Warriors of the Rainbow

Last century an old wise woman of the Cree Indian nation,
named “Eyes of Fire”, had a vision of the future.

She prophesied that one day, because of the white mans’ or Yo-ne-gis’ greed, there would come a time, when the earth being ravaged and polluted, the forests being destroyed, the birds would fall from the air, the waters would be blackened, the fish being poisoned in the streams, and the trees would no longer be, mankind as we would know it would all but cease to exist.

There would come a time when the “keepers of the legend, stories, culture rituals, and myths, and all the Ancient Tribal Customs” would be needed to restore us to health, making the earth green again. They would be mankind’s key to survival, they were the “Warriors of the Rainbow”. There would come a day of awakening when all the peoples of all the tribes would form a New World of Justice, Peace, Freedom and recognition of the Great Spirit.

The “Warriors of the Rainbow” would spread these messages and teach all peoples of the Earth or “Elohi”. They would teach them how to live the “Way of the Great Spirit”. They would tell them of how the world today has turned away from the Great Spirit and that is why our Earth is “Sick”.

The “Warriors of the Rainbow” would show the peoples that this “Ancient Being” (the Great Spirit), is full of love and understanding, and teach them how to make the “Earth or Elohi” beautiful again. These Warriors would give the people principles or rules to follow to make their path light with the world. These principles would be those of the Ancient Tribes. The Warriors of the Rainbow would teach the people of the ancient practices of Unity, Love and Understanding. They would teach of Harmony among people in all four corners of the Earth.

Like the Ancient Tribes, they would teach the peoples how to pray to the Great Spirit with love that flows like the beautiful mountain stream, and flows along the path to the ocean of life. Once again, they would be able to feel joy in solitude and in councils. They would be free of petty jealousies and love all mankind as their brothers, regardless of color, race or religion. They would feel happiness enter their hearts, and become as one with the entire human race. Their hearts would be pure and radiate warmth, understanding and respect for all mankind, Nature and the Great Spirit.

They would once again fill their minds, hearts, souls, and deeds with the purest of thoughts. They would seek the beauty of the Master of Life -the Great Spirit! They would find strength and beauty in prayer and the solitude of life.

Their children would once again be able to run free and enjoy the treasures of Nature and Mother Earth. Free from the fears of toxins and destruction, wrought by the Yo-ne-gi and his practices of greed. The rivers would again run clear, the forests be abundant and beautiful, the animals and birds would be replenished. The powers of the plants and animals would again be respected and conservation of all that is beautiful would become a way of life.

The poor, sick and needy would be cared for by their brothers and sisters of the Earth. These practices would again become a part of their daily lives.

The leaders of the people would be chosen in the old way – not by their political party, or who could speak the loudest, boast the most, or by name calling or mud slinging, but by those whose actions spoke the loudest. Those who demonstrated their love, wisdom and courage and those who showed that they could and did work for the good of all, would be chosen as the leaders or Chiefs. They would be chosen by their “quality” and not the amount of money they had obtained. Like the thoughtful and devoted “Ancient Chiefs”, they would understand the people with love, and see that their young were educated with the love and wisdom of their surroundings. They would show them that miracles can be accomplished to heal this world of its ills, and restore it to health and beauty.

The tasks of these “Warriors of the Rainbow” are many and great. There will be terrifying mountains of ignorance to conquer and they shall find prejudice and hatred. They must be dedicated, unwavering in their strength, and strong of heart. They will find willing hearts and minds that will follow them on this road of returning “Mother Earth” to beauty and plenty – once more.

The day will come, it is not far away.

The day that we shall see how we owe our very existence to the people of all tribes that have maintained their culture and heritage. Those that have kept the rituals, stories, legends and myths alive. It will be with this knowledge, the knowledge that they have preserved, that we shall once again return to “harmony” with Nature, Mother Earth and mankind. It will be with this knowledge that we shall find our “Key to our Survival”.

This is the story of the “Warriors of the Rainbow”.

Cree (contracted from Kristinaux, French form of Kenistenoag, given as one of their own names).

