Reading B: Native American Myths

The Dog Husband

• A women has a dog she is very fond of who sleeps at the end of her bed
• at night he turns into a person a sleeps with her
• She becomes pregnant and the village deserts her and kills her husband
• She gives birth to four boy pups and a girl pup
• One day she realizes they can take human form and teaches the to hunt
• When Crow, who originally helped them escape, realizes how good they are at whaling she tells the whole village
• Afterwards the village returns and the boys become Chiefs

The Youth who Joined the Deer

• A man is a really good hunter
• He eventually comes upon a deer woman who becomes his wife
• He joins a deer family where they hunt each other for food and then are reborn
• This leads to an understanding with the Indians that you must always throw deer bones into the water if you want to be a good hunter because they will not fear you if they know they will be revived

The Girl and The Turkeys

• A poor maiden takes care of turkeys and isn't allowed to go to the village dance
• They take pity on her a fasten a great outfit for her but only if she promises to remeber them
• She, of course, forgets them when she is happy and they leave her with nothing
• The moral of the story being that you must be grateful even when you are well off