Native American Legends
A tradition of the Calumet
An American Indian Legend - Nation Unknown
In the days of the old men, far to the North there lived a nation
with many villages. Their warriors lived a nation with many villages.
Their warriors were as many as the Buffalo herds on the plains toward
the Darkening Land. Their tepees were many on the shores of a beautiful
lake and along wide rivers.
Then the Mysterious One, whose voice is in the clouds, told the
chiefs of a great nation, also of many villages, which hunted through
all the country from the Big Water in the sunrise to the mountains
in the Darkening Land.
Then the chiefs and the old men held a council. Runners came from
many villages to the great council. And the council voice was to
go to the great nation to the South, the nation with many villages,
and bring back scalps and horses.
So the chiefs and warriors went out, one by one. Then runners were
sent to all the villages, ordering the chiefs to dance the scalp
dance.
Suddenly there came through the sky a great white bird. It came
from the forest, and flew into the village of the great chief. It
rested above the head of the chief's daughter.
Then the chief's daughter heard a voice in her heart. The voice
said, "Call all the chiefs and warriors together. Tell them
the Mysterious One is sad because they seek the scalps of the Lenni-Lenapi,
the First People. Tell the warriors they must wash their hands in
the blood of a young fawn. They must go with many presents to the
First People. They must carry to the First People Hobowakan, the
calumet."
Thus the First People and the mighty people with many villages
on the shore of the lake smoked together the pipe of council. So
there was peace.
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