An important Algonquian tribe of British America whose former habitat was in Manitoba and Assiniboia, between Red and Saskatchewan rivers. They ranged northeastward down Nelson river to the vicinity of Hudson Bay, and northwestward almost to Athabasca lake. When they first became known to the Jesuit missionaries a part of them resided in the region of James Bay, as it is stated as early as 1640 that “they dwell on the rivers of the north sea where Nipissings go to trade with them”; but the Jesuit Relations of 1661 and 1667 indicate a region farther to the northwest as the home of the larger part of the tribe. A portion of the Cree, as appears from the tradition given by Lacombe (Diet. Lang. Cris), inhabited for a time the region about Red river, intermingled with the Chippewa and Maskegon, but were attracted to the plains by the buffalo, the Cree like the Chippewa being essentially a forest people. Many bands of Cree were virtually nomads, their movements being governed largely by the food supply. The Cree are closely related, linguistically and of otherwise, to the Chippewa. Hayden regarded them as an offshoot of the latter, and the Maskegon another division of the same ethnic group.

At some comparatively recent time the Assiniboin, a branch of the Sioux, in consequence of a quarrel, broke away from their brethren and sought alliance with the Cree. The latter received them cordially and granted them a home in their territory, thereby forming friendly relations that have continued to the present day. The united tribes attacked and drove southwestward the Siksika and allied tribes who formerly dwelt along the Saskatchewan. The enmity between these tribes and both the Siksika and the Sioux has ever since continued. After the Cree obtained firearms they made raids into the Athapascan country, even to the Rocky mountains. and as far north as Mackenzie river, but Churchill river was accounted the extreme north limit of their territory, and in their cessions of land to Canada they claimed nothing beyond this line. Mackenzie, speaking of the region of Churchill river, says the original people of this area, probably Slaves, were driven out by the Cree.

As the people of this tribe have been friendly from their first intercourse with both the English and the French, and until quite recently were left comparatively undisturbed in the enjoyment of their territory, there has been but little recorded in regard to their history. This consists almost wholly of their contests with neighboring tribes and their relations with the Hudson Bay Co. In 1786, according to Hind, these Indians, as well as those of surrounding tribes, were reduced to less than half their former numbers by smallpox. The same disease again swept off at least half the prairie tribes in 1838. They were thus reduced, according to Hind, to one-sixth or one-eighth of their former population. In more recent years, since game has become scarce, they have lived chiefly in scattered bands, depending largely on trade with the agents of the Hudson Bay Co. At present they are gathered chiefly in bands on various reserves in Manitoba, mostly with the Chippewa.
Their dispersion into bands subject to different conditions with regard to the supply and character of their food has resulted in varying physical characteristics; hence the varying descriptions given by explorers. Mackenzie, who describes the Cree comprehensively, says they are of moderate stature, well proportioned, and of great activity. Their complexion is copper-colored and their hair black, as is common among Indians. Their eyes are black, keen, and penetrating; their countenance open and agreeable. In regard to the women he says: “Of all the nations which I have seen on this continent, the Knisteneaux women are the most comely. Their figure is generally well proportioned, and the regularity of their features would be acknowledged by the inure civilized people of Europe. Their complexion has less of that dark tinge which is common to those savages who have less cleanly habits.” Umfreville, from whom Mackenzie appears to have copied in part what is here stated, says that they are more inclined to be lean of body than otherwise, a corpulent Indian being “a much greater curiosity than a sober one.” Clark (Sign Language, 1885) describes the Cree seen by him as wretchedly poor and mentally and physically inferior to the Plains Indians; and Harmon says that those of the tribe who inhabit the plains are fairer and more cleanly than the others.

Their hair was cut in various fashions, according to the tribal divisions, and by some left in its natural state. Henry says the young men shaved off the hair except a small spot on the crown of the head. Their dress consisted of tight leggings, reaching nearly to the hip, a strip of cloth or leather about 1 ft. wide and 5 ft. long passing between the legs and under a belt around the waist, the ends being allowed to hang down in front and behind; a vest or shirt reaching to the hips; sometimes a cap for the head made of a piece of fur or a small skin, and sometimes a robe thrown over the dress. These articles, with moccasins and mittens, constituted their apparel. The dress of the women consisted of the same materials, but the shirt extended to the knees, being fastened over the shoulders with cords and at the waist with a belt, and having a flap at the shoulders; the arms were covered to the wrist with detached sleeves.

