Ojibwe Authors Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm Sherman Alexie Edward Benton-Banai Ignatia Broker Stephen Cole George Copway George Cornell Allan Crow Vine Deloria Anne M. Dunn Adam Fortunate Eagle David A. Groulx Basil H. Johnston Verna Patronella Johnston Peter Jones Lenore Keeshig-Tobias Keewaydinoquay Maude Mitchell Kegg Winona LaDuke Annette Leevier Edna Manitowabi Calvin Morrisseau Mildred Noble Simon Otto Gordon Regguinti John Rogers Armand Garnet Ruffo Jane Johnston Schoolcraft Murdo Scribe Ruby Slipperjack Drew Hayden Taylor David Treuer Mark Turcotte E. Donald Two-Rivers William Whipple Warren Jordan Wheeler John Couchois Wright Wub-e-ke-niew Leo Yerxa Arch Rock on Mackinac Island Arch Rock is a natural rock bridge above the eastern shoreline of Mackinac Island in northern Michigan. From certain angles, the arch, which is about 150 feet above the lake, appears to be suspended in the air. This mythical explanation of its origin was recorded in 1850. Many, many winters ago, the sun descended into an immense hole every evening, as soon as the stars appeared in the sky. This hole was thought to be somewhere off in the distant west. One time a chief of the Ottawa nation committed a shameful act. It was so shameful that the Master of Life was greatly offended and angered. In punishment, he sent a powerful wind upon the earth. The rocky hills trembled because of the wind, and the waters surrounding the hills roared with a dreadful roar. For one whole day this turmoil lasted. Even the sun was disturbed. It shot through the heavens with an unsteady motion, and when it reached the centre of the sky, it stood still. It seemed to be astonished at the wickedness of the chief. All the people of the Ottawa nation were greatly alarmed. While they stood gazing at the sun, they saw it gradually change to the color of blood. Then they were horrified to see it fall from the sky. With a terrifying noise, it struck the eastern shore of Mackinac Island. When the frightened Indians dared to look again, they saw that some rocks had been hollowed out so as to make an arch. It hung high above the waters of the lake. The sun had gone through the opening and on down below the surface of the earth. Next morning it came out of the earth in the east, and then made its usual journey across the heavens. Many winters have passed since that awful day when the sun stood still and fell from the sky. But even now, not even the bravest Ottawa people will walk over that arched rock. Indeed, they seldom dare to approach the place. How Ioscoda and His Friends Met the White Men from the East and Journeyed Across the Great Waters One morning before sunrise, Ioscoda and five of his young friends left their Ottawa village and went out hunting with bows and arrows. They passed through a forest and reached the top of a high ridge just as the sun rose out of the east. The air was so clear that the sun appeared to be only a short distance from them. "How very near the sun is," said one of the boys. "It cannot be far," Ioscoda agreed. "If you will go with me, we will try to find the place where the sun sleeps." "Yes, yes," they all said eagerly. Even the youngest of the boys wanted to go on the journey. "You are too young," they told him. "If you don't let me go with you," replied the youngest boy, "I will tell your families what you are planning to do." "You may go with us," said Ioscoda, "but say nothing of this to anyone." For several days they made preparations for the journey. Each boy collected arrows, supplies of dried meat, extra pairs of moccasins, and as many pieces of tanned hide clothing as he could. They found a dry place deep in the forest and concealed these things there. They also used the place to meet in council and make their plans. At last they were ready for their quest. On the morning they chose to start, each boy left the village in a different direction, but they soon met at their secret place in the forest. They packed their things on their backs and started toward the east. Day after day they marched, and each morning as soon as they awakened they faced toward the rising sun, yet it always seemed to be the same distance away from them. Some were discouraged and wanted to turn back, but Ioscoda was confident. "If we keep travelling toward the east," he said, "we shall reach the home of the sun, some time or other." One morning they found a film of ice along the edge of the stream where they had camped for the night. "Cold weather is coming," said the youngest boy, "and we have no more dried meat. I think we should build a lodge for the winter and spend our time hunting." Ioscoda would not hear of this. "We will stop only