The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-03-15
IllIllliliIlillllllll,.
Indian
Lodge Tales
Dy
Ford c. Frick
THE DECISION OF DEATH


THE DECISION OF DEATH
NOV, when the Manitou created the
Red Man to rule over the world he
created him in his own image and
made him walk upright with his eyes
to the sky--and he was not forced to
watch his feet, as were the beasts.
But when the Red Man was created
and had lived for years in the peace
ful valley the Manitou found that he
was too strong and too brave and that
he had been created too much In the
image of the Maker Of MS all. So he
decided that 1t would not do for the
Red Man to live too long, else he
would become as wise and as great an
Manitou himself.
So one day the Nanitou appeared
to his daughter, the mother Of the
Red Man, and to her he told his fears.
And as q remedy he suggested that
the Red Man he allowed to live only
for an allotted span of years, and
that then he be supplanted BY his
children and his children's children
until time ended.
But first he thought he would give
the Red Man q chance to determine
how he was to live And 30, in COM
pany with his daughter he went to the
valley, where lived the Chosen People,
and he called forth the wisest and old
est chief Of them all to be the Judge.
In his one hand he took a buffalo
chip and In the other q stone and
with the chief and his daughter he
went to the bank Of the stream to make
the test.
First he tossed the buffalo chip into
the stream and the chip fioated for
awhile until It struck the rapids and
then 1t submerged for a little way
and again 1t fioated and again 1t sub
merged, until finally 1t disappeared
from sight around a bend In the
stream.
And SO the Manitou ruled that the
Red Man should live for four years
and then die and remain dead for four
years. following which he would again
come to life for a similar period. And
the old. chief was pleased and accepted
the ruling.
But the daughter Of Manitou, the
mother of all the Red Men, was not
pleased and pleaded with her father
that some other arrangement might
be made. And the Manitou, who loved
his daughter dearly, listened to her
pleading and agreed that there should
be one more test made and that the
result of that test should stand for
ever, and the method of the test he left
to his daughter.
She, seeing that the Manitou had
not yet thrown the stone, and thinking
that perhaps the stone had some magic
unknown except to the Maker Of us NIL
suggested that he throw the stone In
the water.
The Manitou, taking her at her
word. tossed the stone far out Into the
stream, and 1t fell with a splash into
the water and sank out Of sight. Ard
thus was the fate Of the Red Men DE-
cided.
The Manitou ruled that. each Res
Man should live In the valley an NJ
lotted span Of years, and that then he
should die and his body should perish
from the earth and should never moe
come to life in the valley.
fout Ill OTueT tnht tuc Itcu MI
should not he hopeless and forlorn hs
promised that those of them who kepf
the faith and praised the Manltou AL
his good work should live again In the
happy hunting ground above the Pea
where there would be no death aie
where there would be no war and nn
trouble. And so the ruling stood. IT,
Red Men were made mortal. to d.
when their time came, hut knowirg
Of the promise OF Manitou they felt 80
fear Of death. And so II il today. We
all must die, but living well, we lisc
again in that great hunting grounc
where all is happiness and peace.
Note.-Thls legend bears marked
similarity to legend of Death told hy
the Blackfeet and credited 20 Nabi, tn
semi-human God of earth, who, &C
cording to the Blackfeet, is a .secord-
ary god to Manltou himself. Crime
In his "Blackfoot LeGends' has quote
this story, although no mention II mans
Of the after-llfe and the test 10 mac
In a distinctly different manner.