University of Virginia Library

WAH-ZEE-YAH;
ANOTHER OF THE
GIANT GODS OF THE DAHCOTAHS.

Wah-zee-yah had a son who was killed by Etokah
Wachastah, Man of the South. Wah-zee-yah is the god
of the winter, and Etokah Wachastah is the god of the
summer. When there is a cold spell early in the warm
weather, the Dahcotahs say Wah-zee-yah is looking back.
When the son of Wah-zee-yah was killed, there were six
on each side; the Beings of the south were too strong for
those of the north, and conquered them. When the battle
was over, a fox was seen running off with one of the Beings
of the north.

These gods of the Dahcotahs are said to be inferior to
the Great Spirit; but if an Indian wants to perform a
deed of valor, he prays to Haokah the Giant. When they
are in trouble, or in fear of anything, they pray to the
Great Spirit. You frequently see a pole with a deer-skin,
or a blanket hung to it; these are offerings made to the
Great Spirit, to propitiate him. White Dog, who lives
near Fort Snelling, says he has often prayed to the Great
Spirit to keep him from sin, and to enable him and his
family to do right. When he wishes to make an offering
to the Great Spirit, he takes a scarlet blanket, and paints

a circle of blue in the centre, (blue is an emblem of peace,)
and puts ten bells, or silver brooches to it. This offering
costs him $20. Christians are too apt to give less liberally
to the true God. When White Dog goes to war, he makes
this offering.

White Dog says he never saw the giant, but that “Iron
Members,” who died last summer, saw one of the giants
several years ago.

Iron Members was going hunting, and when he was
near Shah-co-pee's village, he met the Giant. He wore a
three-cornered hat, and one side was bright as the sun; so
bright one could not look upon it; and he had a crooked
thing upon his shoulder.

Iron Members was on a hill; near which was a deep
ravine, when suddenly his eye rested upon something so
bright that it pained him to look at it. He looked down
the ravine and there stood the Giant. Notwithstanding
his position, his head reached to the top of the trees. The
Giant was going northwards, and did not notice the Indian
or stop; he says he watched the Giant; and, as he went
forward, the trees and bushes seemed to make way for him.
The visit was one of good luck, the Indians say, for there
was excellent hunting that season.

The Dahcotahs believe firmly the story of Iron Members.
He was one of their wisest men. He was a great
warrior and knew how to kill his enemies. White Dog
says that at night, when they were on a war party, Iron
Members would extinguish all the fires of the Dahcotahs,
and then direct his men where to find the Chippeways.
He would take a spoonful of sugar, and the same quantity
of whiskey, and make an offering to the spirits of their

enemies; he would sing to them, and charm them so that
they would come up so close to him that he would knock
them on the head with his rattle, and kill them. These
spirits approach in the form of a bear. After this is done,
they soon find their enemies and conquer them.

The Dahcotahs think their medicine possesses supernatural
powers; they burn incense,—leaves of the white
cedar tree,—in order to destroy the supernatural powers of
a person who dislikes them. They consider the burning
of incense a preventive of evil, and believe it wards off
danger from lightning. They say that the cedar tree is
wahkun (spiritual) and on that account they burn its
leaves to ward off danger. The temple of Solomon was
built of cedar.

Unktahe, the god of the waters, is much reverenced by
the Dahcotahs. Morgan's bluff, near Fort Snelling, is
called “God's house” by the Dahcotahs; they say it is
the residence of Unktahe, and under the hill is a subterranean
passage, through which they say the water-god
passes when he enters the St. Peter's. He is said to be as
large as a white man's house.

Near Lac qui parle is a hill called “the Giant's house.”
On one occasion the Rev. Mr. — was walking with
a Dahcotah, and as they approached this hill the Dahcotah
exclaimed, “Do you not see him, there he is.” And
although no one else saw the Giant, he persisted in
watching him for a few moments as he passed over the
hill.

Near Lac qui parle, is living an old Dahcotah woman of
a singular appearance. Her face is very black, and her
hair singed and faded-looking. She was asked by a

stranger to account for her singular appearance. “I
dreamed of the Giant,” she said; “and I was frightened
when I woke; and I told my husband that I would give a
dance to the Giant to propitiate him; but my husband
said that I was not able to go through the Giant's dance;
that I would only fail, and bring disgrace upon him and
all my family. The Giant was very angry with me, and
punished me by burning my face black, and my hair as
you see it.” Her husband might well fear that she would
not be able to perform this dance.

It would be impossible to give any idea of the number
of the gods of the Dahcotahs. All nature is animated
with them; every mountain, every tree, is worshipped, as
among the Greeks of old, and again, like the Egyptians,
the commonest animals are the objects of their adoration.

May the time soon come when they will acknowledge
but one God, the Creator of the Earth and Heaven, the
Sovereign of the universe!