long enough to kill a deer," he replied. "Then we must march on toward the sun's rising." The next day they came to a large river which flowed eastward, and they followed along its bank. Late one afternoon they reached a rising slope of sand, and as they climbed up through a grove of gnarled and wind-blown trees they saw a vast expanse of blue. They had come suddenly upon an immense body of water. No land could be seen as far as the horizon. Two of the boys lay down on the beach to drink. As soon as they sucked the water into their mouths, they spat it out. "Salt water!" one of them cried. They had come to the edge of a Great Ocean. They camped on the beach for the night, and when they awakened at dawn they saw the sun rise as though it had come out of the deep waters. To their great disappointment it appeared to be as far away from them as ever. Before breaking camp, they held council to decide whether to turn back homeward. "It is true," Ioscoda said, "that the sun's home is beyond this great water, but let us not abandon our quest. If we walk around the shore, surely we will find the place." They all agreed to continue, and he led them northward until they came to the mouth of the wide river they had followed toward the east. "We must build a boat," Ioscoda said. They made camp and gathered as much wood as they could until darkness fell. Ioscoda spent a restless night, and the next morning he told his companions that a Manito, a good spirit, had come to him in a dream. "The Manito told me that we must go south. Only a short distance beyond the place where we camped on the beach is a river with high banks. We must go there and keep watch off its mouth until we see an island moving in the Great Ocean. The Manito told me that the island would come to us, and that if we get on it, the island will take us toward the sun's rising place." The boys retraced their footsteps, and by late evening reached a high bluff beyond which they found a river flowing into the ocean. They camped, and next morning watched the sun rise again from the water. "We shall wait here for the island," Ioscoda said. "Yes," one of his friends replied sceptically. "We shall see if that which was said to you in your dream will come true." Ioscoda climbed up to the highest point and kept his eyes fixed on the sea. About midday he called out: "There it is! There it is!" They all rushed up to join him, and they saw something that might be an island steadily advancing toward the mouth of the river. As it came nearer they could see strangely dressed beings moving about on it. "That is a bad Manito!" the youngest boy cried. "Let us run back into the woods." "No, no," Ioscoda answered quickly. "Stay and watch." They saw something splash into the water beside the island, and then it came to a stop. It was close enough now for them to see three trees standing in a row along its surface. The trees were bare of bark and Instead of leaves huge pieces of cloth hung from their sides. A small boat was now lowered from one side, and as it approached the beach, they could see flat sticks moving on each side of it like the flapping of a loon's wings in calm air. The boat entered the mouth of the river. Some of the boys started to run away. "Come back!" Ioscoda shouted. "We can hide in this hollow place in the rocks. We must see what this can be." Soon after they crouched down in the hole, they heard the sounds of chopping and then the crash of a falling tree. They heard the crunch of footsteps, and suddenly a man appeared against the sky above them. His skin was light, and hair grew on the lower part of his face. He wore a strange hat and clothing such as they had never seen, and he was gazing down at them. They stared back at him in amazement. After a few moments the stranger stepped forward, extending his open hand toward them. Ioscoda took it, and they shook hands. The man spoke and Ioscoda replied, but they could not understand each other's words. Then the man turned and called to his comrades. Several other men in strange clothing came up. They laughed and talked, but the boys could not understand what they were saying. Finding it impossible to communicate by words, the strangers motioned toward the small boat and the large boat, which Ioscoda and his friends had thought was an island. The men made beckoning signs as if they wanted the boys to come with them. "Let's go," Ioscoda said quietly. "This is as the Manito told me it would be." They followed the strangers down to their small boat, which had been loaded with wood, and soon they were bouncing over the waves to the large vessel. The men called it a ship. As the boat came alongside, dozens of strange faces peered down