The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions

irds and the four legged animals—all those that live in
sunny climes. For his advance guard and shield he selected
the bat (pickikke), as its tough skin would best resist the
sleet and hail that Sh-ah-cock would hurl at him.
Meantime Sh-ah-cock had gone to his home in the north
to make his preparations for battle. To his aid he called all
the winter birds and all of the four legged animals of the
wintry climates. For his advance guard and shield he
selected Shro-ak-ah (a magpie).
When these formidable forces had been mustered by the
rivals, they advanced, Mi-o-chin from the south and Sh-ahcock
from the north, in battle array.
Ya-chun-ne-ne-moot kindled his fires and piled great
heaps of resinous fuel upon them until volumes of steam and
smoke ascended, forming enormous clouds that hurried
forward toward Kush-kut-ret and the battle ground. Upon
these clouds rode Mi-o-chin, the Spirit of Summer, and his
vast army. All the animals of the army, encountering the
smoke from Ya-chun-ne-ne-moot’s fires, were colored by
the smoke so that, from that day, the animals from the south
have been black or brown in color.
Sh-ah-cock and his army came out of the north in a
howling blizzard and borne forward on black storm clouds
driven by a freezing wintry wind. As he came on, the lakes
and rivers over which he passed were frozen and the air
was filled with blinding sleet.
When the combatants drew near to Kush-kut-ret, they
advanced with fearful rapidity. Their arrival upon the field
was marked by fierce and terrific strife.
Flashes of lightning darted from Mi-o-chin’s clouds.
Striking the animals of Sh-ah-cock, they singed the hair
upon them, and turned it white, so that, from that day, the
animals from the north have worn a covering of white or