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Indian Lore Two
Native American Folklore & Superstition:
Hunting & Ceremony (page 2)
Native American Lore:
Hunting and Ceremony
Hunting
Chickasaw- Deer hooves worn in a pouch around the neck ensures speed while hunting.
Dogrib- Carrying moose & deer antler draws animals for hunting.
Piegan- Deer carcass taboos: Never cut a deer’s windpipe. Never allow a dog to eat the deer’s heart. Never allow children to play with hooves.
Kathlamet- The bones of hunted animals must be placed in a body of water so that they may become reborn; if bones are disrespected by failing to do this, there will be no animals to hunt.
Plains- To bring abundant buffalo, spread buffalo dung on a plain while praying.
Puyallup- The cry of the loon means good fishing that day.
Iroquois- The eagle is respected as being the animal which can call food animals to the tribe for hunting.
Tlingit- Wooden whales are carved & carried for good fishing luck.
Crow- Offerings must be made to Moon Woman to ensure a good hunt.
Ceremony
Cansasa- In sacred ceremony, dried willow or dogwood bark is ground & smoked.
Pueblo, others- Humor & clowning are far more than simply entertaining; great power is generated & associated with humor.
Tlingit- Copper is associated with the Sun.
Seneca- Dolls are used in divination.
Seminoles- Clay dolls are used to avenge murders. A clay effigy is placed in a fire; if it falls over as it turns red, the murderer will die within four days. If it remains upright, justice will have to wait until the next life.
Huron, others- Participants in sacred ceremony must fast and take emetics (purgatives) before celebrating to be considered purified.
Serrano- Having possession of another person’s excrement gives one power over that person.
Eskimo- To preserve one’s eyesight, keep eyes averted & don’t use them too much, especially around women.
Iroquois, Seminole- During the New Year’s festival, all hearth fires must be extinguished for three days. Then, they are all ritually relit from a central fire to which offerings have been made.
Iroquois- Ritual masks must be stored face down, wrapped in cloth, fed corn mush and tobacco, and have the faces ritually rubbed with sunflower oil to prevent illness or loss of souls in the family.
Hopi- The left hand is considered the power hand, and is used for ritual purposes, such as putting on & removing masks. If the right hand is used in ritual, whatever it touches is considered defiled.
Omaha- Sacred pipes are made from pipestone, or catlinite, and this stone should always be revered and never used frivolously.
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