Native American Folklore

While a Great Spirit constitutes the basis of Indian theory, the tribes believe in multiple deities surrounded by mythology. In accordance with their views of nature and spirit, they constantly appeal to these powers at every step of their lives. They hear the Great Spirit in every wind; see him in every cloud; fear him in sounds, and adore him in every place that inspires awe. While cultures and customs varied among the tribes, they all believed the universe was bound together by spirits of natural life, including animals, water, plants, the sky, and the Earth itself.

Native American culture struggled to survive after the white man invaded their lives. Living through forced moves, war, starvation, diseases, and assimilation, these strong and spiritual people kept their many legends and stories alive. Passed down through the generations, these tales speak of timeless messages of peace, life, death, and harmony with nature.

The sacred beliefs of many tribes are largely formulated and expressed in sayings and narratives resembling the legends of European peoples. There are available large collections of these tales and myths from the Blackfeet, Crow, Nez Perce, Assiniboine, Gros Ventre, Arapaho, Arikara, Pawnee, Omaha, Northern Shoshone, and others. In these, much interesting information can be found. Though each tribe has its own beliefs and sacred myths, many have much in common. A deluge or flood myth is almost universal in the Plains tribes and the Woodland Indians. Almost everywhere, it takes the form of restoring the submerged earth by a more or less human being who sends down a diving bird or animal to obtain a little mud or sand. Other tales with common threads are the “Twin-heroes” – the Woman who married a star and bore a Hero” and the “Woman who married a Dog.” A star-born hero is found in myths of the Crow, Pawnee, Dakota, Arapaho, Kiowa, Gros Ventre, and Blackfeet. Indian mythologies often contain large groups of tales reciting the adventures of a distinguished mythical hero with supernatural attributes, who transforms and, in some instances, creates the world, who rights great wrongs, and corrects great evils, yet who often stoops to trivial and vulgar pranks. Among the Blackfeet, for instance, he appears under the name of Napiw, also called “Old Man.” He is distinctly human in form and name. The Gros Ventre, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Hidatsa, and Mandan have similar characters in their mythology.

The Pima Indians of Arizona say that the father of all men and animals was the butterfly, Cherwit Make (earth-maker), who fluttered down from the clouds to the Blue Cliffs at the junction of the Verde and Salt Rivers and from his own sweat made men. As the people multiplied, they grew selfish and quarrelsome so Cherwit Make was disgusted with his handiwork and resolved to drown them all. But, first, he told them, in the voice of the north wind, to be honest and to live in peace. The prophet Suha, who interpreted this voice, was called a fool for listening to the wind, but next night came the east wind and repeated the command, with an added threat that the ruler of heaven would destroy them all if they did not reform.

But the evil was not all gone. There was one Hauk, a devil of the mountains, who stole their daughters and slew their sons. One day, while the women were spinning flax and cactus fiber and the men were gathering maize, Hauk descended into the settlement and stole another of Suha’s daughters. The patriarch, whose patience had been taxed to its limit, then vowed to slay the devil. He watched to see by what way he entered the valley. He silently followed him into the Superstition Mountains; he drugged the cactus wine that his daughter was to serve to him; then, when he had drunk it, Suha emerged from his place of hiding and beat out the brains of the stupefied fiend.

Some of the devil’s brains were scattered and became the seed for other evil, but there was less wickedness in the world after Hauk had been disposed of than there had been before. Suha taught his people to build adobe houses, dig with shovels, irrigate their land, weave cloth, and avoid wars. But on his deathbed, he foretold to them that they would grow arrogant with wealth, covetous of the lands of others, and would wage wars for gain. When that time came, there would be another flood, and no one should be saved–the bad should vanish, and the good would leave the earth and live in the sun. So firmly do the Pimas rely on this prophecy that they will not cross the Superstition Mountains, for there sits Cherwit Make — awaiting the culmination of their wickedness to let loose on the earth a mighty sea that lies dammed behind the range.

When white men first penetrated the Western wilderness of America, they found the tribes of Shoshone and Comanche at odds, and it is a legend of the springs of Manitou that their differences began there. This “Saratoga of the West,” nestling in a hollow of the foothills in the shadow of noble Pike’s Peak, was in the old days common meeting-ground for several families of red men. Councils were held in safety there, for no Indian dared provoke the wrath of the Manitou whose breath sparkled in the “medicine waters.” None? Yes, one. For centuries ago, a Shoshone and a Comanche stopped here on their return from a hunt to drink.

