The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-24

Wah-wah-hoo was changed into a
swamp frog, and how Ko-ko-mis, the
witch, was turned into stone.
But one of the most interesting leg
ends known to these Indians is that
on which they formed their belief in
the existence of a lost race, or tribe,
dwelling today in the extreme north of
Canada. This belief still fingers among
the Algonquins, who live about James
bay, Lake Temagami and Lake Tennis
camingue, and is found among other
tribes with merely slight variations in
details. The pertinaeity of the tradi-
ton leads one to believe it must have
some more or less substantial founda-
ton.
It is believed by these Algonquins
that in the remote north, miles and
miles beyond the Barren Grounds of
Canada, dwells a tribe of Indians, who,
centuries ago, migrated into that IN
known territory and made their homes
in the fertile north1and plains. It is
also part of the same tradition that
there is a broad tract of country in
northern Canada where winter does not
reign with its accustomed severity. The
Indian believes that there is northern
belt somewhere up under the arctic cir
Gle where summer is as long and sweet
as it is in the very bosom of the great
lakes. Through some favorable con-
dition which the Indian mind does not
attempt to explain, this northern Eden
is a land of sunlight and warmth and
flowers. Winter it has. but simply
enough to sweeten the flesh of the fish
in its thousand streams and show the
hunter where the wood bison can be
perhaps most plausible portion of the
tradition is the belief that in this re-
mote northern region still roam tie
mendous herds of buffaloes.
The extraordinary feature in this
Algonquin tradition consists in the fact
that the land to which they point as
their northern paradise lies IN the heart
of the most sterile and forbidding eoun-
try on the North American continent.
It has been called the most complete
and extended desolation on earth. The
more remote parts of it are supposed to
be nothing but tim berless, ice laden
rock, and if the foot Of man has never
penetrated into it's sterile depths it is
simply because there is nothing there
to invite exploration. But the Indian,
in his childlike faith, does not pause to
consider any OF these insignificant de-
tails.
During a summer spent in the coun-
try between Lake Temiseaningue and
Hudson bay, the present writer attempt
ed to pick up the different forms Of this
tradition. To many of the Algonquins
Of that district it was unknown. others
the communicating touch of civilization
had made skeptioal, and while some
old braves still believed in the legend
they were reluctant to enter into ex-
plantations regarding the precise loca-
ton or the exact nature of the country
regarded as their boreaI Eden. Some of
these Indians, however, were of the
opinion that the lost tribe, who lived
beyond the belt of snow, were pale
skinned like the ordinary white man
and were of great size. The different
stories told by different Indians never
theless were conflicting, and all of
them showed the results of many little
touches of pure Imagination. AS there
is no more cheerful prevaricator than
the ordinary red man perhaps it would
be well not to take this story of the
pal efaced tribe and its northern Eden
too seriously. Some day perhaps those
northern barTens of Canada will be ex-
plored and Bhsn that time comes it
will be found unfortunately that this
pleasant tale, like so much of the lost
Indian folklore, is nothing more than a
dream of the imaginative Algonquin
mind. Until some such final decision is
arrived at, however, this unknown
north will continue to be the land of
legend and of romance it was long cen
turtles before either Cartier OF Cabot
sighted the snoweapped rocks of Labra-
dor. ARTHUR J. STRRGKk