16

Napi went far away. He discovered he didn’t have all his hair. He
got lonesome. He didn’t have any clothes, just his breech cloth. He
thought, “I’m going back to my brother, the rock, and see if I can get my
hair back.” While he was going back, he met the rock that had magic
medicine. He said, “Brother rock, have mercy on me so I can have good
luck again.” Napi said, “My brother rock if you have mercy on me and give
me my robe and clothes back, I'll have mercy on you. I'll give you luck that
in your future time, you are going to shine.” Napi told the rock, “You are
going to change your looks. From now on when it rains and clears up and
the sunshine hits you, you are going to be different colors.” That’s why
some rocks shine now. The rock had mercy and gave him the buffalo robe
and his clothes back.


= ‘lp pie ys
p MM i

ure Wi Manyg,

37


Napi didn’t go very far, and he fell into the river again. He began to
float down the river. He didn’t float very far when he came to the place
where some old ladies were by the river. They looked up and said, “Here
comes a bull elk. Let’s get out of here! He might hook us!” They were so
scared, they ran all the way back to camp. They told the men, “There is an
elk swimming down the river!” 33


42

WM AM ter, ssl
a laws

Meavin Tauvearnens—

Napi met the coyote again. He told the coyote, “My brother you are
going to have the prettiest voice.” That’s why the coyote has a pretty voice
when he howls. He left the coyote.


10

Napi was so tired and hot, he went and sat on a little hill to rest.
While Napi was resting, he didn’t notice, but clouds began to form in the
sky. Suddenly it began to rain. He thought to himself, “I think I'll just go
get my robe from my brother, the rock, because I’m going to get all wet.”
He didn’t care about the rock. He jerked the buffalo robe so quickly, the
rock turned upside down. He put the buffalo robe on. After the rain and
hailstorm was over, the rock had little holes all over the bottom of it.
That’s why when you turn a rock over, you will often see little holes in the
bottom of the rock.


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



Su Litrw
fe at
Sa) Moa a7) a Mons

a

Cavin Taurcannces——

50 Napi had eyes again. He continued his journey.


48

Napi started walking again. He met the blind wolf. He said,
“Brother, you can’t see and I can’t see. We are going to get our eyesight
back. I’m going to give you some eyes.” They continued walking. They met
the fox. Napi asked the fox, “Can I have your eyes?” The fox gave Napi his
eyes. Then the fox was sitting there on a little hill with no eyes. Napi told
the fox that he would give him stone eyes. Napi gave the fox stone eyes.
That’s why there are different colored eyes today, green, blue, red, and
brown.


20

Napi was walking and saw his brother the coyote. The coyote said to
Napi, “Could you help me out? I can’t see.” Napi was in a bad mood. He
took some dirt and rubbed it in the coyotes eyes. That’s why we get sore
eyes now. Napi left the coyote and started to walk away. The coyote started
to sing an Indian song. That song really pierced Napi’s ears. He couldn't
keep walking. He had to turn around and go back and clean the coyote’s
eyes out.


38

The dance was ready to start. Napi began to sing an Indian song. He
started to lead the dance. He made all the men close their eyes while they
danced.


Napiis a legendary figure in the Blackfeet Indian culture. He
can do anything and anything can happen to him. There are a
great number of stories about him passed from generation to
generation.

The following story is just one of the many stories told. Many
times there are several versions. Some things have been added
and other things left out.

Napi’s Journey is an example of an Indian way of telling
stories. It could be an example of many incidents or situations
throughout a life time. It is not necessary to tell these stories in a
certain order of the time in which they happened. Very often only
one of the incidents of Napi’s Journey may be told, perhaps for
enjoyment or to emphasize a certain lesson about life.

Much of the information in this story has been shared by
Joseph Old Chief and arranged by the authors. Many thanks to
Joseph Old Chief who is one of the elders on our reservation and
knows a great deal about our culture. Our stories could not be
carried on and enjoyed by others if it weren’t for our elder people,
whom we appreciate very much.

This is a comic type story, yet it brings one close to the world
of nature.

Napi (naw-pee) like saw-see


)

»

—=

Palisa Mbit

My m

z . Au
Ns th. dy Woy M i
wig

GEE U4) I,
Wy Wally

31


trend dUl,, $Me, eee
anette

Mervin Tarreamers

WU

a ae

i ve
MeL Au (cL SMUUC MGs te dtte Mie! ie
et tt Ls ste Pot Aer

lay
tau

it sae

Neh fa Wie,

17


Metvin Ta reatnene—

Napi didn’t want anyone to see his eyes. He tied a blindfold over his
eyes. The blindfold was made from soft deer hide. While he was still
walking, he met a woman. He asked the woman to marry him. She agreed
and they got married.