Umfreville says that in trading, fraud, cunning, Indian finesse, and every concomitant vice was practiced by them from the boy of 12 years to the octogenarian, but where trade was not concerned they were scrupulously honest. Mackenzie says that they were naturally mild and affable, as well as just in their dealings among themselves and with strangers; that any deviation from these traits is to be attributed to the influence of the white traders. He also describes them as generous, hospitable, and exceedingly good natured except when under the influence of spirituous liquor. Chastity was not considered a virtue among them, though infidelity of a wife was sometimes severely punished. Polygamy was common; and when a man’s wife died it was considered his duty to marry her sister, if she had one. The arms and utensils used before trade articles were introduced by the whites were pots of stone, arrow-points, spearheads, hatchets, and other edged tools of flint, knives of buffalo rib, fishhooks made out of sturgeon hones, and awls from bones of the moose. The fibrous roots of the white pine were used as twine for sewing their bark canoes, and a kind of thread from a weed for making nets. Spoons and pans were fashioned front the horns of the moose (Hayden). They sometimes made fishhooks by inserting a piece of bone obliquely into a stick and sharpening the point. Their lines were either thongs fastened together or braided willow bark. Their skin tipis, like those of the northern Athapascans, were raised on poles set up in conical form, but were usually more commodious. They occasionally erect a larger structure of lattice work, covered with birch bark, in which 40 men or more can assemble for council, feasting, or religious rites.

The dead were usually buried in shallow graves, the body being covered with a pile of stones and earth to protect it from beasts of prey. The grave was lined with branches, some of the articles belonging to the deceased being placed in it, and in some sections a sort of canopy was erected over it. Where the deceased had distinguished himself in war his body was laid, according to Mackenzie, on a kind of scaffolding; but at a later date Hayden says they did not practice tree or scaffold burial. Tattooing was almost universal among the Cree before it was abandoned through the influence of the whites. The women were content with having a line or two drawn from the corners of the month toward the angles of the lower jaw; but some of the men covered their bodies with lines and figures. The Cree of the Woods are expert canoe men and the women lighten considerably their labors by the use of the canoe, especially where lakes and rivers abound. A double-head drum and a rattle are used in all religious ceremonies except those which take place in the sweat house. Their religious beliefs are generally similar to those of the Chippewa.

In 1776, before smallpox had greatly reduced them, the population of the Cree proper was estimated at about 15,000. Most of the estimates during the last century give them from 2,500 to 3,000. There are now about 10,000 in Manitoba (7,000 under agencies) and about 5,000 roving in Northwest Territory; total, 15,000.

Handbook of American Indians (1906) ~ Frederick W. Hodge

Long ago a young man named Tawaham, his wife White Feather, and their two sons lived in a tipi near a beautiful lake. The elder of the boys was called Wisakecahk. They were a happy family; Tawaham was a good hunter and White Feather was a fine wife and mother.

Most of Tawaham’s time was spent in hunting. After a successful hunt, it was the custom of those days for the women to butcher, dress and carry the meat home. It was also their duty to prepare the skins of animals and make them into robes and clothing for their families. In all these tasks, White Feather excelled.

By and by, it became necessary for Tawaham to hunt farther and farther away from home and he was gone for longer periods of time. Meanwhile, White Feather kept the home in order. One of her daily tasks was to go into the forest for firewood. She was a very busy woman. Garments for her family were carefully sewn. Above all, she enjoyed working on a buckskin dress she was making for herself. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever made. It was decorated with shells and dyed porcupine quills. However, in time, there were no more skins to prepare and make into clothing. White Feather waited for her husband to return.

Towards evening, she would put on her beautiful dress and comb her long, black hair until it shone. She wanted her husband to see how beautiful she was in her new dress, but as each evening ended and Tawaham had still not returned, White Feather went sadly to bed.

Early in the morning she would go into the forest for firewood. Before long, she was even wearing her buckskin dress to go for firewood. The boys would look at their mother fondly, for she was a kind and beautiful woman. Wisakecahk wondered why she wore her best dress while working. Each day she returned later and later and brought home less and less firewood. Her hair became tangled and her lovely dress was untidy and soiled. It became plain to Wisakecahk that his mother did not want anyone to know about her mysterious trips into the forest. All this mystery puzzled Wisakecahk. Where did his mother go? She was becoming a different person, no longer kind and thoughtful of her family. Wisakecahk was kept busy looking after his brother. More and more of his mother’s daily tasks became his. Finally, he could wait no longer to find the reason for his mother’s strange behavior. One day, he followed her at a distance. To his surprise, she followed the path leading to the lake.

Not far off the path stood an old stump. White Feather struck it three times. From a hole in the stump crawled snake after snake. She sat on a log and caressed the snakes as they crawled around her. For a moment, Wisakecahk could not move. He was stunned with fear and disbelief when he saw his mother and her pets. He turned on his heels and ran home as fast as he could.