at them. One spoke out, louder than the others, and he seemed to be their leader. He motioned to the boys to climb the rope ladder. As soon as they were on deck, this man whom the others called Captain led them down a ladder to a cabin and gave them some food. He treated them very kindly. Afterwards they returned to the deck and found the sails all spread above their heads and the ship moving rapidly over the water. The land they had left was fast disappearing in the distance. That night and on the following day Ioscoda and most of his friends were made ill by the motion of the ship, but they soon recovered. As the days passed, they learned to understand and to say a few of the words used by the strangers, and the boys taught them some of the words of the Ottawa people. One day a man on one of the high masts--that the boys had first thought were trees--cried out in a loud voice: "Land! Land!" Soon after that the Captain took them to a cabin and showed them some clothing similar to that which he wore. He made signs to them to change their worn leather clothing for the other. Ioscoda knew enough of the Captain's language to ask him why they must do this. "To cover your nakedness," the Captain replied, and pointed to their bare legs. "We are coming to my country, and my King will be displeased if your bodies are not properly clothed." As the ship moved up a river, they saw many houses made of stone along the banks. They passed other ships. One of these vessels had flags flying above it and on its deck were several black objects shaped like logs. Suddenly smoke belched from one of the logs and a noise like thunder frightened Ioscoda and his friends. "Cannon," the Captain explained calmly, and pointed to the big guns along the other ship's deck. "They're saluting our return from a long voyage." When the ship docked, the Captain took them to a big house nearby, and led them up some steps to a room outfitted with a bed and several other objects strange to them. He brought them food and drink. "You will stay here until morning," the Captain said. "Then I shall take you to see the King." Ioscoda and his friends slept very little that night. Until darkness fell, they knelt beside the window, looking out at the people passing up and down. >From time to time, they would see a huge animal, larger than a moose, its feet pounding on the cobblestones. Sometimes a man would be riding astride one of these hooved animals; others were fastened with leather straps to an object Somewhat like a sledge except that it rolled along on wheels. Next morning the Captain came and took them out to the street and showed them how to get into one of the wheeled sledges. It contained seats and was covered with leather. They rolled along over the cobblestones almost as swiftly as they had travelled on the ship. After a while the carriage stopped, and two men dressed in bright-coloured clothing helped them down in front of the largest house they had ever seen. They followed the two men and the Captain inside, where shining objects hung from above. They were then taken into a large and splendid room where a man was waiting for them in a great chair decorated with many glittering pieces of metal. The Captain addressed this man as King, and Ioscoda guessed that he must be the chief of all these people. The Captain bowed down before him, and made signs for the boys to do as he did. "We welcome these young strangers to our land," the King said, and then he spoke rapidly to the Captain. As best Ioscoda could make out, he was asking if the Indians had come of their own will, or had been forced aboard the ship. The Captain assured the King that the boys had come willingly. "Ah," said the King, "and where did you young men think you were going?" "We were going to the east," Ioscoda replied, "to find the place where the sun sleeps." By using signs and a few words he had learned, he soon made the King understand. "To do such a thing is impossible," said the King. "You can never find such a place." Ioscoda bowed his head for a moment. "My father," he said to the King, "we have come this far on our long journey, and we will continue it. We have given our lives up to this quest." The King smiled at the boy, and then slapped his hands together and sent one of the men who was wearing clothes of brilliant colours out of the room. "I beg of you," Ioscoda continued, "not to stop us from continuing our journey." The King nodded, still smiling until the courtier who had left the room returned with bundles of presents for the boys. The King passed these gifts out to them, remarking that he would like to see them again before they left his country, and then he bade them good day. That