The Shoshone had been successful; the Comanche was empty-handed and ill-tempered, jealous of the other’s skill and fortune. Flinging down the fat deer that he was bearing homeward on his shoulders, the Shoshone bent over the spring of sweet water, and, after pouring a handful of it on the ground, as a libation to the spirit of the place, he put his lips to the surface.

It needed but a faint pretext for his companion to begin a quarrel, and he did so in this fashion: “Why does a stranger drink the water at the spring that his children may drink it undefiled. I am Ausaqua, chief of Shoshone, and I drink at the head-water. Shoshone and Comanche are brothers. Let them drink together.”

“No. The Shoshone pays tribute to the Comanche, and Wacomish leads that nation to war. He is chief of the Shoshone as he is of his own people.”

“Wacomish lies. His tongue is forked, like the snakes. His heart is black. When the Great Spirit made his children, he said not to one, ‘Drink here,’ and to another, ‘Drink there,’ but gave water that all might drink.”

The other made no answer, but as Ausaqua stooped toward the bubbling surface, Wacomish crept behind him, flung himself against the hunter, forced his head beneath the water, and held him there until he was drowned. As he pulled the dead body from the spring, the water became agitated, and from the bubbles arose a vapor that gradually assumed the form of a venerable Indian, with long white locks, in whom the murderer recognized Waukauga, father of the Shoshone and Comanche nation, and a man whose heroism and goodness made his name revered in both these tribes. The face of the patriarch was dark with wrath, and he cried, in terrible tones, “Accursed of my race! This day thou hast severed the mightiest nation in the world. The blood of the brave Shoshone appeals for vengeance. May the water of thy tribe be rank and bitter in their throats.”

Then, whirling up an elk-horn club, he brought it full on the head of the wretched man, who cringed before him. The murderer’s head was burst open, and he tumbled lifelessly into the spring, that to this day is nauseous, while, to perpetuate the memory of Ausaqua, the Manitou smote a neighboring rock, and from it gushed a fountain of delicious water. The bodies were found, and the partisans of both the hunters began on that day, long and destructive warfare, in which other tribes became involved until mountaineers were arrayed against plainsmen through all that region.

Many are the scenes of religious miracles in this country, although French Canada and old Mexico boast of more. So late as the prosaic year of 1889, the Virgin was seen to descend into the streets of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to save hermitage on the Catholic Church in that place, when it was swept by a deluge in which hundreds of persons perished. The wrath of the Madonna caused just such a flood in New Mexico long years ago. There is in the old Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Santa Fe a picture that commemorates the appearance of the Virgin to Juan Diego, an Indian in Guadalupe, old Mexico, in the 16th century. She commanded that a chapel be built for her, but the diocese bishop declared that the man had been dreaming and told him to go away.

The Virgin came to the Indian again, and still, the bishop declared that he had no evidence of the truth of what he said. A third time, the supernatural visitor appeared and told Juan to climb a certain difficult mountain, pick the flowers he would find there, and take them to the bishop.

After a long and dangerous climb, they were found growing in the snow to the Indian’s amazement. He filled his blanket with them and returned to the Episcopal residence, but when he opened the folds before the dignitary, he was more amazed to find no flowers but a glowing picture painted on his blanket. It hangs now in Guadalupe but is duplicated in Santa Fe, where a statue of the Virgin is also kept. These treasures are greatly prized and are resorted to in times of illness and threatened disaster, the statue being taken through the streets in procession when the rainy season is due. Collections of money are then made, and prayers are put up for rain, to which appeals the Virgin makes a prompt response, the priests pointing triumphantly to the results of their intercession.

One year, however, the rain did not begin on time, though services were almost constantly continued before the sacred picture and the sacred statue, and the angry people stripped the image of its silks and gold lace and kicked it over the ground for hours. That night a violent rain set in, and the town was nearly washed away, so the populace hastened the work of reparation in order to save their lives. They cleansed the statue, dressed it still more brilliantly, and addressed their prayers to the Virgin with more energy and earnestness than ever before.

Death Valley is a land of extremes, one of the hottest, driest, and lowest places on earth. With summer temperatures averaging well over 100 degrees and a long history of human suffering in the vast desert, the valley appears to be aptly named. But people have been calling this rugged and desolate land home for as long as 9,000 years.

In early August 1947, a man named Howard E. Hill of Los Angeles, California spoke before the city’s Transportation Club and told a sensational story. The tale described the work of a man named Dr. F. Bruce Russell, who claimed to have discovered a series of complex tunnels deep below Death Valley in 1931. Russell, a retired Cincinnati, Ohio physician, and a colleague named Dr. Daniel S. Bovee, who he had worked with on archaeological excavations in Mexico several years earlier, allegedly stumbled upon these caves quite by accident. Russell, who had reportedly moved west for his health, decided to check out mining opportunities. According to the tale, while Russell was sinking a shaft for a mining claim, he fell into a cave when the soil gave way and discovered a catacomb of tunnels leading off into different directions.

