The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-06-24
Indian Legion Of the Origin Of Corn.

4
Among the many curious myths
and traditions Of the Saukee and
Musquakee Indians of Iowa none
are more singular than the combina
ton legion which relates the story
of the origin of corn, tobacco and
beans. The story, as told Colonel
Davenport the founder of the city
of the same name) by the head
chief of the allied tribes, is as fol-
lows: In time many moons past
the Indian ate only meat and roots.
Two mighty hunters were one day
sitting by fire on the great prairies
roasting their meat (venison) when
they were greatly astonished to see
a beautiful squaw descend from a
many-tinted evening cloud, which
was hanging over the west, and
alight upon the smooth sward near
by. The first idea that struck the
hunters was that she was one of
their ancestors who had taken upon
herself the task of acting as guardi-
an angel, and that if she had made
the trip from the "happy hunting
grounds" as they verify believed
she had, she must be hungry, tired
and cold. She did not attempt to
approach the fire, however, and said
nothing until she had been ap-
preached by one of the hunters,
who proffered her good-sized slice
of the steaming venison. Before
accepting the food she sat down
upon the ground without moving
her feet from the spot where they
had first come in contact with the
earth. While in the act of seating
herself the hunter noticed that both
hands fell helplessly at her sides,
making great indentations in the
soft earth. AS soon as she recov-
cred from what appeared to be a
fainting fit, resulting from over
fatigue, she most graciously ac-
cepted the food, ate of it, and almost
Immediately started upon her re-
turn trip to the clouds-not, how
ever, until she had promised to re-
ward the hunters for their kindness.
Preparatory to her leave-taking she
informed her generous friends that
if they would return to that very
spot in one year they would find
their reward in waiting. Upon re-
turning to camp the hunters related
the story of their wonderful adven-
ture with "the Lady of the Clouds" "
and that told of the promised re-
ward-all of which was accepted
with taunts and jeers. During the
following year they were laughed at
so often whenever reference was
made to the reward" or "the Wo-
man Of the Clouds" they were all
but deferred from making a jour-
ney in search of a fulfllment of
the promise. Finally, in order not
to be subjects of ridicule for the
whole village, they pretended to
make hunting excursion in an
other direction, and then made a
detour by way of the spot where
they had met the vision of the skies.
A wonderful surprise was in wait
ing: The spot where the specter
had sat while eating the roast ven
ison was overgrown with tobacco;
where her right hand had rested
when it fell seemingly helpless to
the ground, corn had sprung up in
all profusion, and in the indenta-
ton made by the left hand upon
the same occasion beans had grown
and were then hanging in multi
tude of brown and golden clusters.
Where the feet of "the Woman of
the Clouds" first touched when she
alighted before the astonished hun
ters year previous two springs of
water were.gushing forth-one, cold
and sparkling, watered the Indian
Eden; the other, which flowed in
an opposite direction to the first,
was of turbid character, but suffi-
ciently hot to cook corn and beans.
It is needless to add that the two
hunters had thanksgiving then
and there and that there was great
10y among all the tribes when the
news of the discovery spread over