23


Mewin TAcrentnens—

SEN Cen

i
ee Wy,
WY. .

We
Whe CR ANN

ale

VITASS
‘i

\

ye

19


LS VA

\

TRU

SENS (5 “
SANA ery

PE :
cf Y mM Yn.
WEN a —
SS ms PNW yy NU (ig ile ey Vs a }
ayy MA venti a, W, wh i \,
E> i So" WEN eatin UR a Weill
RA" Chen TAUPe ATH

32

After Napi fell asleep, all the mice just left him. His head was still
inside the elk’s head. When Napi woke up, he felt his head. He had an elk
head with horns.


14

Creu pacrearnecs——

Napi was underneath the cliffs. He began to crawl toward the top.
He poked his head out of the pile of cliffs. He asked his brother the rock,
“Let’s quit now brother?” So the rock agreed. Now when you go around
and see different rocks and they are sitting deep in the ground, that’s
where Napi left his brother, the rock.


waned

MD, j
A eZ
\

Napi closed his eyes. He had a feeling something was put in front of
him. He opened his eyes and looked around. He saw a pair of moccasins in
front of him. They were beaded with yellow, blue, and red beads. Napi was
afraid the colored beads were going to be erased off his moccasins. He
started to make marks across the beads and the beads began to shine.


Napi thought his wife was still running. He kept running, and he
ran right over the cliffs. He fell down in to the water beside the hoof belt.
He felt around for his wife, but he found only the hoof belt. He began to
float down the river.

29


26

ob os
i aS Zien hu ie

aie Cty wit
HAW yy, MY As pw MWmant
«Sy Sas AW UR Ag Ce seh wei.

FP evn JAlLreATHE RS

Napi told his wife, “I’m going to make a belt out of deer hooves so I
can hear you wherever you go.” He put the belt on his wife. He then told
his wife, “Look on my head.” While his wife was looking on his head, Napi
fell asleep. His wife wondered why he was wearing that blindfold. She
took the blindfold off. After she knew her husband didn’t have any eyes,
she became afraid of him. She leaped up, dropped Napi’s head, and ran
away.


Wy i 7 "
4 mer ane AU AAG
ae a iA Ti

nt oe aur ESI WAU

eo ue ple
Mey,
Brita haat i pu fa OTT

yy. Jie bn en Sua Writs, wali

Seoretpuerane-

While Napi was sitting on the hill, he saw another hill. Smoke was
coming out of that hill. “I think I'll go over to that hill and see if I can get
some moccasins.”


Lada f

i en ,
ul \ we
y Nu fon hating ny Ye G a an

awa amcrnann Welty Moe MU Hay
= — wos a hws Miles Yay.
\Wra\le AA

One hot summer day, Napi was walking around. It was so hot, beads
of sweat were dropping from Napi’s body. His face was burning as witha
fever. He didn’t have any moccasins. His feet were hurting and were
blistering. He looked over yonder and saw a hill. He said, “I think I'll go

over there and look around.”


My ir
th i
Wet Ce WA alle YAY
eet
Cheon Trrcrearnens—

Napi crawled out from under the cliffs. He stood there. One side of
his hair was unbraided and some of his hair was missing. He began to
brush himself off. The white clay from the cliffs was all over him. That’s
why we have to brush ourselves off now when we get things on us. Napi
caused that by running into the cliff. 15


Oeivins Tairearnems



" iia
A
veer a
my Wer

aes Wow
a8 eh ae: fia.
Ute
wile rig Wwe
HE Ay da

21


Napi's Journey

The Indian Reading Series



44

An a’
way, WA, OAT ART , nila “
aad Th LAVAS Me 0 in an

UA ne, i (ia wpaMesur

IM Yay,

een Trureatens_

He got some dirt and rubbed it around the mountain lions nose and
tail. The mountain lion still didn’t give up on being the biggest animal. He
still followed Napi. Napi got mad again. He stretched his tail and his legs.
That’s why the mountain lion looks like he does now.


Napi’s foot was hurting even worse because he kicked the rocks.
This made him even more angry. He kicked the red rock as hard as he
could. This made the red rock very angry. The red rock said, “Brother,
nobody kicks me.”

The red rock started to chase Napi. It rolled after him faster and
faster. Napi ran a long ways. His feet were hurting. He was getting tired
and hot. He told the rock, “Brother, if you quit chasing me, I'll give you my
buffalo robe.” Napi jerked off his buffalo robe and threw it on the rock. The

rock stopped by him.


