Lakota shape shfters Options

[sdcoyote]

My people have long held the belief that certain humans can transform into animals - Here is one story....

In Lakota legend, deer maidens are dangerous. In one version of the tale, a young man walking far from camp meets a beautiful woman alone in the woods. It is (he thinks) the very woman he's been courting, who has rejected him. Now she is talking to him with evident favor, looking lovely in her doe-skin robe. While they talk, he playfully threads the end of a rope through a hole in her robe—until a dog appears and barks at her. The young woman panics and turns to flee, returning to her own deer-shape ... but the rope holds the deer maiden fast around her foreleg. "Let me go!" she cries. "If you let me go, I'll give you magical power." The man releases her warily, and the deer maiden disappears through the wood. He vomits profusely, sick with the knowledge that if he'd made love to her he would have gone mad like other young men who'd been tricked by deer maidens. After this, the unfortunate man lives alone, plagued by sudden fits of wild, whistling, deer-like behavior. Yet the deer-woman keeps her promise and gives him this ability: his skill with horses and other four-footed creatures is unsurpassed.

[owlhoot]

This sounds somewhat like the skinwalker legends out west. The Navajo and Paiute both seem to have similar beliefs.

[special_buddy_zi...]

Wow. that's interesting. I knew they had legends like that.

[clnl3]

where do these originate Sd? i know from yer people but how long ago, the circumstances? like more recent folk tales parts are true and other parts elaborated on, sounds like maybe this one stemmed from someone being a good horse hand and a legend created from there?

[Fromazhi]

I would love to hear more tales when you have time to post them.

[Alien_girl]

Here's a beautiful Legend ^_^

The First Butterflies

Long ago, when human twins were born to spirit Women, she relied on the animals to take care of them. All the animals loved the first human babies and did everything they could to help them. The dog watched over them, the bear gave fur to keep them warm, the wolf hunted for them , the doe provided milk for them , the birds sang lullabies and the muskrat bathed them. The dog was an excellent guardian. The twins had only to cry and the dog jumped to his feet, his tail wagging. When he found out what was troubling the childern, he set it right, or called somebody else who could help. When the babies wanted to be amused, the dog did the best tricks he could for them. He tickled the babies into delighted laughter by licking their noses. After a long time it became clear that something was wrong with the childern. This worried the animals, who had been summoned by the bear, gathering around the twins. "Brothers." the bear said. "The childern cannot walk. They do not run and play like our childern do. What can we do to help them?"

When Nanabush came to play with the childern, the animals told him of their concern. Nanabush thought awhile and then he said. "You have cared for the childern very well, in fact they never need to do anything for themselves. All little ones need to reach out for what they want, instead of always having everythingh haned to them. I shall find out what we can do to help the babies learn to walk." Nanabush journeyed far to the west, he called to the great spirit who was the creator of the childern and had been watching over them. The great spirit would would know what should be done to teach the childern to walk. In reply the Nanabush’s call, the great spirit told him to search along the slopes of the mountains. There he would find thousands of tiny sparkling stones. Nanabush did as the great dpirit had said, he collected hunderds of stones, blue, green, red, and yellow ones. Soon he had a huge pile theat gleamed through the clouds. Then he tossed a handful of stones into the air, catching them as they fell back. He threw a second handful but nopthing fell down into his stretched out hands. Nanabush looked up, to his astonishment, he saw the pebbles changing and shapes. The butterflies followed Nanabush back to the twins, who crowed with pleasure and waved their legs and stretched out their arms to the beautiful creatures. But the butterflies always fluttered just beyond the grasp of the small out stretched hands. Soon the twins began to crawl and then slowly started to walk, and even running in efforts to catch the butterflies. And these were the first butterflies.

Tales the Elders Told - OJIBWAY LEGENDS

[Fromazhi]

A truly wonderful tale well told. My mind's eye sees Nanabush tossign the stones on the mountain slope.

[Alien_girl]

My people have long held the belief that certain humans can transform into animals - Here is one story....

Hey,

In many regions around Canada and parts of the U.S, one common name keeps popping up in legends. The name is Whiskey-Jack or Weesahkayjak. I read a legend that originated down in the Southern States somewhere and sure enough, the main character had been this 'trickster'. Isn't it amazing of the coincidence that this guy is mentioned eons ago in Southern U.S to the Northern most reaches of Canada? ^_^

[pizzaguy]

The addition of SD will bring this board a whole new level of discussion.

The variety will do us good - until jonglenn (IMG:http://www.thespaceport.us/forum/style_emoticons/default/stoned.gif) comes along with his (IMG:http://www.thespaceport.us/forum/style_emoticons/default/bull.gif)

[sdcoyote]

Alien Girl - WHAT A GREAT STORY!!!!

Fromahzi is right. I too, can see the tale as I read it. The "trickster" seams to be a common character in many native tales. Indeed, he is even in our creation stories.

Thank you, Pizza, for your kind words. Someday you and I are going to share a pipe.

Anyway, I will share another. This is the abridged version of our "salvation" story. The White Buffalo Calf - is most sacred. The entire story is too long to post hear and probably should be heard, not read.

One summer a long time ago, the seven sacred council fires of the Lakota Sioux came together and camped. The sun was strong and the people were starving for there was no game. Two young men went out to hunt. Along the way, the two men met a beautiful young woman dressed in white who floated as she walked. One man had bad desires for the woman and tried to touch her, but was consumed by a cloud and turned into a pile of bones. The woman spoke to the second young man and said, "Return to your people and tell them I am coming."

