University of Virginia Library

3. More Indian Tradition

(from Indian Journal, June 7, 1901)

Chas. Gibson Thinks it is a Cold Subject for the White Man.

A cold subject for the white man, this, but it is no worse than to look over a newspaper filled up with the opening of some Indian reservation, some gusher, world's fair, or the commission to the five civilized tribes1 or the presentation of a bouquet to some high official, or some railroad that is aiming at every little village in the Indian territory, therefore we will try and cram down one more of the aforesaid traditions.

The Indian has been accused of being a cannibal. Tradition of the Indian does not corroborate the white man's history of the North American. They have a tradition like this:

In good old days there was a being that resembled a man very much, though weighing some 400 or 500 pounds and was some eight or ten feet high. This being was always a male, there being no females among them and there was very few of these beings. In this story we have only one cannibal. He could talk any language that then existed. He had a habit of being very kind to any person; never cross at any time. He would approach any one and speak very kindly to them and always before leaving extended a very kind invitation to go with him and enjoy his hospitality. In those days, as it is now, there was always some Indian who had plenty of spare time and would follow this being off. That would be the last seen of this party with so much time. Perchance his bow and arrows would be all that would be left to tell the tale. He (the cannibal) would entice little children to go with him. Their little bones would be all that could be found of them. This thing of cannibalism became too common and a certain lot of young men fixed up a trap to lay this giant cannibal low. The giant came a certain road to a certain camp of Indians. Just before reaching camp there was a certain very deep creek to cross; this was the place picked out by the men to lay the trap. The young men climbed trees and cut long grape vines which were stretched across the creek. Then vines were interwoven until it resembled a suspension bridge; leaves and soil were thrown over the surface until any one could walk over the bridge nicely. When the thing was completed the young men built a man trap under it and had it arranged all right when they saw the cannibal coming. The young men enticed a couple of little orphan children out on the end of the bridge, where the little fellows would be safe and gave them some venison and rice2 to eat. While the little fellows were eating, the giant walked upon the bridge about half way and began to talk very pretty to the children, hoping to get them to follow him off. Just about this time the bridge gave way and the giant went down into the trap. The young men rushed out of the brush and began hurling down wood gotten for the purpose. After heaping a great lot of fuel on the giant, they set fire to the heap. After awhile there was a loud explosion which was caused by the giant's head or skull bursting. The fire burned down and the young men raked out the burned bones of the giant, and among other medicines that the medicine men have are some few pieces of this selfsame giant's bones, which they claim have great medicinal properties even to this day.