When Russell and Bovee began to explore the caverns, they followed one tunnel where they were extremely surprised to find the mummified remains of three gigantic men 8-9 feet tall. The giants were clothed in garments consisting of a medium-length jacket and trousers extending slightly below the knees. The material’s texture resembled gray dyed sheepskin, but they believed it to be taken from an animal unknown today. The room also held several artifacts that resembled Egyptian and American Indian designs, and hieroglyphics were chiseled on carefully polished granite. The explorers believed they had found the burial place of the tribe’s hierarchy. Following another tunnel, they came across what they described as a “ritual hall” of these ancient people. Here, they once again found artifacts and marking and the well-preserved remains of animals, including dinosaurs, elephants, and tigers. Later, it was suggested that perhaps these bones belonged to ancient saber-tooth tigers and mammoths.

Further, Russell had described to Hill that he and Bovee had only touched the surface of their discovering, stating that there were at least 32 tunnels and estimating that they ran across 180 square miles across Death Valley and parts of southern Nevada. Professional archaeologists were skeptical of the story, and Los Angeles County Museum scientists pointed out that dinosaurs and saber-tooth tigers appeared on earth 10 to 13 million years apart. No one in the professional world of archeology was interested enough in the story to check it out personally.

Despite scientists’ disinterest, Dr. Russell and a group of investors created a corporation called  “Amazing Explorations, Inc” to handle the release, and hopefully profit, from this remarkable find. But, in the constantly shifting sands of the deceiving desert, Russell could not find the site the next time he tried to show his friends. Afterward, Russell disappeared. Months later, Russell’s car was abandoned, with a burst radiator, in a remote area of Death Valley. His suitcase was still in the car. Of Dr. Bovee, he seemingly disappeared into the shadows, far away from this mystery.

Nothing but a hoax, perhaps?

But that is not the end of the story — nor is it the beginning.

The Kingdom of Shin-au-av:

For centuries, legends of an underground city and an ancient race in Death Valley have been told in the Palute Legend of the Kingdom of Shin-au-av. This place, meaning “God’s Land” or “Ghost Land,” is sacred to the Paiute.

According to the legend, thousands of years ago, an important Paiute chief lost his wife. Devastated, the leader was so overcome with grief and sorrow; he began to think that life without her was not worth living. He soon decided to take his earthly body into the land of the dead. Following the trail of brave Indian spirits through endless underground passages, the journey was long and difficult. As he traveled, he was besieged by evil spirits, fierce beasts, and supernatural demons. Finally, though, his brave journey was rewarded by glorious sunlight at the end of the trail. But, he had yet one more ordeal — crossing an extremely narrow rock bridge that arched over a bottomless canyon. But, he could see the beautiful green meadows of the Spirit Land across the way and determinedly made his way across safely.

Entering the great kingdom ruled by Shin-au-av, he was welcomed by a beautiful maiden who was the daughter of Shin-au-av. The princess took the hand of the brave chieftain and led him to a large natural amphitheater. There, the chief looked upon thousands of dead and happy Paiute dancing in a huge circle. Though he was no doubt pleased to see that the dead were happy, he bemoaned, “I will never find my wife in the crowd.” The princess promised him that he would and instructed him to sit at the edge of the circle watching until his wife would pass. She then left him momentarily, returning with food and drink to make him comfortable. When she returned, she left him with one more directive: “When you see your beloved wife, carry her off quickly without either of you making a backward glance. Then travel back the way you came.”

The chief agreed and sat patiently waiting to see his wife dance by. After several days, he saw several people he had known in the past, including friends and enemies, but had not yet seen his beloved wife. Just as he was beginning to despair, he saw her approaching late on the third night. He ran to her with his arms spread wide, grabbed her, and the two then fled the valley hand in hand, moving towards the ribbon bridge that crossed the great chasm. But for all his bravery and determination, the chief risked a quick look back at the beautiful valley. In that brief moment, he was suddenly standing alone.

In the end, he made his way back to his people, where he spent the rest of his life telling the story of the wonders and beauty of the Kingdom of Shin-au-av. And thus, the legend was born, passed down from one generation to the next for years to come.

The Absaraka, or Crow Nation, has the reputation of being good friends to the whites, and it is also said they have never warred with them.