night Ioscoda's friends held council in their room in the inn. "I am ready to return home," said the youngest boy. "My eyes hunger for the green forests and rivers, the animals, and the songs of the birds. I want to see the faces of my people." Another agreed with him. "We are not suited for places such as this. If we must go through towns of stone filled with countless strangers we will never live to see the home of the sun." "Our families will believe we have perished in the wilderness," said another. "They will mourn for us." "I do not wish to abandon the quest," Ioscoda said. "Tomorrow we will go once more to see the chief of these people, the one they call King, and ask his advice." "He is a kind man," said the youngest boy. "He is a wise man. He said that we can never find the place of the sun." Ioscoda's face was sad. "Perhaps he is right," he said. "Perhaps not." The next morning the King received them again in his palace. When Ioscoda asked him to advise them whether to continue their search, the King complimented them upon their bravery and determination and called them young knights. "In a day or two," he said, "one of my ships will set sail for your country. The ship will take you home. That is my advice to you." Ioscoda glanced at the faces of his companions and he could see the eagerness in their eyes when they understood the King's words. And so Ioscoda yielded. He told the King they would go on the ship. Several moons later, after the ship landed them at the mouth of the river where they had first met the light-skinned strangers, Ioscoda and his friends made their way over the last ridge and through the last forest into their village. Within a few minutes, the news of their return started a celebration that lasted far into the night. Their families and friends rejoiced, having long given them up for lost, and the tales the young men told of their adventures brought them much fame. All were happy except Ioscoda. Every morning he arose before daylight and walked to the high ridge to face the east and watch the sun rise out of the earth. Some day, he told himself, he would resume his quest and find the place where the sun sleeps. -------------- "Born Ojibway, hopefully they'll let me die that way too!" Charles Phillip White Michigan Indian Names Of Cities And Towns Michigan.................."Big Water". Muskegon...............Plenty Of Fish In Michigan. Osceola....................Medicine Drink. Oswego....................Flowing Out Lake. Pontiac.....................Ottawa Indian Chief Killed At Cahokia, Illinois-1776. Sheboyan................Start From Springs, A Place Of Ore. Saqwasibi..............."Coming Out River-Flowing Into Lake Michigan". Kalamazoo.............."Otter Tail". Mackinac................."Turtle Island In Michigan". Chesaning.............Place of a Big Rock Indian Words In Common Use Canoe          Totem             Pow-Wow      Sachem Potato          Raccoon        Wapiti             Coyote Massagua   Potlatch         Pumpkin        Tomato Chinquapin,Chipmunk    Hurricane       Aztec Succotash  Tupelo            Pecan             Muskelunge Moccasin    Mugwump     Tom-Tom       Muskeg Papoose     Cayuse           Maize              Sagamore Moose          Indigo             Quinine          Mohave Skunk          Chinook         Llama             Ocelot Opossum    Aleut               Bison              Banana Hogan          Woodchuck  Wampum       Pone Squaw*        Kinni-Kinnick, Wahoo         Igloo Yankee         Umiak             Tamarack      Barbecue Catalpa        Mesquite        Cannibal        Condor     Puccoon     Squash          Hammock      Manitou          Pemmican   Homing          Tamale           Kayak Paw-Paw     Teton              Tomahawk    Wigwam           Chinookan  Cocoa            Terrapin         Aleutian            Sequoia       Stogie             Tepee             Punk Persimmon,Caribou         Conestoga                            *Squaw is a French slur                                                                                                       word meaning Vagina, or                                                                                                  Whore, considered an                                                                                                                                                      insult to Indian people. Common derogatory Indian expressions: Bury The Hatchet              On The Warpath                A Feather In Your Cap Circle the Wagons Indian Name Meanings Escanaba................Flat Rocks Sheboyan...............Place Of Ore Winnipeg.................Muddy Waters Spokane..................Children Of