W
'

Wir wy
i tas
Aivatl wet Nee
ue als We <einu una Laat a

\ rN al
we cane tuewetWeal eta,
wonne Ta ena

Napi tried on his moccasins. They were too small and he got mad.
He jumped up in a rage. The first rock he came to, he kicked it and then
he kicked another rock. Napi said, “This is the way you are going to
look!” That is why some rocks look like they have little holes in them.
Other rocks are different colors and some rocks shine. That’s some of
Napi’s beads.


40

Napi danced close to where the fat and dry meat was hanging. Each
time he would go by, he would stab the fat with his feather that looked like
asword. The grease would run down his feather and into his mouth. After
Napi had all the grease out of the fat, he quit dancing. He was so full, he
was almost ready to burst. He told the other dancers they could open their
eyes and quit dancing. The dance was all over. Everyone was happy. Now
when you hang fat up, it becomes dry. Napi caused that by his dance and
his feather. Now Napi was all through. He left the people and went on
walking.


28

ytealgitte’ —

wy, ee oy Wi, Walls

His wife was getting very tired. But Napi was right behind her. She
didn’t know what to do. She kept running. Her belt was making a lot of
noise. She decided to take her belt off so she untied it. She ran straight
toward some cliffs where a swift river was flowing in the bottom. She
threw the belt over the cliff.


Y)
Si Ih Malia Lx

WWW Pi WAWAVAVe YD
A. Ono" coon eo”
~~

Napi came to the big wolf. Napi said, “Oh brother can I borrow your
eyes?” He pulled the eyes out of the wolf. Napi cheated the wolf. He just
stole the wolf’s eyes. He didn’t give them back. He was so glad to have eyes
again. He rushed on.

45


onc .
3 aw URAC
gate iain ast
as, Meavawayenwdue

Metin TNLFEATHERS —

Napi woke up when his head crashed to the ground. He jumped up,
felt around for his blindfold, and began to chase his wife. She was wearing
the hoof belt. That’s how Napi knew where she was going. 27


After Napi got to the hill, he noticed there was a spring of water.
Yellow smoke began to come out. He put his hurting feet into the springs
and began to cool them off. He started to cry. Looking toward the yellow
smoke, he said, “Could you help me out and give me some moccasins?”
Right where he was sitting, just ahead of him, another colored smoke
came out and it was blue. After Napi got through crying, he looked
around. To his amazement, another colored smoke appeared, which
was red.


18

Napi went to another rock and asked the rock if he could have his
hair back. The rock gave Napi most of his hair back. But some of Napi’s
hair was stuck on the rock. That’s why some rocks look like they have hair
on them. When the rock was giving his hair back to Napi, he got mad at
the rock. Napi picked up a small rock and was going to hit the other rock.
When he threw, he missed and hit his thumb. He knocked his thumbnail
off. That’s why when you hit your fingernails hard, they come off. This is
the result of some of Napi’s works.


35


36

The men invited Napi to their camp. They told Napi they were going
to have an Indian dance. They wanted him as the leader. The old ladies
were getting the fat and dry meat ready. They were cutting the fat and dry
meat in thin layers and hanging it up to dry. Napi was really hungry. Napi
and all the men were getting their headdresses and other things ready for
the dance. Some used eagle feathers and some used porcupine hair. Napi
had an idea for his headdress. While he was working, he made an eagle
feather the shape of a sword. It was really sharp.


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.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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

Snail Women at Sq*a’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

6. How the Summer Season Came

7.

Assiniboine Tribe of the Fort Belknap
Reservation
Little Weasel’s Dream

Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead
Reservation

8. Fort Hall Stories

9.

10.

ll.

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.

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

17. Napi’s Journey

18.

19.

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

20. Baskets and Canoes

21.

Skokomish Tribe

Warrior People
Blackfeet Tribe


24

The woman told Napi, “Put up a tepee.” Napi went to get tepee poles.
He would put poles up and then go get some more poles. He would lose the
ones he already put up. He had several sets of tepee poles assembled in
different places. She said, “How come you have so many tepees put up?”
Napi told her, “I put a lot of tepees up, so you can choose the one you want.”
But Napi was blind and he kept loosing his poles. He didn’t want to tell his
wife he was blind.


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

Copyright in the published edition will be held by and in the name of
the Blackfeet Indians.

No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transcribed, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
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


wy yy wu,
ay Mil

We he Mantle,
Marvin Trreances “wine in Use

Next, Napi met a mountain lion. The mountain lion asked, “Brother
Napi, will you help me so I can be the biggest animal?” Napi wouldn’t
answer him because Napi was mad at the mountain lion. The mountain
lion kept asking him. Napi got tired of him and turned around. He took
the mountain lion and smashed his face up against a stone. That’s why
mountain lions have a short stubby face now.

