214 THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE [eth. ann. 37 



might have something to eat. The oldest brother said, "What are 

 we going to eat?" Then the youngest two took the bow and arrows 

 that Earthmaker had given them and started toward the east. 

 Not long after the third brother came into view with a young deer 

 on his back and the youngest brother also came with a young deer 

 about 2 years old on his back. The deer that were killed, and 

 those that killed them, were also brothers. They were very much 

 delighted that they had obtained food. ' Then said they, "Let us 

 give our grandfather the first taste." Saying thus, they cut off the 

 ends of the tongues and the heart and tlirew them into the fii-e with 

 some fat. The first people to call on them were the War clan people. 

 They came from the west. Then came four others. They were the 

 thunders. Thus they were called the youngest brothers. Then came 

 those of the earth. Then came those of the Deer clan. Then those 

 of the Snake clan. Then came those of the Elk clan. Then came 

 those of the Bear clan. Then came those of the Fish clan. Then 

 came those of the Water-spirit clan and all the other clans that 

 exist. Then there appeared on the lake a very white bird — swan they 

 called it. And after that, all the other water birds that exist came. 

 And they named them in the order of their coming until the lake was 

 quite full. Then the people began to dress the deer meat. Suddenly 

 something came and alighted on the deer meat. "What is that?" 

 they said. Then said Kunuga, the eldest brother, ' 'It is a wasp, 

 and the first dog that I possess, if it is black. Wasp I shall call it." 

 Thus he spoke. "And as the wasp scented and knew of the deer 

 dressing so shall the dog be toward other animals, and wherever the 

 dog is, and animals are in the windward, he shall scent them." They 

 made a feast with the deer for Earthmaker and threw tobacco into 

 the fire and offered it to him. And to the other clans they showed 

 how fire was to be made and gave them some, "For," they said, 

 "each of you must now make fire for yourselves, as we shall not 

 always lend you some." There the people made their home. It 

 was just the time of the year when the grass comes as far as the knee. 



One day they reported that something very strange was near the 

 camp; but they said to themselves, "We wiU leave it alone." In a 

 little while it moved nearer. Thus it moved toward the camp and 

 soon it began to eat deer bones. They allowed it to become one of 

 their clans and took it into their house. It was the dog or wolf. They 

 killed one and made a feast to Earthmaker, telling him all about 

 what they had done. 



In the beginning the Thunder clansmen were as powerful as the 

 Thunder spirits themselves. It was the Thunder people who made 

 the ravines and the valleys. While wandering around the earth the 

 Thunder people struck the earth with their clubs and made dents in 

 the hills. That is the reason that the upper clans are chiefs of all 

 the others and that the least of all are the dog people. So it was. 