In a daze, Wisakecahk went about his daily chores. What he had seen lay heavily on his young heart. He must tell his father, for he was sure that his mother was possessed by a power that would destroy them all. Just as his mother returned home that evening his father arrived. As was usual it was her duty to fetch the kill from the hunt. As soon as White Feather had gone, Wisakecahk told his father the whole story of what he had seen.

Sadly, Tawaham said, “My son, this is indeed a great disaster to our family. If you will be brave and do exactly as I say, you and your brother may be saved. Now, listen to me carefully. Your mother will not return until mid-day tomorrow. When I destroy the snakes, I may have no choice but to destroy your mother also. In case I fail, you must get yourself and your brother ready to escape. I will give you four things to protect you. When you are threatened, throw one of these things between you and the danger. ” Tawaham handed Wisakecahk a medicine bundle. Inside the bundle was a bone awl, a piece of fire-flint, a pusacan of birch (which catches the spark from the fire-flint), and an ahpiht (the flat stone which, when struck by the fire-flint, produces a spark).

Early the next morning, Tawaham, disguised in White Feather’s buckskin dress, stood before the stump and struck it three times. As each snake crawled out of the hole, Tawaham chopped off its head. He drained the blood into a container. After slaying all the snakes he took their blood home and made it into a soup.

“If your mother takes but one mouthful of this soup, ” he told Wisakecahk, “she will be cured of the evil spell the snakes have cast over her. If she refuses, I must kill her. Should If ail, you must run away with your brother. No matter what she tells you to do, you must not listen. ” As Tawaham had said, White Feather arrived promptly at mid-day. As if in a trance, she began at once to prepare herself for her meeting with the snakes. She put on her buckskin dress and braided her shiny, black hair. She hastened to leave, but just as she reached the doorway, Tawaham called, “Wait, you must first drink the blood of your lovers. ”

With a horrible shriek, she dashed out and flew to the stump. The moment she was out of the lodge, Tawaham sadly bade his sons farewell and warned them that under no circumstances must they allow themselves to be tricked. Holding his brother by the hand, Wisakecahk hurried away. Meanwhile, Tawaham waited behind the flap of the teepee. He stood, the axe poised in mid-air, ready to strike the moment White Feather entered. His aim was accurate and true.

His blow came down the moment the angry woman came in. She fell to the ground, her head severed from her neck. No sooner had it touched the ground, when the body began to fight Tawaham. They struggled long and hard. Tawaham finally caught the body by the ankle and swung it around him. He could not let go of it. Around and around they went until they began to ascend. Up into the sky they went. To this day, when you look up on a clear night, you can still see Tawaham as the North Star and White Feather’s body as the Big Dipper. No one knows how much longer Tawaham will continue to hurl White Feather’s body round and round. Meanwhile, the head of White Feather began rolling along the ground, pursuing the boys.

“Wisakecahk, my son, wait for me!” it shrieked, “Your little brother is hungry and I must nurse him.

Remembering his father’s warning, Wisakecahk kept right on going. Closer and closer came Cicipiscikwan. Wisakecahk was beginning to slow down. By now his sobbing little brother was struggling to go to the familiar voice of his mother. Wisakecahk, with trembling hands, fumbled through the medicine bundle for one of the gifts his father had given him. The first thing he found was the bone awl, so he threw it behind him. At once, a thick wall of thorn bushes appeared. Tired as he was, Wisakecahk realized that he could not stop to rest. Quickly, he gave his brother food and water. They must go on!

In the meantime, Cicipiscikwan was furious when the thorny bush suddenly barred her way just when her prize was so close. Angrily, she rolled up and down. Suddenly, she spied a large worm eating its way through the green
brambles.

“My dear, handsome worm,” she said, “if you will open a path for me I promise you my hand in marriage.”

“Your hand! Indeed!” said the worm. “What use will you be to me when all you have is a head?”

The worm continued to open a path. Impatiently, Cicipiscikwan rolled back and forth. The worm barely reached the other side, when in crashed the head, squashing the poor worm in the process.

“Ha! Ha!” she said, “Whoever would want to marry a worm?” Wisakecahk had reached the crest of the hill. He stopped to scan the horizon behind him. He felt sick when he saw the head rolling over the hills and down the valleys toward them.

