The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-03-08

Lodge Tales
By
Ford c. Frick
THE LOST RACE OF THE
PAWNEES


roanied the plains, even as we do now.
These were large Indians-men of g.
gantic stature and great strength. And
they were created by Ti-ra-wa. who
created all the world, and all the an
lmals, and all the people.
With these great Indians lived tie
animals even as we have them today.
The giants ruled the world, for they
were very strong; and they were SO
swift that they hunted the buffalo on
foot and they would run down buff
falo and kill It with stone, or a
club or knife. Then even though It
was a great buffalo bull, they would
swing 1t to their shoulders and carry
1t into camp. So you can see that
they were very strong and that they
had great power on earth. For they
were feared by all the animals.
For many years they dwelt on the
plains. But as time went on they
ceased to honor Ti-ra-wa. who had ere
ated them; and they ceased to believe
in him and In the things he did. They
thought they were very strong. and
that they were more powerful than
Ti-ra.wa himself, and they would no
longer pray to him.
When the rains would come they
would shake their fists at the sky and
curse, and call out bad words. And If
1t was too warm or too cold, then
they would laugh at Ti-ra-wa. and
scoff at his strength, and tell each 9th
er stories Of how they would run the
world II they were In power. All this
time Ti-ra-wa tried to keep them hap
by, and did favors for them, and con-
tinued them In their strength, and did
all he could to make the world a hap
py one for them to live in.
But finally Ti-ra-wa became angry.
and ne no longer would smile at the
giant people on earth. He sent the
black clouds and the storms and the
lightning and the thunder down upon
the giants, who had scoffed him. And
the water rose and rose. and these
giant people fled before 1t. But run
as they might they were unable to es-
cape. and by and by the water arose
over the level Of the land, and these
great people. even to the last man and
the last woman. sank down into the
soft ground and the mud and were
drowned.
When all the giants had been de-
stroyed and had disappeared. then IT,
ra-wa recalled the rain and the thun-
der, and the lightning and the storm.
And he made the sunshine to shine
again and the grass to grow and the
trees to bloom and grow green. And
the world was restored to the animals
as 1t was before. but the giants, who
had scoffed Ti-ra-wa, were gone for
ever.
So Ti-ra-wa made a man and a
woman. And he made them small Of
stature; and they did not have the
strength of the giants. But they were
good and they honored Ti-ra-wa. And
so that they might live, he gave to
them the corn. and taught them to cul-
tivate It and to dry II and to make
meal, and to make II their food. This
they did, and so Ti-ra-wa sent to
them children: and the children grew
up and a tribe was formed. and that
tribe was the Pawnees. And today
they are still the Pawnees, and the
Pawnees have become great people.
for ever they have honored Ti-ra-wa
who made them and who gave them
the corn. and the meat. which is their
food.
Today you may go on the prairie and
find the great bones of the giants who
were drowned; and you can find them
In the deep canons, and deep In the
ground--and that is the proof that
they reslly did sink into the ground
as Is tola us by our fathers.
Note-This legend is distinctly Paw
nee, and Is common among the ma
Jority Of the Pawnee family tribes. IT,
ra-wa Is the god of the Pawnees, sim
liar to the Manitou of the Utes, the
Great Spirit of the Iroquois and the
Napi (Old NAM of the Blackfeet. The
flood incident. told here, Is told In a
little different manner by the Utes, the
Comanches, the Arapahoes. the Chey-
ennes and the Navajos-in fact, By
ractically all OF the western Indians
Planets and Stars.