Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-30
GODS OF TpE INDIAN.
Black Hills ne Home Of tie Red Mans
Deities.
he Has One Great Shirt with Many Subordi
nate Oiviniiies.

The Indian has many deities. To
him everything is "wakan." The mys-
terious and unknown is ruled by gods or
deities of greater or less ''wakan.'
Anything that is superhuman, mysteri
Gus or supernatural is "wakan."
The Black Hills, from an Indian
point of view, are the home of the
gods. from whom all power originates.
The wind and the lightning are sent
forth from the dark recesses of the
mountains, and the very foundations
of the hills are made to tremble when
the great spirit gives vent to his anger
The old Indian tradition says that
the great spirit sits upon the highest
mountain in the Black Hills. supposed
to be Harney's Peak. and from this ex-
allied position he directs the move
ments-of the lesser gods and his own
people. In his pleasant moods he
causes the sun to shine. the grass to
grow and the Indian tribes tn be at
peace with one another. In his angry
moments he lets loose the winds and
lightning and the world Is made dark,
and the children of the great spirit
are punished by famine and death.
Many years ago the great spirit kept
a white man chained beneath the big
mountain. The man trespassed upon
the chosen hunting ground of the chill
dren of the great spirit. and he was
forthwith captured and made example
of before all other trespaSSers of the
palefaces. The white man was a giant 1
whose footprints in the sand werf,
twenty feet long, and he was so power
full in his right arm that he coVl :
break the buffalo's back and COD ,
twist from its roots the lofty pine; x ,
the great spirit ruled him. ,
The great spirit had a great my
lesser deities, who were given pNer
over animals and things. OnkterWaS
the god of water. This deity ifout-
ward appearance resembled an 4, ne
ing much larger. A great parrot the
religion of the Indians came fm. the
wakan influence of this god. fhey are
both male and female. the foher. nav
ing control of the water andthe earth
beneath the water, and the utter nav
ing an influence over the md by the
side of the water
When the god of water yants rain TO
fall he lifts his tail and horns to the
clouds and Immediately ihe rain falis.
Onkteri assumes an important part IN
the juggling and supeFttious beliefs
of the Indians. The mdicine men OBJ
tain their supernatural power from
this source. The god and the goddess
are mortals and car propagate their
kind. They have power to impart |
from their bodies a mighty wakan in
fuence
Cha ter dab is the god of the |
forest. His home is at the foot of the J
highest mountain, and he lives most
of the time in the top of the highest
tree on the mountain top. His COM
panions are the birds of the air, who
act as guards and sentinels. When he
wants anything he flies to his perch IN
the tree top, which is as smooth as
glass. He calls together his friends
and sends them hither and thither. He
is in constant war with the god or
thunder, Wah-keen-yon. When wan
Kenyon passes over the mountain
top, casting here and there his bolts OF
lightning. Cha-o-ter- the god OF
the forest, enters the water at the foot
of the tree and the lightning cannot
touch him.