Iron Bull, a renowned chief of the Crow, relates the following legend:

In the journey through that most delightful region of Montana from Fort Phil Kearmy, Wyoming to Fort C. F. Smith (in the Powder River country), one of the most favored camping grounds is the one called “Crazy Woman’s Fork,” the name of a pretty little stream of water that rises in the Big Horn Mountains, and empties into the Little Horn River. About three miles from the mountains, this stream crosses the trail between the two military posts.

This camp on the Fork is noted for its danger from Indian attacks, as an abundant supply of game being found in the valley brings the Indian there to replenish his larder of wild meat.

Notwithstanding the dangers attending a journey through this region, it has its attractions in the beautiful and diversified views of lovely scenery, which hasten the parties traveling that region to encamp, for a night at least, on the banks of a limpid stream that refreshes man and beast from an unfailing source in the mountains. The banks are skirted with cottonwood trees, and to the west, one sees the tall spurs of the Rocky Mountains rising, as it were, from your feet, their dizzy heights covered with snow. Yet, at the same time, the haze that surrounds them gives them a halo of glory and weird-like appearance that the imaginative might compare to the garments that mantle the spirits of the blessed in Paradise!

Iron Bull said that about two hundred years ago, when the moon shone brighter, and there were more stars, his nation was a great people, and they roamed over all that country from the Missouri River to the west of the Yellowstone River, and no dog of a Sioux dare show himself there. But the people had been wicked, and the Great Spirit had darkened the heavens and made the sun to shine with such heat that the streams were dried up, and the snow disappeared from the highest peaks of the mountains. The buffalo, the elk, the mountain sheep, the deer, and the rabbit all disappeared and died away, bringing a great famine upon his tribe. The spirit of the air breathed death into the lodges so that the warrior saw his wife and papooses die for want of the food he could not find on all the plain or the mountainsides; so that the whole nation grieved and mourned in sorrow of heart.

Still, they kept up their wars with the Sioux and fought many a bloody battle with them when they suffered most, and the game had entirely disappeared. Their great medicine man called a council, and when the head-men had assembled, he told them of a wonderful dream that he had had, when the Great Spirit bid him to gather the chiefs of the tribe at the fork of the stream where they lived.

Their ponies had all been eaten for food, so the proud Indians were compelled to make the journey on foot to the place of meeting. But when they had arrived at the bluffs, on the edge of the valley, they were surprised to see a bountiful supper spread on the bank of the stream, close by the Forks, and a white woman close by, standing up and making signs to them to descend from the bluffs.

Having never before seen a “white woman,” they were greatly astonished. So the medicine man descended to the valley. The white woman told him that the Great Spirit would talk to the council through her. She told him that the wars of the tribe were displeasing to the Great Spirit, and they must make peace with the Sioux nation. When that was done, the great chief, “The-Bear-that-grabs,” must return to her. They sent out runners to the Sioux, and peace was declared between the tribes for the first time in 100 years.

She then told the great chief to follow the mountain in a westerly course until he came to the Big Horn River, and where the rock was perpendicular, he was to shoot three arrows, hitting the rock each time.

The chief departed on his mission, and as he gained the bluffs from the stream, he looked back at the white woman, but what was his surprise when he saw her rising in the air and floating towards the mountains! He watched her until she disappeared over the highest peak towards the sky. The chief pursued his journey, and, arriving at the place told him by the white woman, he discharged his arrows. The first one struck in rock. The second flew over the mountain. The third was discharged, and a terrible noise followed: the heavens were aglow with lightning; the thunder shook the mountains.

The earth trembled, and the rocks were rent asunder, and out of the fissure, countless herds of buffalo came, filling the valleys and the hills. The hearts of the Indians were glad, and they ate and were merry and returned thanks to the Great Spirit and the good white woman.

Iron Bull avers that when anything of note is about to befall the tribe, the image of the white woman can be seen hovering over the peak of the mountain at “Crazy Woman’s Fork.” He says the Crow have never killed any of the whites, and his people say and believe “That they are treated by the government agents worse than the tribes who give us all the trouble.” In other words, because they are peaceable, we need not, as with others, buy them off with presents. And they say we have taken some of their lands and given them to the Sioux, who were fighting and destroying the whites as often as possible.

Oral traditions of many Native American tribes, including the Arapaho, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Crow, tell of “little people” who stand from just 20 inches to three feet tall. In some , they are known as “tiny people eaters,” in others, they were known to have been spirits and healers, and some believed them to be magical, similar to leprechauns or fairies. In any event, the legends were well known among Indians across the nation, long before the Europeans set foot upon these lands.

To the Shoshone Indians of Wyoming, this small race of people was known as the Nimerigar and their legends told of the little people attacking them with tiny bows and poisoned arrows.

