The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-05-11
! The Blackfeet Legend
, of the Thunder Bird

uff iIfu. IuUE regarded az
gospel ut the Black Get Indians
of Glacier Park reservation. and
much smiled ai Dos the skcpticai white
Wau. now seems Goo bee given % CON.
crete foundation HN the recent d.sUuN-
cry OF % specimen of ma, willow ptur-
Wiran 90 the tupmp-t "dgc ut the
timber line con the mountains OFT ola
'i'r National paris
The bird wu. found frozen 200 death
and th, Indians are uuv lHwoutIug
lest BE- was stricken uN the Great
Spirit as tu DO omen Goo fho entire
Hlaoktcst tribe The doud object uf
awe Co the rcd man was brought Go
Glacier Paris station hN Chiof Three
Bears. who made the trip over the
mountains lu suuwshur- iu urda. to
intercept Louis " nan president OF
the Great Northern RAILWAY, and have
him Toxic 10 to % tnNid,rmlst 10 be-
preserved MI nm naturally thought
u VAS just another uf the many lp-
geudatS supoIstitious OF the tribe
which holds him up Boo o. re,crcnuHl
Hight since making him % member 81
their triuo and giving him the ulmc
at 'Gruy Horse Rider. In rocogni-
ton OF his many bcucfurtiors 10
them However. be was true Geo his
promise and had his private EAR set
out at KnlIsp,lL Mont. 100 order 60
deliver the sacred bird 10 a. .
stanford, % renowned No,k, noun
tain taxid"rmlst. The -ornithuluPist.
however, rather tool the railway
mugnate's breath away when. upon
examining the dead bird. ne cv
claimed
why. Mr. HnI. YOU have got %
rare specimen here II is the willow
ptarmigan. which is uf great scicn-
the interest among uTulthulogists
Chapman's color Key shows the viii
low ptartnigan has been reported onIy
twice 10 The United states. once from
Maine and once from Massachusetts
Mr. Hill had not paid close attcu-
ton Geo the story the old chief had re-
lated to him through thc Interpreter.
=" now ne has had TO send "a special
representative into the interior ct
Glacier park 20 ind Three Bears and
get the old Indian story tcuugraph-
icnllN rJNidCtmist stanford. who is
quite excited over the discovery in
hIrd-dom. eagerly awaits "a copy OF
tho written storN uf the finding II
the uird that he may report the facts
Co the American Muscg,, of Natural
History
Meanwhile the bird Is being set up
as true To- life as the taNidcrmists
skin can make u and it will be placed
IN b crotch of the poles Of the leO-
Near-old huualu-skin tcpcc which has
been pitched on exhibition in the
forest lobby OF the big log hotel az
the eastern gateway TO ruuie SANS
newest national park. because the
grandfather II old chief Three Bears,
who headed the Indian council which
used To- pass the pipe OF peace in this
ancient shelter rclic was the chief
figure boa the legend or the Thunder
BIRD. Here is the translated story
of the Thunder Bird" which old
Three Restrs faithfully repeats tu this
day
Long p there was an old man
who was called -Four Bears. When
he was u Young man The Blackfeet
were camping ON Elk liver. n was in
summer The lung-umc-rain had
commenced IN the morning. when
he went Tor the horses Go bring them
into thc camp, ne came Co his. river.
lie saw there was q bird Uhati was
sitting tucar the edge Of The WutcrI.
He walked towards Il. When he was
looking az 30 then Nc knew thgu
the bird did NOT belong 20 his coun-
tIR. lt- feathers were Al OF differ
'nt Culurs, us htIi was -grecu-colorcd.
its legs were ruluT,d the same. u
hud three claws u would not open
It's eye uiterally. luokl. tie then
caught b. Then he took 30 home
when be- entered. an tho chiefs were
Invited They an entered The bird
sat az the upper end of the ludrc
He told these chiefs Now. here is q
bird. that you mas look at 1t tto
know what IL b.. II was not known
tuobody could tell what kind Of bird
u wnsl AFTER "a long while Four
Bears pushed %. when IL opened Us
eyes Oiteraliy. locked. then II flash
cd lightning The flup OF the tcpec
las open. The bird flew towards the
door when b opened its eyes otter
ally. looked again then b flashed
lightniug again Whom of flew then
the thunder ronred That way th"
thunder was seen"