The Huron
The Huron, also known as the Wyandot, are a tribe of Native Americans who originally inhabited an area of central Ontario. The Huron were the bitter enemies of the Iroquois, and - after being driven from their lands in 1650 - split into two factions. The first group travelled to Quebec, while the other, larger band moved into the Ohio Valley region. During the 1840's these people were moved on to Kansas. Many of these people still live in the Kansas area.
Prior to the arrival of the white man the Huron may have numbered as many as 40,000 people. When the French arrived in the early 1600s, there was a confederacy of four main Huron bands, comprised of about twenty villages. Each Huron village was relatively autonomous, The people lived in sometimes cramped and always well fortified settlements of up to 1,000 members. As with most of their neighboring native tribes, the Huron were to lose vast numbers to the guns and the diseases of the Europeans. By 1640, they were down to just 10,000 people. Some Huron were to amalgamate with other tribes, leaving only a few thousand to move to Kansas. Today those Huron living in the United States are known as Wyandot and are to be found primarily in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Like most of the other Eastern woodland tribes the Huron were farmers during the Summer and hunters during the winter. Corn, squash, beans and tobacco were all cultivated. Hunting in the winter period was mainly of bison, deer, bear and small game.
Prior to the arrival of the white man the Huron may have numbered as many as 40,000 people. When the French arrived in the early 1600s, there was a confederacy of four main Huron bands, comprised of about twenty villages. Each Huron village was relatively autonomous, The people lived in sometimes cramped and always well fortified settlements of up to 1,000 members. As with most of their neighboring native tribes, the Huron were to lose vast numbers to the guns and the diseases of the Europeans. By 1640, they were down to just 10,000 people. Some Huron were to amalgamate with other tribes, leaving only a few thousand to move to Kansas. Today those Huron living in the United States are known as Wyandot and are to be found primarily in Kansas and Oklahoma.
Like most of the other Eastern woodland tribes the Huron were farmers during the Summer and hunters during the winter. Corn, squash, beans and tobacco were all cultivated. Hunting in the winter period was mainly of bison, deer, bear and small game.
"The Sky Tree"
In the beginning, Earth was covered with water. In Sky Land, there were people living as they do now on Earth. In the middle of that land was the great Sky Tree. All of the food which the people in that Sky Land ate came from the great tree.
The old chief of that land lived with his wife, whose name was Aataentsic, meaning “Ancient Woman,” in their long house near the great tree. It came to be that the old chief became sick, and nothing could cure him. He grew weaker and weaker until it seemed he would die. Then a dream came to him, and he called Aataentsic to him.
“I have dreamed,” he said, “and in my dream I saw how I can be healed. I must be given the fruit which grows at the very top of Sky Tree. You must cut it down and bring that fruit to me.”
Aataentsic took her husband’s stone ax and went to the great tree. As soon as she struck it, it split in half and toppled over. As it fell, a hole opened in Sky Land, and the tree fell through the hole. Aataentsic returned to the place where the old chief waited.
“My husband,” she said, “when I cut the tree, it split in half and then fell through a great hole. Without the tree, there can be no life. I must follow it.”
Then, leaving her husband, she went back to the hole in Sky Land and threw herself after the great tree.
As Aataentsic fell, Turtle looked up and saw her. Immediately Turtle called together all the water animals and told them what she had seen.
“What should be done?” Turtle said.
Beaver answered her. “You are the one who saw this happen. Tell us what to do.”
“All of you must dive down,” Turtle said. “Bring up soil from the bottom, and place it on my back.”
Immediately all of the water animals began to dive down and bring up soil. Beaver, Mink, Muskrat, and Otter each brought up pawfuls of wet soil and placed the soil on Turtle’s back until they had made an island of great size. When they were through, Aataentsic settled down gently on the new Earth, and the pieces of the great tree fell beside her and took root.
The old chief of that land lived with his wife, whose name was Aataentsic, meaning “Ancient Woman,” in their long house near the great tree. It came to be that the old chief became sick, and nothing could cure him. He grew weaker and weaker until it seemed he would die. Then a dream came to him, and he called Aataentsic to him.
“I have dreamed,” he said, “and in my dream I saw how I can be healed. I must be given the fruit which grows at the very top of Sky Tree. You must cut it down and bring that fruit to me.”
Aataentsic took her husband’s stone ax and went to the great tree. As soon as she struck it, it split in half and toppled over. As it fell, a hole opened in Sky Land, and the tree fell through the hole. Aataentsic returned to the place where the old chief waited.
“My husband,” she said, “when I cut the tree, it split in half and then fell through a great hole. Without the tree, there can be no life. I must follow it.”
Then, leaving her husband, she went back to the hole in Sky Land and threw herself after the great tree.
As Aataentsic fell, Turtle looked up and saw her. Immediately Turtle called together all the water animals and told them what she had seen.
“What should be done?” Turtle said.
Beaver answered her. “You are the one who saw this happen. Tell us what to do.”
“All of you must dive down,” Turtle said. “Bring up soil from the bottom, and place it on my back.”
Immediately all of the water animals began to dive down and bring up soil. Beaver, Mink, Muskrat, and Otter each brought up pawfuls of wet soil and placed the soil on Turtle’s back until they had made an island of great size. When they were through, Aataentsic settled down gently on the new Earth, and the pieces of the great tree fell beside her and took root.