The Nimerigar were also known to kill their own kind with a blow to the head when they became too ill to be an active part of their society. Though part of the legend, this practice of sometimes killing the infirmed was also a regular part of life for many nomadic Indian tribes.

Though many believe these “little people” to be only the stuff of legends, several discoveries point to the contrary, the most significant of which was a 14″ inch fully formed mummy found in 1932. Called the Pedro Mountains Mummy, he was discovered when two men dug for gold in the San Pedro Mountains about 60 miles southwest of Casper, Wyoming.

After continually working a rich vein and running only into more and more rock, Cecil Main and Frank Carr used dynamite to blast a section of the mountainside to get at the gold. After the dust cleared, a cave could be seen in the rock face. The small cavern was about 15 feet long and 4 feet high and sealed off from the outside world by a thick wall of rock.

As the men entered the cave, they were surprised to see a small pygmy-like man sitting cross-legged upon a ledge. The tiny mummy was only about 6 ½ inches tall in its seated position and estimated at 14 inches tall in a standing position. Its skin was brown and wrinkled, its forehead low and flat, features displaying a flat nose, heavy-lidded eyes, and a very wide mouth with thin lips. The face looked like that of an old man. It was so well preserved, its fingernails could still be seen on its hands, and the top of its head was covered in a dark jelly-like substance that was still pliable.

The two prospectors took their find to Casper, Wyoming, and in no time, scientists came from all over the nation to have a look at the mummy. Sure that it was a hoax, extensive tests were performed when the professionals assumed it was a pieced-together taxidermy work. However, the anthropologists would soon be surprised to see that x-rays displayed a perfectly formed, manlike skeleton. The tests also showed that the mummy had been killed violently, as the spine was damaged, a collarbone broken, and a heavy blow had smashed in the skull. The soft substance at the top of the head exposed brain tissue and congealed blood. After the tests were completed, the scientists estimated that the mummy was a full-grown adult who was approximately 65 years old at the time of his death. One odd finding was that its teeth were overly pointed, having a complete set of canines.

These examinations were allegedly performed by the American Museum of Natural History and certified genuine by the Anthropology Department of Harvard University. However, alternate reports also say that when the University of Wyoming examined the mummy, the body was found to be a deceased child.

The mummy was displayed in sideshows for years before it was purchased by a Casper businessman named Ivan T. Goodman. When Goodman died in 1950, the mummy passed into the hands of one Leonard Walder, a New York businessman who died in the 1980s.  It has not been seen publicly since, and its whereabouts are unknown.

Other skeletons of the “little people” have said to have been found in other areas of the U.S. Near Coshocton, Ohio, a burial ground was reportedly discovered that contained the numerous remains of a pygmy race of people only about three feet tall. In 1876, another ancient graveyard was documented as having been discovered in Coffee County, Tennessee. The reports indicated the cemetery, covering some six acres, held the remains of thousands of dwarf-like people.

Though the “little mummy” has been lost in history, it continues to be a scientific curiosity and, to many, only the stuff of legends. Allegedly, the Pedro Mountains Mummy brought bad luck to those who possessed it, and Native Americans continue to warn their people to be aware of the “tiny people eaters” who are still said to live in the mountains and high places of Wyoming. As to the prospectors who initially found the mummy, they soon returned to continue searching for gold. They registered their claim in Carbon County as the “Little Man Mine,” but it never produced the gold they had hoped for. Today, a sign still stands in Shirley Basin that signifies the location of the mine.

In the Navajo culture, a skinwalker is a type of harmful witch who has the ability to turn into, possess, or disguise themselves as an animal. This witch is called “yee naaldlooshii” by the Navajo, which translates to “with it, he goes on all fours.” It is just one of several types of Navajo witches and is considered the most volatile and dangerous.

For the Navajo people, witchcraft is just another part of their spirituality and one of the “ways” of their lives. As such, witchcraft has long been part of their culture, history, and traditions. Witches exist alongside humans and are not supernaturals. The Navajo believe there are places where the powers of both good and evil are present, and those powers can be harnessed for either. Medicine men utilize these powers to heal and aid members of their communities. At the same time, those who practice Navajo witchcraft seek to direct the spiritual forces to cause harm or misfortune to others. This type of Navajo witchcraft is known as the “Witchery Way,” which uses human corpses in various ways, such as tools from the bones and concoctions that are used to curse, harm, or kill intended victims.