The Sun Monon......................To Carry, Tote Salamonie...............Blood Root Cayuga....................Starting Place Metea........................Kiss Me Kankakee................Swampy Land Waupecony............White Bones Modoc......................Enemy Willamette................Running Water Katahdin..................Great Mountain Minnihaha...............Curling Waterfall Tuxedo.....................Place Of Bears Kennebec................Long Place Of Water Aroostook...............Good River Calumet...................Pipe Of Peace Tuskegee................Warriors Atchafalaya.............Long River Haiti...........................Mountainous Country Sheboygan.............Stream That Comes From The Ground Personal and Place Names          English                                              OJIBWA At The Foot Of The Mountain..................Ne' sa tin Butterfly........................................................Mem' en gwa By The Lake.................................................Chick'a gami Dancer...........................................................Ena ban' dang Eagle..............................................................Mi gi si' Eastern of Morning Star............................Wa'ba nang Fire Fly...........................................................Wah'wah tas see In A Forest....................................................No pim ing In The Middle Of The Forest.....................Na'wa kwa Island Forest................................................Mi ni' tik It Begins To Dawn......................................Bid'a ban Little Star.......................................................A nou gons' Lodge.............................................................Wig'i wam Log House....................................................Wa kai gan' Maple Forest.................................................Ma'na ki ki Near The Forest...........................................Chi ga kwa On The Shore...............................................A ga ming Red Cedar.....................................................Mish'wa wak Star.................................................................A nang' Woods............................................................Mi'tig wa ki Animals And Birds Bear.....................makwa            Beaver.................Amik             Otter....................N'gig Rabbit..................Waabooz Deer.....................Waawaashkesh Skunk..................Zhgaag Weasel................Zhingos Wolf.....................Maiingan Buffalo.................Bgoji-bzhiki Fox......................Waagosh Moose.................Mooz Raccoon................Esiban Marten.................Waabzhish Wild cat...............bgoji-gaazhak Squirrel................jidmoonh Dog......................nimosh Cat.......................gaazhak Pig.......................gookoosh Bird......................Bineshiinh Eagle...................Migizi Loon....................Maang Crane..................Mooshkas Crow....................Aandek             Owl......................Gookookoo   Duck....................Zhiishiib                             Trees..................Mtigook tree............................mtik branch......................dikon leaf............................niibiish root............................jiibik Maple........................Ninaatik Elm............................Niip Birch.........................Wiig'waas        Oak............................Mtigmish Cedar........................Gii'zhik       Pine...........................Zhing'waak Spruce.....................Gaawaandak Apple tree................Mshiimnaatik Indian Names Of Places Allegheny................Fairest River Savannah................Grassy Plain Passaic....................Peace Valley Natchez...................Hurrying People Pensacola...............Hairy People Okeechobee...........Grassy Lake Appalachian...........Appalachee Indians Appomattox............Tobacco Country Alaska......................Great Country Rappahannock......Quick Rising River Milwaukee...............Rich Land Tippecanoe.............Buffalo Fish Mississinewa..........Water On A Slope Ottawa......................Trade Or Exchange Chattanooga..........Eagles Nest Topeka.....................Potato Country Roanoke..................Shell Or Shells Chillicthe.................Town Or Village Toronto....................Meeting Place Chickamauga.........River Of Death Tuscaloosa.............Black Warrior Peoria.......................Place Of Fat Beats Kenosha..................Long Fish, "Pike" Chautauqua............Foggy Place Saginaw...................Pouring Out At Mouth Omaha......................Up Stream