This collection of Native American stories presents tales of nature, transformation, and wisdom. They explore themes of how animals and humans interact, and the lessons learned from these relationships.
The theme of transformation is explored in stories like How The Squirrel Got Wings, where the industrious Squirrel is rewarded with wings by the Manito, the spirit of the woods. Similarly, How The First Bears Came tells how the Great Spirit transforms the grizzly people into bears after they capture his daughter. Another tale of transformation is seen in The Indian Legend of the Trailing Arbutus, where an old man changes into a flower as a maiden’s warmth brings life to him.
Nature also plays a central role in many stories, as animals serve as teachers or protagonists. In How Maple Sugar Came, the young Son-of-a-Brave learns the process of extracting maple sap from a woodpecker’s actions. The Sparrow’s Search for the Rain tells how a small Sparrow finds the Rain, which had been banished, to end a drought.
The theme of respect for the natural world and its beings is found in stories like Little Footsteps Upon The Water, where a boy is adopted by a bear family after being rescued by Grandmother Porcupine, and Brother Wolf And The Rock, which explores the consequences of Brother Wolf’s relationship with a rock that refuses to return his blanket.
Stories also present the idea of prophecy and fulfillment. In The Great Stone Face, the boy Ernest lives through a prophecy, eventually becoming the embodiment of the Great Stone Face, despite the many candidates who were thought to fulfill it before him. Little Bear tells of a young boy and his bear sister who go on an adventure to restore the sun and moon, becoming wealthy as a result of their journey.
Tales of resilience and challenge are evident in stories like Nipon And The King Of The Northland, where Nipon defies her grandmother and faces the power of the Winter King, and The Ice King, in which a young man overcomes the Ice King’s harsh winter reign.
Imagination over knowledge