The knowledge of these powers is passed down from the elders through the generations. The Navajo are part of a larger cultural area that also includes the Pueblo people, Apache, Hopi, Ute, and other groups that also have their own versions of the Skinwalker. Each includes a malevolent witch capable of transforming itself into an animal. Among these tribes, several stories and descriptions have been told throughout the years about the Skinwalkers.

Sometimes, these witches evolved from living as respected healers or spiritual guides who later chose to use their powers for evil. Though they can be either male or female, they are more often male. They walk freely among the tribe during the day and secretly transform under the cover of the night. To become a Skinwalker, he or she must be initiated by a secret society that requires the evilest of deeds – the killing of a close family member, most often a sibling. After completing this task, the individual acquires supernatural powers, which give them the ability to shape-shift into animals. They are often seen as coyotes, wolves, foxes, cougars, dogs, and bears, but they can take the shape of any animal. They then wear the skins of the animals they transform into, hence, the name Skinwalker. Sometimes, they also wore animal skulls or antlers atop their heads, giving them more power. They choose what animal they want to turn into, depending on the abilities needed for a particular task, such as speed, strength, endurance, stealth, claws, teeth, etc. They may transform again if trying to escape from pursuers.

The skinwalkers can also take possession of the bodies of human victims if a person locks eyes with them. After taking control, the witch can make its victims do and say things they wouldn’t otherwise.

Once they were shape-shifted, others could tell they were not real animals because their eyes were very different from those of the animals. Instead, their eyes are very human, and when lights shine on them, they turn bright red. Alternatively, their eyes look more like animals when they are in human form. The evil society of the witches gathers in dark caves or secluded places for several purposes – to initiate new members, plot their activities, harm people from a distance with black magic, and perform dark ceremonial rites. These ceremonies are similar to other tribal affairs, including dancing, feasts, rituals, and sand-painting, but were “corrupted” with dark connotations. The evildoers are also said to engage in necrophilia with female corpses and commit cannibalism, incest, and grave robberies. During these gatherings, the Skinwalkers shape-shift into their animal forms or go about naked, wearing only beaded jewelry and ceremonial paint. The leader of the Skinwalkers is usually an old man who is a very powerful and long-lived Skinwalker.

Skinwalkers also have other powers, including reading others’ minds, controlling their thoughts and behavior, causing disease and illness, destroying property, and even death. Those who have talked of their encounters with these evil beings describe several ways to know if a skinwalker is near. They make sounds around homes, such as knocking on windows, banging walls, and scraping noises on the roof. On some occasions, they have been spied peering through windows. More often, they appear in front of vehicles in hopes of causing a serious accident. It is said that, in addition to being able to shapeshift, the Skinwalker can also control the creatures of the night, such as wolves and owls, and make them do their bidding. Some can call up the spirits of the dead and reanimate the corpses to attack their enemies. Because of this, the Indians rarely ventured out alone.

Its supernatural powers are uncanny, as they are said to run faster than a car and have the ability to jump high cliffs. They are extremely fast, agile, impossible to catch, and leave tracks larger than animals. When seen, they have been described as not quite human and not fully animal. They are usually naked, but some have seen the creature wearing tattered shirts or jeans. The Skinwalker kills out of greed, anger, envy, spite, or revenge. It also robs graves for personal wealth and collects much-needed ingredients for black magic use. These witches live on the unexpired lives of their victims, and they must continually kill or perish themselves. Skinwalkers and other witches have long been blamed for unexpected struggles and tragedies, including sickness, drought, poor crops, and sudden deaths. Even smaller or individual problems, such as windstorms during dances, alienation of affection by mates, the death of livestock, and reversal of fortune, were often believed to be a witch’s work.

There, the people suffered from bad water, failed crops, illness, and death, reducing their numbers dramatically. After four years, the government finally admitted they had made a mistake, and the Navajo were allowed to return to their homeland in the Four Corners area. During these years, many of the tribe’s members were said to have turned to shape-shifting to escape the terrible conditions. In the meantime, the rest of the tribe was convinced that their gods had deserted them.

Once the people had returned to their homeland, their conditions improved, but the dreaded skinwalkers, whom they blamed for their years on the bleak reservation, were still among them. Accusations of witchcraft and the hunting of the skinwalkers began. When someone found a collection of witch artifacts wrapped in a copy of the Treaty of 1868, the tribal members unleashed deadly consequences. The “Navajo Witch Purge” occurred in 1878, in which 40 suspected Navajo witches were killed to restore harmony and balance to the tribe.

