Original - North Central Michigan College Library

Great Hare are as varied as his name. 12 Hewas represented to me as the founder, and indeedthe creator, of the Indian nations ofNorth America. He lived originally towardthe going-down of the sun where, being warnedin a dream that the inhabitants would bedrowned by a general flood produced by heavyrains, he built a raft, on which he afterwardspreserved his own family and all the animalworld without exception. According to hisdream, the rains fell and a flood ensued. Hisraft drifted for many moons during whichno land was discovered. His family began todespair of a termination to the calamity, andthe animals, who had then the use of speech,murmured loudly against him. In the end heproduced a new earth, placed the animals uponit, and created man.At a subsequent period he took from theanimals the use of speech. This act of severitywas performed in consequence of a conspiracyinto which they had entered against the humanrace. At the head of the conspiracy was thebear; and the great increase which had takenplace among the animals rendered their numbersformidable. I have heard many other12The legends of Nanibojou, dealing with the mythof the creation, are preserved among many and widelyscattered tribes. In 1804 Captain Thomas G. Andersonfound at the site of modern Two Rivers, Wisconsin,an Indian chief named Nannabojou. His account ofthe origin and significance of his name is recorded inWis. Hist. Colls., IX, 155-57. Editor.204