296 THE ORIGIN OF MEDICINE CEREMONIES OR POWER. 
82. THE SQUASH MEDICINE.’ 
A long time ago, before ordinary people were placed on the earth, 
Tirawa put upon the earth a race of giants, who were given great power. 
These large people went out into the country and when they killed a 
buffalo they carried it easily. They were not afraid of wild animals, for 
they had great power. They were not afraid of the gods in the heavens, 
for they felt that they themselves had the same power. Early in the 
morning, when the sun rose in the east, these people would turn out and 
call the sun names and make fun of it. When they heard the thunder 
in the west they would call it names. They would turn their backs to 
the timber and show the utmost contempt for it. When Tirawa saw 
the people doing these things, and saw that he had not done right by 
making these large people, he said: ‘‘I shall now destroy them. They 
make fun of me, and they make fun of my minor gods. I have tried to 
punish them and I can not do it on account of the great power which I 
gave them. Although I shall destroy them, the earth will receive them 
and they shall turn into big roots, and when I have placed the smaller 
people on the earth they shall dig the roots and use them for sick people.”’ 
Then Tirawa sent the rain on the earth. The rain did not pour down 
very hard. The buffalo in the west seemed to have moved from its 
place and the waters broke through and everything was covered with 
water. There seemed to be more thunder and lightning from the heavens. 
Where the water rushed upon the land the people were washed away 
and were left on steep banks and other high places. Where the people 
were not destroyed they stood upon the land and the earth seemed to 
become soft and these people sank down. While they were sinking they 
were covered with lightning and clouds. This was done, because when 
they sank down into the earth some power should be left in them so 
that their remains would become medicine. The people who were washed 
away did not turn into roots, but their bodies were lodged in banks and 
other places. Tirawa promised that when the small people should be on 
the earth they should find these bones of the large people and that the 
bones should contain curative power for the sick. 
Many years afterwards when the small people were put on the earth 
the Big-Black-Meteoric-Star came to a man in a vision and told him 
where to find the roots; that these roots should be dug up from the earth; 
that they were made from a large people who had been destroyed on 
account of their wickedness; that the roots should not be dug where they 
1 Told by Buffalo, Skidi. The tale explains the origin of certain root medicines 
which came from giants. 
