Dene Stories

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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation

https://archive.org/details/denestories0000reyn

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Acknowledgements This book is affectionately dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Garr of Patuanak and Mr. Clement John of Cree Lake, who originally told most of the legends included in this collection. I also aknowledge the contribution of all Dene people who continue to tell the legends to their children and grandchildren. It is in this way that they have kept a very rich cultural heritage alive. I sincerely hope that the custom of telling legends continues on forever. To the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College Editorial Board my co-workers Linda Pelly, Ray McCallum and my co-ordinator Gail Bear, to Dennis Morrisson for his illustrations. To Kathy Ahenakew and Bob Troff for typesetting and layout. — Margaret Reynolds

1979 Copyright Curriculum Studies and Research Department Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College Federation of Saskatchewan Indians Saskatoon, Saskatchewan All rights reserved. No part of this book may be produced in any publisher.

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Introduction Story telling has been a popular form of education and entertainment for people all over the world throughout history. Some stories are narrations of true experiences while others are popular interpretations of things around us. The latter are referred to as legends and are very popular with children, because they require a great deal of imagination. The stories in this book were related by elderly Dene people and then translated into English. They tell about the creation of the earth and the populating of it with animals, plants and man. Like the legends of all people. Dene legends describe a time when animals and man could communicate with each other. They explain how animals came to behave the way they do and why their physical appearance is what it is. The legends served as educational foundations to children as well as a means of teaching such things as seasonal habits of animals and why animals are the color they are. The legends also taught the children to respect the elderly and that it is most beneficial to listen and gain knowledge from them. As well, at times, these legends kept the youngsters out of mischief, and gave the very old people who could no longer hunt or fish a very important function in the community. Two favorite characters in the legends of the Dene are Crowhead and Spread-wings. Both were pranksters who had magical powers. They were related to all Dene and spent most of their time travelling from one settlement to another where they would always help the people with whom they were staying. Crowhead, the older of the two, knew it was impossible for anyone to kill him as long as he wore his crow-skin cape which was his medicine. It warned him of the approach of enemies and gave him the power to defeat them. Spread-wings, on the other hand, could be killed, but had three lives. Legends about Crowhead and Spread-wings very often taught a moral.

Table of Contents The Flood. 1 When Trees Could Walk.17 The Snow Man.19 The Origin of The Sand-Hills.22 The Man In The Moon.23 The One Who Crossed.30 Worms In His Horns.35 Cross Eye.33 CrowHead The Painter.42 His Grandmother Raised Him.49 CrowHead :.59 CrowHead’s Revenge. 67 Spread Wings.70

The Flood Long ago, there were only animals on the earth. The water began to rise slowly and flood the earth. All living things would soon drown. "Let's save ourselves on the highest mountain!" cried some, "Or we shall die here in the water." Many animals would not listen. They did not believe the water would cover the earth. Others believed it and went to live on the highest mountain. The water rose higher and higher until everything was covered except the the highest mountain. It looked as if all the animals would soon die. All of a sudden, a big island floated up to the surface of the water. It came as if to save the unhappy ones. A male and female of all animals, birds, and other living things went to live on the island. They waited for the water to drop.

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