Native American Legends
How an Oraíbi Chief punished his People
A Hopi Legend
A long time ago the people were living in Oraíbi. They were
also living in Wálpi which, however, then was not on top
of the mesa, but somewhat farther down towards the north-west. One
time the children (people) of the chief in Oraíbi were very
bad and the chief concluded that he would punish them. So he went
over to the warrior chief in Wálpi. He sat down and they
first smoked, then the warrior chief asked him what his object in
coming was. "Yes," he said, "my children are very
bad and I have come to see what you think about it. After some days
we will come by here to attack Wálpi. You must then be ready
and come to meet us in the valley, and when my children return and
run, you must kill them, but those who pass the rock that is standing
south of Ponótoika, they shall remain unmolested.
The warrior chief of Wálpi agreed to this, on the condition
that the Oraíbi chiefs would not ask for any of the lives
of the Wálpi. To this he agreed. So the Oraíbi chief
returned and told his people that in four days they would make a
raid on Wálpi and try especially to steal some maidens. They
were willing, and so during the night after the third day proceeded
towards Wálpi. Early in the morning they approached the village,
hut the Wálpi were ready. They descended from their village
well armed, and, sounding the war yell, rushed upon the Oraíbi.
One of the Wálpi young men had a very large, fierce dog.
This dog rushed ahead and bit a great many of the Oraíbi
in the leg, thus disabling them. The Oraíbi had been so thoroughly
surprised that they got frightened and fled when the Wálpi
rushed upon them. The latter now chased the fleeing Oraíbi
and killed a great many. The big dog also disabled and killed a
number of them. Only a few passed the rock mentioned above. On account
of this battle, in which that dog killed so many Oraíbi,
a dog is engraved on that rock and it is called the dog mark (Pókvâita).
This is the way chiefs often punished their children (people) when
they became "bewitched." That is one reason why there
are so very many ruins all over the country. Many people were killed
in that way because their chiefs became angry and invited some chief
or inhabitant from other villages to destroy their people.
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