"The following is a the first part of a transcript of stories told by Dr. Pius Moss, an Elder of the Arapaho Tribe on the Wind River Reservation. We have tried to preserve word usage and terminology as much as possible." --The Editors
Arapaho, as far as origin. At one time this land...there was no land here but water. Well, briefly, and it's very brief, I've never added nothing. I've heard this time and time again from my father, my aunts and uncles in the English relationship....but in the Arapaho they were my fathers and mothers.
So, I've heard this time and again that the place we live in now, was all water. And the old man we call the Flat Pipe, he was somewhat tired of being in the water. So he called for help. Well, after so long for some time, how many ducks flew by. Ten, twelve, whatever, but ducks flew by. They heard his plea for help. So they went down and he made the approach saying he needed help. "Do you want to get some land?" So, the ducks said that they would help. Do what they could. So they, in turn, went down into the depths of the lake or waterbed, or whatever it is ocean.
In due time they began to come back. Some didn't have anything, some had very little in their bills....very little earth. And they didn't accumulate too fast and the old man just wasn't satisfied. Still, he had something that he did not have before.
So, in due time, here comes a turtle. The turtle, then, was summoned by the old man, if he could help...going down into the depths of the ocean or water or lake to see if he could retrieve some land. Earth. He said that he would do what he could...glad to help. So then he went down. All right...in due time, here he comes back with a bit more than what the ducks had come up with. Then he went down how many times. Each time he came up with more. That satisfies the old man and then, as far as we're concerned, that's how land was established and that's how creation was established.
As far as our instructions...the information has never been put out in such a way to where it's been stereotyped or been distorted. It's simple. That's why I believe the elders when they tell me we were here all the time under those circumstances. And that was the origin of the Arapaho. We were here all the time in the Great Plains area. The anthropologists do state that we came from Southeast Asia across a land bridge between Alaska and Siberia, then came into the Northern American continent into the area of the Great Lakes, then on down into the area of New Jersey. Then westerly to the Great Lakes area, Minnesota, and then eventually back to the Great Plains.
Now....that is what the anthropologists have come up with and the time involved? You pick up a book and it says 2,000 years. The next book will say 3,000 to 4,000. Information that I have received is simple but true. Now, we speak of oral instruction and the elders say and I myself believe that because the culture of the mainstream of life that has enveloped us, it has the tendency to overcome our thoughts at times. At times we will surrender to that other culture and distort some of the oral information. That is why I say the old people gave instructions orally and, as simple as they were, they were maintained that way.
At one time, for the Native American that’s including all Native Americans there was a land of plenty. Actually there was that time. But then, progress, or whatever you might call it. Very near 500 years ago, the western hemisphere was discovered by a man named Columbus. Then I would say about 200 or 300 years later, the actual landing took place on the eastern coast. And that's where the migration started as far as the European people.
Now, when that time came, the Indians were very kind. But in due time because of the want of property, the want of land, the people that came from the European countries began to want this want that. A whole different Nation came into the country with the thought of this in mind. This will be mine. Whereas to the Indian, land belonged to everybody, not just one but to everybody. That was the thought that all Indians were instructed. Now, because of the influences...sickness and disease...being brought in by the immigrants, that smallpox took quite a few lives.
from Dreams' archives
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