In this Book
- Legends of the Northern Paiute: as told by Wilson Wewa
- Book
- 2017
- Published by: Oregon State University Press
summary
Legends of the Northern Paiute shares and preserves twenty-one original and previously unpublished Northern Paiute legends, as told by Wilson Wewa, a spiritual leader and oral historian of the Warm Springs Paiute. These legends were originally told around the fires of Paiute camps and villages during the “story-telling season” of winter in the Great Basin of the American West. They were shared with Paiute communities as a way to pass on tribal visions of the “animal people” and the “human people,” their origins and values, their spiritual and natural environment, and their culture and daily lives.
The legends in this volume were recorded, transcribed, reviewed, and edited by Wilson Wewa and James Gardner. Each legend was recorded, then read and edited out loud, to respect the creativity, warmth, and flow of Paiute storytelling. The stories selected for inclusion include familiar characters from native legends, such as Coyote, as well as intriguing characters unique to the Northern Paiute, such as the creature embodied in the Smith Rock pinnacle, now known as Monkey Face, but known to the Paiutes in Central Oregon as Nuwuzoho the Cannibal.
Wewa’s apprenticeship to Northern Paiute culture began when he was about six years old. These legends were passed on to him by his grandmother and other tribal elders. They are now made available to future generations of tribal members, and to students, scholars, and readers interested in Wewa’s fresh and authentic voice. These legends are best read and appreciated as they were told—out loud, shared with others, and delivered with all of the verve, cadence, creativity, and humor of original Paiute storytellers on those clear, cold winter nights in the high desert.
The legends in this volume were recorded, transcribed, reviewed, and edited by Wilson Wewa and James Gardner. Each legend was recorded, then read and edited out loud, to respect the creativity, warmth, and flow of Paiute storytelling. The stories selected for inclusion include familiar characters from native legends, such as Coyote, as well as intriguing characters unique to the Northern Paiute, such as the creature embodied in the Smith Rock pinnacle, now known as Monkey Face, but known to the Paiutes in Central Oregon as Nuwuzoho the Cannibal.
Wewa’s apprenticeship to Northern Paiute culture began when he was about six years old. These legends were passed on to him by his grandmother and other tribal elders. They are now made available to future generations of tribal members, and to students, scholars, and readers interested in Wewa’s fresh and authentic voice. These legends are best read and appreciated as they were told—out loud, shared with others, and delivered with all of the verve, cadence, creativity, and humor of original Paiute storytellers on those clear, cold winter nights in the high desert.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Editor’s Introduction
- pp. vii-xii
- Acknowledgments and Dedication
- pp. xiii-xvi
- Preface and Personal History
- pp. xvii-xliv
- Legends of the Northern Paiute
- 4. How the Seasons Came to Be
- pp. 13-18
- 6. Wolf Makes Pine Nut Trees
- pp. 25-26
- 16. Coyote and the Escape of Mouse
- pp. 85-88
- 17. Why the Rat’s Tail Has No Hair
- pp. 89-94
- 19. Obsidian and Rock, Deer and Coyote
- pp. 101-104
- Recommended Reading
- pp. 125-127
Additional Information
ISBN
9780870719011
Related ISBN(s)
9780870719004
MARC Record
OCLC
1007887794
Pages
171
Launched on MUSE
2017-11-01
Language
English
Open Access
No
Copyright
2017