Quickly, he searched through his bundle until he found the pusacan. He held it ready in his hand. Surely these gifts from his father would stop the head from chasing them. He began to run, now carrying his brother. Each time he turned to look, he could see that the head was coming closer and closer. He hurled the pusacan behind him. Twists of flame broke loose.

They roared and flared high to form a scorching wall of fire between them and Cicipiscikwan. Wisakecahk was sure that no one could go through this fire and live, but he couldn’t take a chance so he hurried on. On and on the boys fled. Soon he heard the terrible shrieks of the head. Wisakecahk was sure that Cicipiscikwan had tricked some innocent victim into carrying her across the fire. She was getting closer again!

Wisakecahk was now ready to use the third gift. Quickly he threw the ahpiht over his shoulder. A barrier of mountains sprang up. Although he was worn out and could hardly walk, Wisakecahk was determined to continue. He gritted his teeth and forced himself onward. He was sure their survival lay only in his ability to keep going.

“I want my mother. I’m hungry, I want to go to bed!” cried his younger brother.

“Soon we will eat and rest, little brother,” encouraged Wisakecahk. Finally his brother cried himself to sleep.

Could Wisakecahk ever forget the horror of this day? Tired and exhausted, he walked on, carrying his brother. Stumbling and falling, he continued on his way. Only his dogged determination to survive had carried him this far. The never-ending fight to keep going and be watchful had taken its toll. He fell. As he fell, his father’s only remaining gift, the fire-flint, flew from his hand.

A river suddenly appeared before him, barring his way from further escape. He had accidentally allowed the fire-flint to tumble ahead of him when he fell! Desperately looking for a way of escape, Wisakecahk, with renewed energy, ran up and down the banks of the river. Seeing no other means of escape he jumped into the water.

As he was swimming, Wisakecahk saw a swan.

“Where are you going, my brother?” said the swan.

“Please take us across the river or Cicipiscikwan will kill us!”

“If you are very careful not to sit too close to my stiff neck, I will be happy to take you across,” said the swan.

Once again the boys had escaped. But for how long?

Cicipiscikwan rushed up to the bank of the vast river.

“I will make you as white and as graceful as those clouds in the blue sky if you carry me across the river,” she called to the swan.

“Gladly!” replied the swan, “but you must be very careful not to sit too close to my stiff neck. Furthermore, you must fulfill your promise to make me white and graceful before I take you across. ”

“Just as you wish,” said Cicipiscikwan. Immediately the swan turned into a pure, white bird with a long, graceful neck. From that moment, all swans have remained that way.

Cicipiscikwan jumped onto the back of the swan. In her impatience, she forgot the warning and rolled toward the swan’s stiff neck. With a flip of her back, the swan threw Cicipiscikwan into the middle of the river. From the opposite bank, Wisakecahk watched what was happening. He began shooting at the head with his bow and arrows. The moment the first arrow hit it, the head changed into a big sturgeon. The flash of its tail in the sun was the last Wisakecahk ever saw of Cicipiscikwan.

As told by Ida McLeod .

A porcupine and a beaver were once very close friends.[b] They traveled about everywhere and reported to each other all that happened. The bear is very much afraid of the porcupine, but he hates the beaver. Wherever the beaver has a dam the bear breaks it up so as to let the water down, catches the beaver and eats him. But he is afraid of the porcupine’s sharp quills, so the porcupine sometimes stayed in the beaver’s house, which is always dry inside.

When the lake began falling, they knew it was caused by the bear, and the porcupine would go out to reconnoiter. Then he would come back and say to his friend, “Do not go out. I will go out first.” Then the bear would be afraid of the porcupine’s sharp quills and go away, after which all the beavers began repairing their dam while the porcupine acted as guard.

By and by the porcupine said to the beaver, “I am hungry. I want to go to my own place.” Porcupine got his food from the bark and sap of trees, so he told the beaver to go up a tree with him, but the beaver could not climb. Then the porcupine told him to stay below while he went up to eat. Soon they saw the bear coming, and the beaver said, “Partner (xô’ne), what shall I do? The bear is getting near.” Then the porcupine slid down quickly and said, “Lay your head close to my back.” In that way he got the beaver to the top of the tree. But, after a while, the porcupine left him, and the beaver did not know how to climb down. He began to beg the porcupine in every way to let him down, but in vain. After quite a while, however, the squirrel, another friend of the beaver, came to him and helped him down, while the porcupine was off in a hole in the rocks with a number of other porcupines.

