Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-11-21
How Two Medicine Derived Its Name

! ings, the Two Medicine region Is I'M
surpassed The river, crystal clear; the
falls, hedged in by giant cliffs; and
/ the mOuntain-locked lakes, all unite
to render it beautiful beyond the
power Of words to portray. 1t must be
seen to be appreciated.
The peculiar name it bears Is not
the product Of some white mans fer
tile Imagination; it was given it long
ago by those Of the Blackfeet nation
of Indians who claimed northwestern
Montana as their own. The story Of
how it CHANGED to be conferred is told
by Three Sons, a war chief Of the
South Piegans, to one In whose veins
the blood Of his people mingled with
that Of the white race the old chief
held in undisguised contempt. On
fortunately, the Interpretation Of the
story lacks the poetic imagery given
it by the Blackfeet tongue. but must
be rendered in homely prose.
The Story Told by Three Sons
MANY, many years ago" said Three
Sons, ain the early part Of the last
century, the Sun God was angry at
our people, and sent a great drouth to
afflict them. Day after day his pitileSs
rays beat down upon the land, the
fierce heat killing the grass, and dry
ing up the pools Of water and the
smaller streams. The buffalo. whose
flesh was our "real food" as we called
it, drifted far away, in what direction
we did not know. Nothing was left ex-
cept a scanty remnant Of small game,
such as deer antelope, and birds, most
of the latter having sought refuge IN
the tree-clothed mountains where the
Indians feared to go, believing that the
forest was the home of evil spirits. The
Blackfeet, you should know, were In
dams Of the plains, and not OF the
mountains. They had been driven
steadily westward before the con-
stantly advancing white wave, until
they reached the Rockies.
Week followed week and brought no
relief to the stricken people, although
the medicine men tasted and besought
the sun god to aid in their extremity.
The silence Of night was disturbed by
the beating of their drums, and their
loud lamentations, to which the coy
otes and wolves responded with lugu-
brious bowls from the nearby hills,
and the village dogs voiced their
misery. All was useless, our god was
deaf to the offered petitions.
FINALLY the small game disap-
peared; the supplies Of the people
were exhausted; the famine stared
them in the face. Children cried from
hunger. and the few remaining gaunt
dogs were slain that they might gnaw
the bones.
Iron Horse Calls a Council
sThen it was that Chief Iron Horse, |
no longer able to endure the sights
and sounds of the starving people by
whom he was surrounded, called them
in council and said: I'VE have gr1ev-
ously offended our father the sun. Let
us therefore, set up two medicine
lodges in his honor, lest one may not
suffice to appease his wrath, so that
he will permit the rain again to visit
us. There is no time for delay now; !
death is in every tepee."
The Sun Answers
''The people listened to his words,
which report carried far even to the
North Piegans, whose home Is on
Belly river, and to all the South Pie
gans. Weak as they were. from lack
of food, they hastened TO bring IN
poles to build the lodges, one at the
lower end Of Upper Two Medicine lake
and the other near where the Midway !
river Joins the Two Medicine. Here, !
with appropriate ceremonies, they I'M
plored their god to grant them re-
lief. For five days and nights they |
tasted and called upon the sun TO par
don them, and tell them what to do, !
until at length the answer was vouch-
safed:
"'Send messengers to Chief Noun
tain. where you shall learn my Will
"Obedient to this command, seven
men were chosen for the mission, they
being more conversant with the ways
of the Great Spirit they worsh1ped |
under the form Of the sun, ana AZ
once they set out. Days OF anxious
waiting passed, and then the wise men /
to acknowledge their failure
to secure the promised aid. They never |
reached the mountain, having been
terrified by fearsome sights ana
sounds, they shuddered to relate'
which made it impossible to go on,
and they were forced to hasten pacK |
to the lodges.
Sixteen of the bravest warriors,
among them Iron Horse, were lneh
selected to make the journey, as 1t was
thought their courage, fortified py
their number, would enable them 10
run the gauntlet of the dreadful
things which beset their way, and safe /
" reach the mountain. This they did
only to be more severely tried at the
journeys end. The whole mountain
was Illuminated by constant flashes OF
lightning, and peals OF thunder snooK
n as If by an earthquake, while balls
OF fire shone in the tree tops.
The Thunder Bird
'eWhen their eyes became accus-
toned to the glare, behold at the
summit was seen the Thunder BIRD,
clothed in garments. one side Of these
differing from the other in color. he
had the head Of a moose. with long
ears ear, and on his shoulders were
black wings.