Native American Storytelling: A Reader of Myths and Legends

Copyright © 2004 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Native American Storytelling: A Reader of Myths and Legends

Editor(s): Karl Kroeber

Published Online: 25 FEB 2008

Print ISBN: 9781405115414

Online ISBN: 9780470776391

DOI: 10.1002/9780470776391

About this Book

Product Information

About The Product

The myths and legends in this book have been selected both for their excellence as stories and because they illustrate the distinctive nature of Native American storytelling.


  • A collection of Native American myths and legends.
  • Selected for their excellence as stories, and because they illustrate the distinctive nature of Native American storytelling.
  • Drawn from the oral traditions of all major areas of aboriginal North America.
  • Reveals the highly practical functions of myths and legends in Native American societies.
  • Illustrates American Indians' profound engagement with their natural environment.
  • Edited by an outstanding interpreter of Native American oral stories.

Table of contents

    1. You have free access to this content
      Frontmatter (pages i–viii)

    1. To the Reader (pages 1–13)

  3. Part 1: Tewa

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      Tewa (pages 14–16)

    2. Chapter 1

      From Elsie Clews Parsons, Tewa Tales. Washington, DC: Memoirs of the American Folklore Society, 19 (1926), 191–2. (pages 16–17)

  4. Part 2: Kalispell

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      Kalispell (pages 18–19)

    2. Chapter 2

      From Evon Vogt, the Kalispell Language: An Outline of the Grammar with Texts, Translations, and Dictionary. Oslo: Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi (1920), 28. (pages 19–20)

  5. Part 3: Kathlamet

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      Kathlamet (page 21)

    2. Chapter 3

      From Franz Boas, Kathlamet Texts. Washington, DC: Bulletin of the Bureau of American Ethnology 26 (1901), 26–32. (pages 22–24)

  6. Part 4: Tillamook

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      Tillamook (pages 25–26)

    2. Chapter 4

      From Nehalem Tillamook Tales, Told by Clara Pearson, Recorded by Elizabeth Derr Jacobs, Ed. Melville Jacobs. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press (1990), 45–58. (pages 27–38)

  7. Part 5: Sioux

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      Sioux (pages 39–41)

    2. Chapter 5

      From Clark Wissler, “Some Dakota Myths II,” Journal of American Folklore 20 (1907), 195–206, 197–9. (pages 41–44)

  8. Part 6: Cherokee (A) - Origins

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      Cherokee (A) (pages 45–47)

    2. Chapter 6

      From James Mooney, Myths of the Cherokees. Washington, DC: Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology 19 (1897–8) 3–575, 240. (pages 47–48)

  9. Part 7: Gros Ventre - Origins

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      Gros Ventre (page 49)

    2. Chapter 7

      From A. L. Kroeber, Ethnology of the Gros Ventre. New York: Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History 1, Part 4 (1907), 141–281, 60–1. (pages 49–51)

  10. Part 8: Cherokee (B) - Origins

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      Cherokee (B) (pages 52–53)

    2. Chapter 8

      From James Mooney, Myths of the Cherokees. Washington, DC: Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology 19 (1897–8), 3–575; “Kana'ti. and Selu,” 242–8 (pages 53–59)

  11. Part 9: Seneca (A) - Origins

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      Seneca (A) (pages 60–61)

    2. Chapter 9

      From Jeremiah Curtin and J. N. B. Hewitt, Seneca Fiction, Legends, and Myths. Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology 32 (1910–11), 460–1. (pages 61–63)

  12. Part 10: Seneca (B) - Origins

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      Seneca (B) (page 64)

    2. Chapter 10

      From Arthur C. Parker, Seneca Myths and Folk Tales. Buffalo, NY: Buffalo Historical Society, Publication Series 27 (1923), 290–2. (pages 65–66)

  13. Part 11: Eskimo - Origins

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      Eskimo (pages 67–68)

    2. Chapter 11

      From in Honor of Eyak: The Art of Anna Nelson Harry, Ed. Michael E. Krauss. Fairbanks, AL: Native Language Center, University of Alaska (1982), 120–2. Reprinted by Permission of the Native Language Center. (pages 69–71)

  14. Part 12: Cherokee (C) - Origins

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      Cherokee (C) (page 72)

    2. Chapter 12

      From James Mooney, Myths of the Cherokee. Washington, DC: Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology 19 (1897–8), 3–557, 319. (pages 73–74)

  15. Part 13: Three Chinook-Wishram Coyote Tales - Trickster

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      Three Chinook-Wishram Coyote Tales (pages 75–78)

    2. Chapter 13

      From Edward Sapir, Wishram Texts. Publications of the American Ethnological Society, Leiden: Brill (1909). (pages 78–80)

    3. Chapter 14

      From Edward Sapir, Wishram Texts. Publications of the American Ethnological Society, Leiden: Brill (1909). (pages 80–82)

    4. Chapter 15

      From Edward Sapir, Wishram Texts. Publications of the American Ethnological Society, Leiden: Brill (1909). (pages 83–85)

  16. Part 14: Clackamas (A) - Trickster

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      Clackamas (A) (page 86)

    2. Chapter 16

      From Melville Jacobs, “Badger and Coyote were Neighbors,” International Journal of American Linguistics 24:2 (1958), 106–12. Reprinted by Permission of the University of Chicago Press. (pages 87–90)

  17. Part 15: Clackamas (B) - Trickster

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      Clackamas (B) (pages 91–93)

    2. Chapter 17

      From Melville Jacobs, “Seal and Her Younger Brother Lived There,” International Journal of American Linguistics 25:2 (1959), 340–1. Quoted with Permission of the University of Chicago Press. (pages 93–94)

  18. Part 16: Hopi - Trickster

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      Hopi (pages 95–97)

    2. Chapter 18

      From H. R. Voth, The Traditions of the Hopi. Chicago: Publications of Field Columbian Museum 8 (1905), 16–21. (pages 97–101)

  19. Part 17: Wintu - Trickster

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      Wintu (pages 102–103)

    2. Chapter 19

      From Cora Du Bois and Dorothy Demetracopoulou, Wintu Myths. Berkeley: University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, 28:5 (1921), 360–2. (pages 103–104)

  20. Part 18: Yana - Trickster

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      Yana (pages 105–106)

    2. Chapter 20

      From Edward Sapir, Yana Texts. Berkeley: University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Sthnology 9 (1910), 140–2. (pages 107–108)

  21. Part 19: Navajo - Trickster

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      Navajo (pages 109–110)

    2. Chapter 21

      From Washington Matthews, the Mountain Chant: A Navajo Ceremony. Washington, DC: Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 5 (1883–4). (pages 110–117)

  22. Part 20: Blackfoot - Trickster

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      Blackfoot (pages 118–119)

    2. Chapter 22

      From Walter McClintock, the Old North Trail. New York: Macmillan (1910), 491–503. (pages 120–126)

  23. Part 21: Onondaga - Trickster

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      Onondaga (pages 127–128)

    2. Chapter 23

      From Harriet Maxwell Converse, Myths and Legends of the New York State Iroquois, Edited by Arthur C. Parker. Albany, NY: New York State Museum Bulletin 125 (1908), 5–195, 23–8. (pages 128–130)

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      Further Reading (pages 131–133)

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      Index (pages 134–136)

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