This holy woman brought a wrapped bundle to the people. She unwrapped the bundle giving to the people a sacred pipe and teaching them how to use it to pray. "With this holy pipe, you will walk like a living prayer," she said. The holy woman told the Sioux about the value of the buffalo, the women and the children. "You are from Mother Earth," she told the women, "What you are doing is as great as the warriors do." Before she left, she told the people she would return. As she walked away, she rolled over four times, turning into a white female buffalo calf.

Too this day we still have the sacred pipe. In the 70's Arvol Looking Horse became the Chief of the Lakota and the 19th generation keeper of the sacred pipe. Unfortunately, the people were polluted with alcohol and materialism and Chief Looking Horse had decided until we begin to once again walk the red road, the pipe must remain pure, away from the people. However, in 1994 a white buffalo calf (the first in many generations) was born on the reservation and we took this to be a sign. The pipe was brought out once again. Since that time many things have happened. But I can't say what here. I will say this however - we are beginning to understand how our bitterness toward wasichu had poisened our own souls. We are becoming a strong nation once again. People are holding on to the old ways while, at the same time, learning how to live in a modern world. It is good.

A word of caution and then I will stop. Our legends tell us that while the appearance of the White Buffalo is a blessing, it is also a warning. The last time it came to us, we were nearly annihilated by the whites a few generations later. This time Chief Looking Horse believes it has come to warn all people (the Lakota are simply the messengers) that the world must learn to live with one another, that we must learn to respect our mother the earth, or we must die.

That is all I have to say.

[jonglenn]

WOW! I had a sim experience one time in the desert on mescaline.

Except it involved going accidently to a "funny" bar, and finding

Crazy Freddie behind a glory hole! (IMG:http://www.thespaceport.us/forum/style_emoticons/default/moon.gif)



just kidding! (IMG:http://www.thespaceport.us/forum/style_emoticons/default/rofl.gif)

[Alien_girl]

SDcoyote,

I heard something very simliar about the White Buffalo although it would not be a sign of the messenger but rather that a new leader would be born for the North American Indians, (heard this one from a Sioux/Ojibway Indian)

By the way, do you know of any great shamans or elders anywhere in the States? I might possibly do a road trip within 4 months of getting back home. I'd like to use this opportunity to find out something I need to know... (IMG:http://www.thespaceport.us/forum/style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[sdcoyote]

Alien Girl-

I know a woman whose name is Grandmother Germaine. She is a Yankton Sioux, living in the eastern half of the state - if you want her full address I can tell you by PM when you are ready to enter the states. She has no phone and would never charge money for those who seek her wisdom with respect. Of course a tobacco gift would be accepted. Her medicine is strong in many ways.

She performed the moon ceremony (a coming of age ritual - one of the 7 sacred Siouxan rituals) for our daughter last year.

I know other male elders as well. It would depend on whom you would be most comfortable.

[Fromazhi]

It would appear there is much power, if one reads carefully, in the tales you guys have favored us with.

[Guest_planckton_*]

sdcoyote.


i have for long time pondered the possibility of chosing the path of a shaman. i have read quite a bit, and know that it is very difficult for those who are not born into the path of a shaman it is a very difficult task. i was wondering if you would know anyone tht i could possibly talk to.

my mother is an artist and a teacher, but she would often volunteer to work with the ohio historical society to preserve burial grounds here in ohio. i remember helping her as a young boy, and wanting very mch to protect the final resting places of the indigenous peoples of ohio. my mother even went to court and managed to keep a coal mining company from stripmining an area because there were several burial mounds in the region. it took her more than a year and a half, but she finally managed to save the area. i have always admired her spirit and will. i would trul love to have an oppurtunity to study the ways of the shaman, or to at least have an oppurtunity to talk to one.


i am actually planning a trip to go out west to montana this fall, my fiance is part blackfoot, and there is a reservation in northern montana that her grandparents were raised on. i hope to learn and absorb as much as i can while i am there.

[sdcoyote]

Plank

A common misperception is that you can "become" a Shaman. You cannot. According to our beliefs, you either are or you are not.

I only know one person who is truly a Shaman. I know many others who claim to be. I could give you their names but that would be misleading you. The one who truly is will talk to no one except who he decides is his successor.

There are several people who perform rituals in the true spirit, but that is different than being a Shaman.

The Sioux decided in November of last year to no longer share their rituals with wasichu. Too many people were "selling" the rituals. There were/are too many fake Shamans. This may or may not be a mistake, but it is the way that it is now. I suspect that it will change once again, because it is really unenforceable, but I will abide by it.

I hope you understand and do not take offense to this.

[Guest_planckton_*]

of course i take no offence.

the shaman's i had been reading about were from a tribe in south america. it discussed their ritual use of ayuhuasca, and of the trials a man must take to become a shaman.

i can certainly understand their reluctance to discuss such matters. i met a man when i was younger whose name was Arthur Techuasheh. He claimed to be a medicine man, and helped the ohio historical society to preserve some of the burial grounds. i later found out that he had founded a church to appeal to christians who were intrigued by native american religions. he was a con man, and in fact had no assocation with any tribes, let alone as a medicine man.

he made quite a bit of money from tricking these people, and would even charge them in order to perform certain 'sacred' rituals.


SD, i am in no way offended. my fiance and i have actually talked about becoming members of the native american church, although i find it unlikely that they would be likely to allow someone of irish descent to join. i have read that they are open at times to recieving members to the church who are, as you say 'wasichu', but i do not desire to push the matter.

i know where my beliefs lay, and i have no need of a church or group to enforce it. i worship nature, as have many pagan's have before me, and i know what is in my heart.