Chesapeake............Salty Pond Cashocton..............Habitat Of Owls Scioto.......................Hairs In River Mackinac.................Turtle Island Potomac..................Burning Pines Tacoma....................Big Snow Mountain Canada....................Collection Of Wigwams Saskatchewan.......Swift River Kokomo...................Black Walnut Muncie.....................Strong Place Chicago...................Wild Onions Wabash....................White, Flat Rocks Kalamazoo.............Otter's Trail Shawnee.................Southerners Tecumseh...............Shooting Star Oshkosh..................Claws Or Scratches Nantucket................Far Away Penobscot..............Rocky Place Niagara....................Thundering Water Wasatch..................Beautiful Yosemite.................Grizzly Bear Tucson....................Black Base Schuglkill................Hidden Creek Mankato..................Green Earth Lycoming................Sandy Stream Rearearge...............High Place Kaibab.....................On The Mountain Winamac.................Mudfish, Catfish Merrimac.................Swift Stream Suwannee...............Echo River Walla Walla..............Many Waters Shenanoah.............Hillside Stream Lackawanna...........Streams That Fork Suequehanna........Pure Water Muskegon...............Plenty Of Fish Muskingun..............Moose-Eye River Saratoga..................Sparkling Place Tallahassee............Old Town Keokuk....................Watchful Fox Indian Tribe Meaning Comanche..............Snakes Mohegan.................Wolf Ute............................Dark Skinned Shoshone...............Sheep Eaters Shawnee.................Southerners Cheyenne...............Finger Cutters Osage......................Shaved Heads Mohawk...................Flesh, Man Eaters Dakotas...................Related People Miami........................Cry Of The Crane Seminole.................Run Away People Sioux........................French for "Cut-Throats" Apache.....................Elk Horn Fiddlers Arapaho...................Mother Of Tribes Menominee.............Wild Rice Eaters Delaware.................From Lord ``De La Warr'' Cherokee................Cave People Huron.......................Hair Style Chippewa..............."To Pucker Up" Pawnee....................Horn People Ottawa......................Traders Winnebago.............Filthy Water States With Indian Names Alaska......................Great Land Alabama..................Thicket Clearers Arizona....................Silver Slabs Arkansas.................Down Stream People Connecticut............Upon The Long River Idaho........................Sunrise, It Is Morning Illinois.......................Men Or Great Men Indiana.....................Land Of The Indians Iowa..........................Drowsy People Kansas....................People Of The South Wind Kentucky.................Hunting Ground Dakota......................Related People Oregon.....................Beautiful Water Massachusetts.......Great Hill Michigan..................Great Water Mississippi..............Father Of Water Missouri...................Long Canoe People Minnesota...............Sky Tinted Water Nebraska.................Flat Water New Mexico............Aztec God Mexitili Ohio..........................Beautiful Valley Oklahoma................Land Of The Red Man Texas........................Tejas Or Allies Tennessee..............From Chief Tannassie Utah..........................Those Who Dwell High Up Wisconsin...............Where Waters Gather Wyoming.................Great Plain StateName, Origin, Administration Date, Common Name State Names In Capital Are Of Indian Origin 1)  Delaware (Gov. Delaware); Dec.  7, 1787, First State 2)  Pennsylvania (Penn's Woods); Dec. 12, 1787, Keystone State 3)  New Jersey (English Name); Dec. 18, 1787, Garden State 4)  Georgia (King Geo. II); Jan.  2, 1788, Empire State of South 5)  Connecticut (Long River Place); Jan. 9, 1788, Constitution 6)  Massachusetts (Large Full Place); Feb. 6, 1788, Bay State 7)  Maryland (Queen Mary); April 28, 1788, Old Line State 8)  S. Carolina (King Chas. II); May 23, 1788, Palmetto State 9)  New Hampshire (English County); June 21, 1788, Granite 10) Virginia (Queen Elizabeth I); June 26, 1788, Old Dominion 11) New York (Duke of York); July 26, 1788, Empire State 12) N. Carolina (King Chas. II); Nov. 21, 1789, Tar Heel State 13) Rhode Island (Red Island); May 29, 1790, Little Rhody 14) Vermont (Fr. Green Mountain); March 4, 1791, Green Mt. 15) Kentucky (Plain); June 1, 1792, Blue Grass State 16) Tennessee (Cherokee Village); June 1, 1796, Volunteer 17) Ohio (Great Beautiful River); March 1, 1803, Buckeye State 18) Louisiana (Louis