IOC) INDIAN- 01 I in PLAINS 



origin and transformation, for there arc talcs in which 

 supernatural beings appear in the form of well-known 

 animals and assist or grant favors to human beings. 

 The buffalo is a favorite character and is seldom en- 

 countered in the mythology from other areas. The bear, 

 beaver, elk, eagle, owl, and snake are frequently re- 

 ferred to but also occur in the myths of Woodland and 

 other tribes. Of imaginary creatures the most conspicu- 

 ous are the water monster and the thunderbird. The 

 former is usually an immense horned serpent who keeps 

 under water and who fears the thunder. The thunder- 

 bird is an eagle-like being who causes thunder. 



Migration legends and those accounting for the 

 origins and forms of tribal beliefs and institutions make 

 up a large portion of the mythology for the respective 

 tribes and must be carefully considered in formulating 

 a concept of the religion and philosophy of each. 



Religious Concepts. To most of us the mention 

 of religion brings to mind notions of God, a supreme over- 

 ruling and decidedly personal being. Nothing just like 

 this is found among the Indians. Yet, they seem to 

 have formulated rather complex and abstract notions 

 of a controlling power or series of powers pervading the 

 universe. Thus, the Dakota use a term wakan tanka 

 which seems to mean, the greatest sacred ones. The 

 term has often been rendered as the great mystery but 

 that is not quite correct. It is true that anything 

 strange and mysterious is pronounced wakan, or as 

 having attributes analogous to wakan tanka; but this 

 seems to mean supernatural. The tact is. as demon- 