Numerous people have told stories of swift animals running alongside their vehicles, matching their speed. After a short period, however, they run off into the wilderness. Along the way, these animals sometimes turn into a man, who sometimes bangs on the hood. Another story tells of a man making repairs on an old ranch home when he heard loud laughter from the nearby sheep pens. Thinking he was alone, he went to investigate and found all of the sheep but one huddled in one corner of the pen. However, a lone ram separated from the group was standing upright and laughing in a very human manner. After the man locks eyes with the ram, he sees that his eyes are not that of an animal but very much like a human’s. The animal then casually walked away on all four legs.

Some say they have seen them running through the night, sometimes turning into a fiery ball, leaving streaks of color behind them. Others have seen angry-looking humanoid figures looking down on them from cliffs, mountains, and mesas.

In the 1980s, one of the most notable events occurred when a family was driving through the Navajo Reservation. Something jumped from the ditch as they slowed to make a sharp curve. It was described as black, hairy, and wearing a shirt and pants. A few days after this event, the family was awakened to loud drumming and chanting at their home in Flagstaff, Arizona. Outside their home were three dark forms of “men” outside their fence. However, these shadowy creatures seemingly could not climb the fence and soon left.

In the 1990s, a ranch in northeast Utah, far away from the Navajo Reservation, became the partial focus of the Skinwalkers. Called the Sherman Ranch, the Skinwalker Ranch, and the UFO Ranch, this place has a history of UFOs, aliens, cattle mutilations, and crop circles. Located near the Ute Indian reservation, these people have long thought that the Navajo put a curse on their tribe in retribution for many perceived transgressions. Since then, the skinwalkers have plagued the Ute people.

Witchcraft represents the antithesis of Navajo cultural values and is not tolerated. They work to avoid, prevent, and cure it in their daily behaviors. However, when it exists, their laws have always said that when a person becomes a witch, they have forfeited their humanity and their right to exist, so they should be killed.

However, skinwalkers are notoriously hard to kill, and attempts are usually unsuccessful. Trying to kill one will often result in the witch seeking revenge. Successful killing generally requires the assistance of a powerful shaman, who knows spells and rituals that can turn the Skinwalker’s evil back upon itself. Another alternative is to shoot the creature with bullets dipped into white ash. However, this shot must hit the witch in the neck or the head.

Traditionally, the Navajo will not speak with outsiders about these creatures for fear of retribution by the skinwalkers. For that matter, it is a taboo subject amongst the natives themselves.

A pillar of snowy salt once stood on the Nebraska plain, about 40 miles above the point where the Saline River flows into the Platte River, and white men used to hear of it as the Salt Witch.

An Indian tribe was for a long time quartered at the junction of the rivers, it’s chief a man of blood and muscle in whom his people gloried, but so fierce, withal, that nobody made a companion of him except his wife, who alone could check his tigerish rages.

In truth, he loved her so well that on her death, he became a recluse and shut himself within his lodge, refusing to see anybody. This mood endured with him so long that mutterings were heard in the tribe, and there was talk of choosing another chief. Some of this talk he must have heard, for one morning he emerged in war-dress, and without a word to anyone strode across the plain to the westward. On returning a full month later, he was more communicative and had something unusual to relate. He also proved his prowess by brandishing a belt of fresh scalps before the eyes of his warriors, and he had also brought a lump of salt. He told them that after traveling far over the prairie, he had thrown himself on the earth to sleep when he was aroused by a wailing sound close by. Then, in the light of a new moon, he saw a hideous old woman brandishing a tomahawk over the head of a younger one, who was kneeling, begging for mercy, and trying to shake off the grip from her throat. The sight of the women, 40 miles from the village, surprised the chief that he ran toward them. The younger woman made a desperate effort to free herself, but in vain, as it seemed, for the hag wound her left hand in her hair while with the other, she raised the ax and was about to strike.

At that moment, the chief gained a view of the face of the younger woman-it was that of his dead wife. With a snarl of wrath, he leaped upon the hag and buried his own hatchet in her brain, but before he could catch his wife in his arms, the earth had opened, and both women disappeared, but a pillar of salt stood where he had seen this thing. For years the Indians maintained that the column was under the custody of the Salt Witch, and when they went there to gather salt, they would beat the ground with clubs, believing that each blow fell upon her person and kept her from working other evil.

The Thunderbird is a widespread figure in Native American mythology in the United States and Canada.

Described as a supernatural being, the enormous bird symbolized power and strength that protected humans from evil spirits. It was called the Thunderbird because the flapping of its powerful wings sounded like thunder, and lightning would shoot out of its eyes. The Thunderbirds brought rain and storms, which could be good or bad. Good – when the rain was needed or bad when the rain came with strong destructive winds, floods, and fires caused by lightning.

