot be selfish and greedy. Let the skull have the
seventh buffalo for himself and for others who are hungry.”


(Eee.

=

The hunters searched and searched but no buffalo were to be
found. Finally, they came to Old Man River which is located south-
west of Lethbridge, Alberta.

The water was very high and swift from the spring thaw in the
Rocky Mountains which lie to the west. The men dismounted from
their horses and stood talking and stretching after the long journey on
horseback.

Two Bear said, “Look across the river. There are some buffalo
on the north side of the river.” “There are seven buffalo over there.”
said Many Horses. After much discussion the hunters decided that
they could not get across the river because it was near flood stage
from the spring thaw.


iy ite
VAR Hye
UA

( x 2
y WWM as faurearnens—

The spirit told the man, “Now you have your wife back. You
may go home. Take this fly pipe with you. In future generations use
the fly pipe and the ceremony that we have just completed to help
your people. Make this sacrifice for your people who are ill or need
help. When you get home go through this ceremony again. Put up
four sweat lodges and use the pipe as I have instructed you. Re-
member to be kind to your wife. Do not call her Ghost Woman, or
lazy.”

21


i) THE INDIAN READING SERIES:
4% Stories and Legends of the Northwest



This work has not as yet been published and is afforded all
protections under the U.S. Copyright Law (PL. 94-553) effectiy
January 1, 1978.

Copyright in the published edition will be held by and in the n
the Blackfeet Tribe.

No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval s
or transcribed, in any form or by any means, electronic, mecha
photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written
permission of the author agency identified below.

The project presented or reported herein was performed
pursuant to a grant from the National Institute of Education,
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. However, the
opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the
position or policy of the National Institute of Education,

and no official endorsement by the National Institute of
Education should be inferred.

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
710 S.W. Second Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204


14

fod .

Coyote Man and his wife Otter Woman had a little boy, Flies
Along. One day Coyote Man’s wife got very sick and died. Coyote
Man really loved his wife and so did the little boy. The boy Flies
Along was really lonely. He kept crying every day and every night
for his mother. Flies Along started to get sick. He was so lonesome
for his mother.


The animals or birds would come to him and say, “We pity you
and we know what you are after, but we can’t help you.” Coyote Man
kept going, trying to find Big Sand. This is where he felt he would
find his wife. He believed that when Indians die they go to Big Sand.


THE INDIAN READING SERIES:
EY Stories and Legends of the Northwest

The Skull Story
Ghost Woman

Level V Book 4

Developed by the Blackfeet Tribe

Doris Old Person, Coordinator
Carmen Marceau

June Tatsey

Patricia Tatsey

Patricia Tatsey Bachaun

Illustrated by Melvin Tailfeathers

Joseph Coburn, Director
Pacific Northwest Indian Program
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory



L a

ely p Mi (\\
4 Gf as
Wyo. 4, "Gy!

7

Coyote Man pulled the robe up but found only a skeleton there.
Coyote Man never did get his wife back after that. However, the
sacred fly pipe ceremony for helping and cleansing and healing
people is still carried on today.

25


THE INDIAN READING SERIES: Stories and Legends of the
Northwest is a collection of authentic material cooperatively devel-
oped by Indian people from twelve reservations. Development ac-
tivities are guided by a Policy Board which represents the Indian
community of the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest Indian
Reading and Language Development Program Policy Board mem-
bers are:

@ Lloyd Smith — Warm Springs
Chairman

© Clement Azure — Devils Lake Sioux

© Walter Moffett — Nez Perce

oe Emmett Oliver — Quinault

© Bob Parsley — Chippewa

© Helen Redbird — Cherokee

@ Max Snow

@ Jeanne Thomas — Warm Springs

@ Bill Yellowtail — Crow


Ghost Woman

jun

Z
lth

UNinny, oon

reamed Va.

11


Nee

LNs RNER TORRE, at.
, ) Sil y \
s, -

YAW (attra ee
(| tie

HEN
ert Gn fe

7K) WA! iad We
(GQ, A a! ip
ARAN SY YAUWAUAN

One day Coyote Man told his people, “I pity my son very much
and I love him. I also miss my wife. I loved her very much. I’m going
to look for her.”

Coyote Man headed east. He kept walking. He slept at night.
He saw all kinds of animals and birds.

15