43


wala:

VW wit wl
' \ ald
aN WU avatar

Mev Tarearnens

4a RW NAN Genes

War.
Ml Web, IS
Ha iS

thas

Wee tn
We!

\Vn
CD 7S ‘\
Z a «Haven

iN Vert, .
a We he aalite

a Wor. Wy My SUL
tru NC Wu,

41


ll


Napi was getting dreadfully tired, and much more frightened. He
was really running fast. As he was still running and looking back, he ran
into a cliff. The whole cliff fell down on Napi.

13


THE INDIAN READING SERIES:
Stories and Legends of the Northwest

Napi’s Journe
Seak IV y

Developed by the Blackfeet Indians
Written by:

Carmen Marceau

Doris Old Person

June Tatsey

Patricia Tatsey Bachaun

Illustrated by Melvin Tailfeathers

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



34

The men rushed to the river. They found the elk hung up on the river
bank. They pulled him out. They started pounding on the elk head trying
to break it up. They finally pulled the head off. Then to their surprise, they
recognized Napi. The men took the elk head. That’s why people use elk
heads to hang hats and other things on. They hang the elk heads and
horns up as decorations.


22

S ny
Bern ye
. UA Na, . CONTE
esc Rae Ur ateetinnrn
PLATED Ryccr QG*
URN SARL
wwe "i

- oe
i

yes
ws

Cheurn TALFEATHAR SS —

After Napi cleaned the coyote’s eyes out, he started to walk away
again, then the coyote chased Napi and scratched his eyes out. Now
sometimes people throw things in our eyes. Napi caused this. Napi went
blind, but he kept walking. The coyote continued to follow him. The coyote
followed Napi wherever he went.


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:

* Warren Clements — Warm Springs
Chairman

+ Clement Azure — Devils Lake Sioux

+ Walter Moffett — Nez Perce

+ Emmett Oliver — Quinault

+ Bob Parsley — Chippewa

+ Lloyd Smith — Warm Springs

+ Max Snow

+ Jeanne Thomas — Yakima


46

Napi saw some raining birds along the way. He went over to them to
see what they were doing. He watched for awhile. Finally, Napi asked,
“Raining Birds, will you teach me to do what you are doing?” The raining
birds eyes would come out and they would go back in. Napi would make
his eyes go out and then come back. Napi kept on trying this. Each time
his eyes would go a little farther. Napi was laughing and the raining birds
were laughing. He did this once more and he lost his eyes again. They
stuck in a tree and Napi couldn’t find the tree. That’s why some people lose
their eyesight. Also, that is how trees got eyes or knots; from Napi leaving
his eyes in the tree. Napi got too careless.


30

As Napi was floating, he heard some noise along the river. It
was some mice playing and dancing inside an elk head. Napi managed to
pull himself out of the water. He went and stuck his head inside the elk
head. He said, “My brother, let me be like you and dance.” The mice said,
“You can’t be like us because we don’t sleep. We dance all night.”


Bevin Taurreanens—

39


== ST al
Spaatr we ira SRA irAlie Vie Wee He

% / \
0 _ M)|
, r \
f f rt \ \
| : \4 IN 2 a
ed | i . ti HAN He be Sd
GF fie Rt tk Za f - | Li \\\ ~\ i
. ~~ i cally ONL NURIA A ie a
\ Wj Psi a te Geo \
a W\ye MUU EAUAee ve vUlde \
——— WL / yf wa In | \ win y ; AG

th es
Ne eed
we

Mein Tacrcarnerns

Ww


Oana

Tuoremraae— 7
PR a ALANA

WAN WAV

Kuygsauwe

“tis,



AW sa {te \l AVA

\ A)

wok Mr na mi

(I Ai “ie Sie

Gein Tacfearnens


ba ~<a

wal
y ro as
bmn
LZ I HAV

rr

At, See b é
RUC Kon. aly ‘heucaa Moh vA W, nl iN Q-
ZS 7 ‘Mn F {Wate

Mevin TAI UReariers

49


sage AN ws N'SIWVEY
ae ae, a, We ee =) a aS SS \ a Gee Sie m
ft i u te i
wena SAUL Si, eau me

The rock told Napi, “You took your buffalo robe back, and now I’m
going to chase you.” Napi gave the buffalo robe back to the rock. He took
off and the rock started to chase him. The rock had medicine. The
rock began to get bigger and bigger, and heavier and heavier. It rolled

12 faster and faster. As Napi was running, he was looking back at the rock.