XIV); April 30, 1812, Pelican State 19) Indiana (Land Of The Indians); Dec. 11, 1816, Hoosier State 20) Mississippi (Large River); Dec. 10, 1817, Magnolia State 21) Illinois (Men or Warriors); Dec. 3, 1818, Prairie State 22) Alabama (Tribal Town); Dec. 14, 1819, Cotton State 23) Maine (French Province); March 15, 1820, Pine Tree State 24) Missouri (Canoe Haven); Aug. 10, 1821, Show Me State 25) Arkansas (S. Wind People); June 15,1836, Land Of Opportunity 26) Michigan (Largest Water); Jan. 26, 1837, Wolverine State 27) Florida (Sp Feast Of Flowers); March 3, 1845, Sunshine State 28) Texas (Friends, Allies); Dec. 29, 1845, Lone Star State 29) Iowa (One Who Puts To Sleep); Dec. 29, 1846, Hawkeye State 30) Wisconsin (Grassy Plain); May 29, 1848, Badger State 31) California (Sp. Paradise); Sept. 9, 1850, Golden State 32) Minnesota (Cloudy Water); May 11, 1858, Gopher State 33) Oregon (Beautiful Water); Feb. 14, 1859, Beaver State 34) Kansas (South Wind People); Jan. 29, 1861, Sunflower State 35) W. Virginia (Q. Elizabeth I); June 20, 1863, Mountain 36) Nevada (Sp. Snow Cloud); Oct. 31, 1864, Silver State 37) Nebraska (Flat); March 1, 1867, Cornhusker State 38) Colorado (Sp. Red); Aug. 1, 1876, Centennial State 39) N. Dakota (Friend, ally); Nov. 2, 1889, Flickertail State 40) S. Dakota (Friend, Ally); Nov. 2, 1889, Sioux State 41) Montana (L. Mountains); Nov. 8, 1889, Treasure State 42) Washington (Geo Washington); Nov. 11, 1889, Evergreen State 43) Idaho (Salmon Tribe); July 3, 1890, Gen of the Mtns. State 44) Wyoming (Large Prairie Place); July 10, 1890, Equality 45) Utah (Higher Up); Jan. 4, 1896, Beehive State 46) Oklahoma (Red Man); Nov. 16, 1907, Sooner State 47) New Mexico (Sp. N.W. or Rio Grande); Na. 6, 1912,    Enchantment State. 48) Arizona (Little Spring Place); Feb. 14, 1912, Grd Canyon St. 49) Alaska (Great, Big Land); Jan. 3, 1959 50) Hawaii (Homeland); Aug. 21, 1959, Aloha WITHIN THE ANISHNABEG (OJIBWE), there is a strong  inclination toward peace; there is a need to touch Gzhemnido. Of all plants, none is more suitable than tobacco for inducing peace or transporting man's thoughts and prayers to Gzhemnido (Creator). HOW GLUSKABE STOLE TOBACCO (ABENAKI) Long ago, Gluskabe and his Grandmother, Woodchuck, lived alone in a small lodge near the water. One day his Grandmother said to him, "My Grandchild, it is sad that we have no tobacco." "What is tobacco, Grandmother?" Gluskabe said. "Ah, Grandson, tobacco is a great gift from Tabaldak, Our Maker. If you are sick, you need only tobacco out into the woods, and you will find the medicine plants. Then, when you place some tobacco on the earth, you can pluck those plants from the root and use them. Tobacco is a great comfort to the old. They can smoke it in their pipes and see all the happy days of their lives in the smoke as it lifts up. When you pray and burn tobacco, that smoke carries your prayers straight up to Our Maker. Tobacco is a very good thing indeed, when it is used as Tabaldak intended." "Then we should have tobacco," Gluskabe said. "Where can I find it, Grandmother?" "Ah, Grandson," Grandmother Woodchuck said, "It is not easy to get tobacco. It is on a big island far out in the water. A person with great magic lives there. He raises tobacco and will not share it because of selfishness. He is very dangerous. Those who go to steal tobacco never return. "Huunh!'. Gluskabe said. "I will go and get tobacco, and I will share it with everyone. Then Gluskabe went to the edge of the water. There was a hollow log there, and Gluskabe shaped it into a canoe. He put it into the water. "Now," he said, "let me see it this canoe will go. He pushed it with his foot, and the hollow log canoe shot out across the water. It went one whole look, as far as a person can see. "This canoe is not fast enough," Gluskabe said. Then Gluskabe took a big white birch tree. He stripped off the bark and fashioned it into a canoe and put it into the water, "Now," he said, "Let me see if this canoe will go. He pushed it with his foot, and the birch bark canoe went very swiftly over the water. It went two looks, but Gluskabe was not satisfied. "This canoe is not fast enough, " he said. Then Gluskabe fashioned a boat with ribs of cedar and the skin of a moose. He put it into the water and pushed it out and it went three looks. But Gluskabe was not happy with the moose hide canoe. "This canoe," he said, is not fast enough." Gluskabe looked around. There at the edge of the water was a great white boulder. Gluskabe turned it over, shaped it into a canoe and put it into the water. "Now," he said, 'qet me see if this canoe will go." He pushed it with his foot, and it shot out across the water with