Crow Stories: the Little People

One time when the crows were moving through here towards the prairie gap, a man and his wife had a baby that they packed on a wolf. When they were just about to go through the prairie gap, there was some antelopes there and the wolf with the baby started chasing the antelopes. And in the chase, the baby got lost. The wolf came back, but the baby was gone. So they looked for him and everybody stayed for about four days and looked for him and they couldn't find him. So finally the tribe left, but the family stayed behind and they kept looking and looking. And finally it was the end of summer and it was September and it was really cold. And because they were searching, they didn't have no food and they were cold. And then a young man came, and this was maybe three, four months after this happened. And a young man came in the teepee and he was a tall, handsome, good-looking man like all crows. And so he brought them food and property and he said, my name is Black Arrow and the little people that live under the earth and take care of the earth, make sure that the rivers flow and the grass to grow and the trees are down there and they're taking care of me. I'm living and I'm doing good down there and my job is to take care of the earth and I will take care of the crow people as long as I am around. And the little people are my family now and they will take care of the crows. They will be their helpers. So leave gifts at the prayer gap, whenever you go through there, leave gifts for them so that you know that you are thinking about them and in turn they will help you. After the other people came, some people were fasting on the prayer mountains and some of the little people came and told them that they were moving north because the people were polluting the land and it was not fit for them to live here anymore. And they were not mindful of the energy that was flowing here. But I think about during the depression, people went fasting and they wanted some of this energy. They went fasting and some of the little people came to them and said that they were back and that they would help them. And the people that saw them say that their leader's name is Red Fox, Yehukish. So that's the one we always pray to when we go up in the mountains. Not pray, but ask for guidance and for protection. They make sure that we live here where we were created for as long as there are crow people and that we are able to survive, that we will have the things that we need to survive and that not too many accidents will happen to us and that the rivers will keep flowing. Without the rivers, there will be no life. And make sure that there are plants and animals for the animals to eat. And then also, they have a spiritual energy that they use to protect us from everything. In fact, I have a song that my mother heard from one of the little people. That's the words to that song where the daybreak is coming. All the people, be grateful for the day. Celebrate, now celebrate. In our stories, they help us sometimes in warfare. They used to make war on the Sioux and the Shoshones. And they speak our language. And when I heard, when I was fasting, that's what I thought they would be because I understood them. They spoke our language. It was that force that was breaking through a barrier and then came to me. It was the energy of the tears of the creation. Maish'ta go'shta, to see the supernatural. Plinykus, wherever he fought a battle, they were right beside him in his battles. I don't think the other people could see them. But they could see the energy working with Plinyku. He said that he was surrounded by the Sioux in Nebraska one time in a buffalo wallow. And three of his friends were with him. And then he decided to use his energy against a lot of Sioux that were chasing them. And Plinyku was riding a green broke horse and he gave out. He wouldn't go anymore. So he jumped in his buffalo wallow and his friends jumped in with him also. And so he sank his energy and the Sioux stopped in wonder. And his friends could see like a haze coming up from Plinyku. And a hazy mist coming. And the Sioux stopped and then they went around them. And according to the story, they say that they could see the little people protecting Plinyku. So they left them alone. Because Plinyku was fasting, they took him down in the ground. And they see a lot of buffalo. That Plinyku thought that the buffalo and the little people were together. Under the earth. So I think these beings live forever. There's sort of new supernatural, but sometimes you could see them physically. And I think the buffalo are the same way as well as the wolves. We're here at a place called the Rock Mound. And there's a rule of them. The rocks are placed in a line. They're not very large. They're small in the beginning. I never counted how many there are, but they extend for about a quarter of a mile. From the prairie gap on top of the ridge all the way down to the lower end on the east side. And there have been a lot of conjectures about why they did these. They say that it was an offering to what we call the Awakula. The little people that lived in this area. There's powerful things that happen here. There's energy flowing that the people were aware of. And to my right and to the south is Castle Rock. And the Crows called it Amishisanwaho. And it's translated into many fasting places. Just a little bit to north and west is a place they call where they shoot arrows into the cliffs. Mapu. And this is associated with a child that was lost by a Crow man and a wife here a long time ago. When they were packing. And he said, now I'm one of the powerful people that live here. And he said, whenever you go by the cliff where the rock mound is, shoot arrows into the cliffs as gifts and we will take care of you. But you must always remember us. And the way to remember is to place gifts at the cliffs. And the Crows have been doing that ever since. They come through here and make offerings to the cliff. And in the old days, the young men used to shoot arrows into it so that this young man would be able to use these arrows. And even today, young men whose wives are about to have babies will come and ask for a male child. And they will place arrows there. And also to place rocks as you travel through the gap. And then the rocks get bigger as they approach the top of the ridge. And on top of the ridge is a huge pile. The doorway to where they live is right here behind me. And he told the people to pile rocks in it and fill it up so that other people who come will not molest it. And they will not bother the people who live inside the earth.