A Creature Feared & Forgotten



Underwater Panther drawing when it was still on the bluff...

Underwater Panther

 This ancient animal being lived in the Great Lakes area and was encountered by the Oceti Sakowin and Ojibwe, it is just one of the historical beings our people knew along with the giants, giant snakes, giant turtles, giant bears, Bigfoot, stick people, dwarve people-little people, water monsters, and Star People just to name a few.

Known to the Ojibwe as the Mishibizhiw, or underwater panther, a creature of the underworld who lives in creeks and rivers, waiting to drown unsuspecting victims. According to a Sioux tale, the Mishibizhiw is covered in red hair. “Its body was shaped like that of a buffalo. It had one eye and in the middle of its forehead was one horn. Its backbone was just like a cross-cut saw; it was flat and notched like a saw or cogwheel.” Because of the creature’s characteristic dorsal fins and deadly, spiked tail, some have speculated that the Mishibizhiw is none other than the prehistoric stegosaurus.

 

An Ojibwe tale of an underwater panther reports that the creature lived on an island of mud in a lake that separated two tribal villages. The villagers usually avoided the island because of an evil spirit, but on one festival occasion, two girls crossing the lake came across the underwater panther. The creature flicked its tail at the boat as if to overturn it, so the girl took a swipe at it with an oar. The oar cut a piece right off the panther’s tail, which remained in the boat as a solid hunk of copper and brought them good luck in fishing and hunting for the rest of their lives.

If someone were to kill one or capture a part of it, they would attain great power and vitality as they were strong medicine; that's if they weren't eaten first!

Oceti Sakowin

On this subject, Khaŋǧí Thatéiyumni said, In Lakota/Dakota it's called "unktehi". The opposite if Wakinyan. They don't represent good and bad because we don't have that concept, but they represent order vs chaos. Lightning kills people but water drowns people. Wakinyan bring power and unktehi brings power and brought us the Wacipi Wakan ceremony. At one time more respected than Sundance, but put away in the early 1900s. "

Janna Flautt went further adding, "I was just doing some research on this two days ago. I grew up on the Mississippi River and there are many stories about these creatures there. This is a craving found in the Mississippi. We also have what is called the Piasa Bird. It is a painting now on a piece of metal It used to be painted on the bluffs themselves. I helped repaint it when I was young. They lost the rites to the spot on the bluffs where it was, to a barge line co. There are many theories about it. It is very interesting, if you go a chance, look it up..."

Underwater Panther drawing found in the Mississippi area.