Gluskabe inside. It went four looks almost as quickly as one could think, leaving a great white wave behind it. Gluskabe was very pleased. "Now I can go and get tobacco." He went back into the lodge. "Grandmother," he said. "I am going now to steal tobacco. But first you must tell me the name of my enemy the magician who will not share the tobacco. Grandmother Woodchuck shook her head. "Who will hunt for me and bring me wood for my fire and water for my cooking if Grasshopper kills you? No, Gluskabe, I cannot tell you his name." Gluskabe laughed. "Oleohneh, Grandmother," he said. When I return, you will be the first one to smoke tobacco in your pipe." Then Gluskabe climbed into his white stone canoe. He pushed off from the shore, and the canoe shot over the waves towards the island of the magician, Grasshopper. As the canoe sped along, Gluskabe sang: Grasshopper, you are going to travel, Grasshopper, you are going to travel, You must leave your home now, Grasshopper, you are going to travel. He sang his song four times. By the time he finished, he had reached the island, and, sure enough, just as he had wished in his song, Grasshopper was not there. The cooking pot was still on the fire, and a beautiful clay pipe decorated with bright stones was beside the fire, with smoke still rising from its bowl, but the magician was nowhere to be seen. Gluskabe picked up the pipe. "Grasshopper," he said, "you are not going to need this anymore. Then he placed the pipe in his own pouch. Inside the lodge on many racks, tobacco bundles were drying. Gluskabe took them all and placed them in his canoe. He took all of the tobacco and did not leave a single seed. All around the fields were the bones of those who had come to steal tobacco and were killed by Grasshopper. Gluskabe gathered all of the bones together and then shouted. "Get up! Your enemy is coming back." Then all of the bones came back together, and all of the people came back to life. They were very happy, even though some of them had been in such a hurry to return to life that they had gotten the wrong bones. Some of them had legs or arms that were too short or too long. The old people say that is why there are crippled people today. Gluskabe shared the tobacco among them. He mended their boats, which had been broken by Grasshopper, and sent them back to their homes. "Tobacco is for everyone." he said. You must always share it and give it freely or it will not do you good. Then Gluskabe climbed back into his white stone canoe. He pushed it with his foot, and it flew back across the waves to the place where his Grandmother woodchuck waited. "Grandmother," he said, "I have brought tobacco. Never again will it be scarce." Grandmother Woodchuck was very happy. She filled her pipe with the tobacco and smoked it and gave thanks to Tabaldak. She began to sing a song in praise of her Grandson, Gluskabe. But as she sang, the magician, Grasshopper, came. He came across the sky in a magical canoe. "YOU!" He shouted in a loud and terrible voice. "You have stolen my tobacco!" "That is not so," Gluskabe said. It was not right for you to keep it all to yourself Now my children and my children's children will have tobacco to enjoy." Then he rubbed Grasshopper between his hands, and Grasshopper became very' small. "Please," Grasshopper said in a small voice, "give me seeds so I can grow tobacco for myself." But Gluskabe shook his head. "No longer can you be trusted to grow tobacco. That will be the job or my children and of my children's children. But since you were the first to grow tobacco, I will give you enough to enjoy in your lifetime. Open your mouth." Grasshopper opened his mouth and Gluskabe filled it with tobacco. Grasshopper was pleased, but he spoke again. Give me back my canoe so that I can fly across the sky." But Gluskabe shook his head. "It is not right for you to have such a magical canoe. I will split the back of your coat and give you wings. Now you will be able to fly on your own, but you will no longer be able to frighten the people." So it is that to this day tobacco is used by the children of Gluskabe and their children's children, and when they use it as Tabaldak intended, always giving it freely to others, it does them no harm. As for Grasshopper, he flies about with the wings Gluskabe gave him and chews his mouthfull of tobacco which will last all his life. And he remembers the lesson taught to him by Gluskabe. If you ever pickup any grasshopper it will immediately spit out its tobacco as if to say, "See, I am willing to share." from: I Become Part Of It: Sacred Dimensions in Native American life. Edited by D. M. Dooling and Paul Jordan-Srnith.  ParaboLa Books. New York 1989.