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CHAPTER SIX The Tribes ofPeople One of the cultural differences that strikes the European mind when it confronts Native American legends is the attitude toward other species. Whereas Europeans tend to consider other animals and plants as subordinate creatures, Native Americans see them as people with minds and wills, who mustbe dealtwith inthe same ways as humans. Other species are structured in social and political organizations much like the human tribes. Councils of animals make weighty decisions that have impact on human life, and peaceful relationsneedtobemaintainedacross speciesas muchaswithinthetwo-legged group. We have already seen that in the Southeasterners' view the telling of myths is itselfahuman activity that mustbe done correctly ifthe humans areto avoid war with various other animals. Humans made this attitude toward other animals part of their social organization. In the Southeast, every human was by birth a member ofa clan; because descent was counted through the mother, her clan was automatically given to the newborn child. Each clan was understood to be in a special relationshipwithaparticularanimal, theclantotem, soeachclanmemberlived in the awareness ofcertain taboos that must not be violated. Such taboos dealt withfoods whichcouldnotbeeatenandanimalswhichcouldnotbekilled. One shouldnevermarry apersonfromone'sownclan. Aswemightexpect, legends surroundedeachclan'stotem, bothexplainingthecharacteristicsoftheclanand theirrelationshipstoeachother. Hereisalegendthatdealsverydirectlywiththe origins ofclans. The Origin ofAnimals (Clans) • • • TASKIGI (CREEK) Theold-timebeingsweregatheredtogether. Theybeganacting indifferent ways and showing different qualities. Master-of-Breath observed them. Some llB beganjumping upon trees and running about. Someone asked, "What sort of beings are those?" "They are like panthers," someone answered. "Henceforth they shall go about as panthers," said Master-of-Breath. Then again, somebeganleapingandrunning. "Whataretheylike?" someoneasked. "Like deer," it was said. "Henceforth they shall go about as deer," said Master-ofBreath . Then again, some went hopping high among the leaves of trees and alighted on the branches. "What are they like?" asked somebody. "Like birds," someone answered. "They shall be birds," said Master-of-Breath. Then again, some were very fat and when they walked they made a great noise on the ground. "What are they like?" asked someone. "Like bears," was the answer. "They shall be bears, then," said Master-of-Breath. Then again, one started offto run butcould not go fast. When he came backhe had blackstripes near his eyes. "What will that be?" (it) was asked. "It is like a raccoon," said one. "Thatkindshallberaccoons," saidMaster-of-Breath. Thenonewassofat and round-bodied that when he started offhe could hardly walk. "What is that kind?" [it) was asked. "Itislikeabeaver," someoneanswered. "They shallbe the beavers," said Master-of-Breath. Then again, one kind was fat and could not run very fast. When this one had gone off to a distance and returned, someone asked, "What is that like?" "Like a mink." "They shall go about as minks," said Master-of-Breath. Then again, one was very swift when he started to run. He darted back and forth very quickly. "What is he like?" was the question. "Like a fox," camethe answer. "Thatkind shall be foxes, " said Master-of-Breath. Then again, one was very strong and could pull up saplings by the roots. He went off to a distance and returned. Then someone asked, "What is he like?" "Like the wind," was the answer. "That kind shall be wind," said Master-of-Breath. Thenagain, one startedoffinto the mud. When he had come back out ofit, someone asked, "What is he like?" "Like a mudpotato ," it was answered. "Such shall be mud-potatoes," said Master-ofBreath . Then again, one ofthem had short legs, and his back was covered with ridges. When he started out and returned, someone asked, "What is he like?" "Like an alligator," was the answer. "That kind shall be alligators," said Master-of-Breath. Then again, one with stripes on his back went running off, and when he came back, someone asked, "What is he like?" "Like a skunk," was the answer. "That kind shall be skunks," said Master-of-Breath. Then again, one went away jumping, and when he came back to the starting place, someone asked, "What is he like?" "Like a rabbit," was the answer. "That kind shall be rabbits," said Master-of-Breath. Then again, one went off squirming along on the ground. When he returned, someone asked, "What is he like?" "Like a snake," was the answer. "That kind shall be snakes," said Master-of-Breath. Master-of-Breath, after he had given them their forms on the earth, told them notto marry theirownkind, buttomarry peopleofotherclans. Allthe red people know what clans they belong to and do not marry in their own...

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