The bird was so large that several legends say it picked up a whale in its talons. They were said to have bright and colorful feathers, sharp teeth, and claws. They were said to live in the clouds high above the tallest mountains.

Various tribes have different oral traditions about the magical Thunderbird, which they both highly respected and feared.

In Algonquian mythology, the Thunderbird controls the upper world. In contrast, the underworld is controlled by the underwater panther or Great Horned Serpent, from which the Thunderbird protects humans by throwing lightning at it. According to their legends, the Thunderbirds were ancestors of the human race and helped to create the universe. The Menominee of Wisconsin tells of a great mountain that floats in the western sky, upon which the Thunderbirds live. From there, they control the rain. They are the enemies of the great horned snakes, called the Misikinubik, which they fight with to prevent them from overrunning the earth and devouring mankind. They are said to be messengers of the Great Sun himself and delight in deeds of greatness.

Throughout history, the Thunderbird symbol has appeared on totem poles, pottery, petroglyphs, masks, jewelry, and carvings. The legends have been told through songs and oral histories.

In Minnesota’s north woods, the forests of the Great Lake Region, and the central regions of Canada are said to live a malevolent being called a wendigo (also spelled windigo). This creature may appear as a monster with some human characteristics or as a spirit who has possessed a human being and made them monstrous. It is historically associated with cannibalism, murder, insatiable greed, and cultural taboos against such behaviors. Known by several names — Windigo, Witigo, Witiko, and Wee-Tee-Go — each roughly translates to “the evil spirit that devours mankind.”

This creature has long been known among the Algonquian Ojibwe, Eastern Cree, Saulteaux, Westmain Swampy Cree, Naskapi, and Innu peoples. They have described them as giants, many times larger than human beings. Although descriptions can vary somewhat, common to all these cultures is the view that the wendigo is a malevolent, cannibalistic, supernatural being strongly associated with winter, the north, coldness, famine, and starvation.

According to the legends, a Wendigo is created whenever a human resorts to cannibalism to survive. In the past, this occurred more often when Indians and settlers found themselves stranded in the bitter snows and ice of the north woods. Sometimes stranded for days, survivors might have felt compelled to cannibalize the dead to survive. Other versions of the legend cite that a Wendigo might also possess humans who displayed extreme greed, gluttony, and excess. Thus the myth served as a method of encouraging cooperation and moderation.

Native American versions of the creature spoke of a gigantic spirit over fifteen feet tall that had once been human but had been transformed into a creature by magic. Though the descriptions of the creature vary slightly, the Wendigo is generally said to have glowing eyes, long yellowed fangs, terrible claws, and overly long tongues. Sometimes they are described as having sallow, yellowish skin, and other times, they are covered with matted hair. The creature is said to have several skills and powers, including stealth, is a near-perfect hunter, knows and uses every inch of its territory, and can control the weather through dark magic. They are also portrayed as simultaneously gluttonous and emaciated from starvation.

During the winter of 1878-79, Swift Runner and his family were starving, along with numerous other Cree families. His eldest son was the first to die of starvation, and at some point, Swift Runner succumbed to Wendigo psychosis. Though emergency food supplies were available at Hudson’s Bay Company post some 25 miles away, he did not attempt to travel there. Instead, he killed the remaining members of his family and consumed them. He eventually confessed and was executed by authorities at Fort Saskatchewan.

A Wendigo allegedly made several appearances near Rosesu in Northern Minnesota from the late 1800s through the 1920s. Each time it was reported, an unexpected death followed, and finally, it was seen no more.

Another well-known case involving Wendigo psychosis was that of Jack Fiddler, an Oji-Cree chief and medicine man known for his powers at defeating wendigos. Fiddler claimed to have defeated 14 wendigos during his lifetime. Some of these creatures were said to have been sent by enemy shamans, and others were members of his band who had been taken with the insatiable, incurable desire to eat human flesh. In the latter case, family members usually asked Fiddler to kill a very sick loved one before they turned wendigo. Fiddler’s brother, Peter Flett, was killed after turning wendigo when the food ran out on a trading expedition. Hudson’s Bay Company traders, the Cree, and missionaries knew the Wendigo legend, though they often explained it as mental illness or superstition. Regardless, several incidents of people

However, Wendigo creature sightings are still reported, especially in northern Ontario, near the Cave of the Wendigo, and around Kenora, where traders have allegedly spotted it, trackers and trappers for decades. Many still believe that the Wendigo roams the woods and the prairies of northern Minnesota and Canada. Many have given Kenora, Ontario, Canada, the title of Wendigo Capital of the World. Sightings of the creature in this area have continued well into the new millennium.