By and by the porcupine went back and saw his friend swimming in the lake. The beaver asked him down to the lake and then said, “Partner, let us go out to the middle of the lake. Just put your head on the back of my head and you will not get wet at all.” Because these two friends fell out, people now become friends, and, after they have loved each other for a while, fall out. Then the porcupine did as he was directed, the beaver told him to hold on tight, and they started. The beaver would flap his tail on the water and dive down for some distance, come to the surface, flap his tail, and go down again; and he repeated the performance until he came to an island in the center of the lake. Then he put the porcupine ashore and went flapping away from him in the same manner.

Now the little porcupine wandered around the whole island, not knowing how to get off. He climbed a tree, came down again, and climbed another, and so on. But the wolverine lived on the mainland near by, so after a while he began to sing for the wolverine (nûsk)”Nû-u-sguê-e’, Nû-u-sguê-e’, Nû-u-sguê-e”.” He called all the animals on the mainland, but he called the wolverine especially, because he wanted the north wind to blow so that it would freeze.[a]

Then the wolverine called out, “What is the matter with you?” So he at last sang a song about himself, saying that he wanted to go home badly. After he had sung this the whole sea froze over, and the porcupine ran across it to his home. This is why they were going to be friends no longer.

Then the porcupine made friends with the ground hog and they stayed up between the mountains where they could see people whenever they started up hunting. One day a man started out, and when they saw him, the porcupine began singing, “Up to the land of ground hog. Up to the land of ground hog.” The man heard him. That is why people know that the porcupine sings about the ground hog.

After this the man began trapping ground hogs for food and caught a small ground hog. He took it home and skinned it. Then he took off the head and heated some stones in order to cook it. When he was just about to put it into the steaming box the head sang plainly, “Poor little head, my poor little head, how am I going to fill him?” The man was frightened, and, instead of eating, he went to his traps in the morning, took them up (lit. “threw them off”) and came home.

Next morning he reported everything to his friends, saying, “I killed a ground hog, skinned it and started to cook the head. Then it said to me, ‘Poor little head.’” After that he went out to see his bear traps. While he was endeavoring to tighten the release of one of these, the dead fall came down and struck him in the neck, making his head fly off. When he had been absent for two days they searched for him and found him in his own trap. This was what the ground hog had predicted when it said, “My poor little head.’” They took his body down to the beach, beat the drums for him, and had a feast on the ground hogs and other animals he had trapped.

Footnotes

[b] WutcyAqâ’wu, signifying friendship between people regardless of relationship.

[a] See Twenty-sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology,

Abstract:

Beaver And Porcupine

Porcupine stayed with Beaver to protect him from Bear. By and by Porcupine went home and Beaver with him, and when Bear approached, Porcupine carried Beaver up to the very top of the tree and left him. Finally Squirrel came and helped Beaver down. Then Beaver carried Porcupine out to an island, from which he escaped only by calling on Wolverine, who caused the surface of the lake to freeze over. After that happened, Porcupine went to live with Ground hog. A man caught a ground hog, but, as he was about to cook its head, the head spoke. He was seared, stopped trapping ground hogs, and went up to see his bear dead falls, when one of these fell upon him and killed him.

Tlingit Myths and Texts, by John R. Swanton; Smithsonian Institution; Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 39; Washington, Government Printing Office; [1909] and is now in the public domain.

The beaver and the porcupine were great friends and went about everywhere together. The porcupine often visited the beaver’s house, but the latter did not like to have him come because he left quills there. One time, when the porcupine said that he wanted to go out to the beaver’s house, the beaver said, “All right, I will take you out on my back.” He started, but instead of going to his house he took him to a stump in the very middle of the lake. Then he said to him, “This is my house,” left him there, and went ashore.

While the porcupine was upon this stump he began singing a song, “Let it become frozen. Let it become frozen so that I can cross to Wolverine-man’s place.” He meant that he wanted to walk ashore on the ice. So the surface of the lake froze, and he walked home.

Some time after this, when the two friends were again playing together, the porcupine said, “You come now. It is my turn to carry yon on my back.” Then the beaver got on the porcupine’s back, and the porcupine took him to the top of a very high tree, after which he came down and left him. For a long time the beaver did not know how to get down, but finally he climbed down, and they say that this is what gives the broken appearance to tree bark.

(TLINGIT: Swanton, Bulletin of the Bureau of American Ethnology, xxxix, 220, No. 63)

Tales of the North American Indians, by Stith Thompson [1929] and is now in the public domain