Reading Notes: A Tradition of the Calumet

Hi there!

For the second reading this week I chose to read the stories in the Great Plains unit. These stories come from Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson. I chose to take notes over the story A Tradition of the Calumet which tells of their use of a ceremonial pipe. Here are those notes:

Lived in the North by a lake and along a river
Many warriors
"the Mysterious One"
Great nation, hunted widely

from the "Big Water in the Sunrise" (The eastern coast possibly?)
to the "Mountains in the Darkening Land" (Mt Laurel and others in that chain)

Chiefs and old men hold a council
Runners come to the council
Council decides they will attack the Great Nation for "scalps and horses"
A big white bird flew in and landed above the chief's daughter
She heard a voice

"Call all the chiefs and worriers together. Tell them the Mysterious One is sad because they seek the scalps of the Lenni-Lenapi, the First People"
Warriors wash in fawn blood
carry Hobowakan to the First Men

They smoked the "pipe of council" together so there was peace

If I used this as the base of a story I think that I would write it from the Chief's daughter's perspective. I think it would be interesting to know what she thought of the situation and what she thought about the bird and the voice. Had this happened to her before? Was she known for receiving messages from the Mysterious One? Did everyone accept this message or did some resist? I think that it would make an interesting situation to explore.

The photo shown above is of the Delaware River which is the area in which the First People, the Lenni-Lenapi, were located. If I use this story as the base for my writing this week I would include this photo.

Bibliography

Photo By Charlie Anzman via Flickr

Myths and Legends of the Great Plains by Katharine Berry Judson

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