The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions

is it going?” said Summer. “Did you come here?” thus said
Yellow Woman. Then answered Yellow Woman. “I pick
these poor things because I am hungry.” “Why do you not
eat corn and melons?” asked Summer. Then he gave her
some corn and melons. “Take it!” Then thus spoke Yellow
Woman, “It is good. Let us go. To my house I take you.” “Is
not your husband there?” “No. He went hunting deer. Today
at night he will come back.”
Then in the north they arrived. In the west they went
down. Arrived then they in the east. “Are you here?”
Remembering Prayer Sticks said. “Yes” Summer said.
“How is it going?” Summer said. Then he said, “Your
daughter Yellow Woman, she brought me here.” “Eh. That
is good.” Thus spoke Remembering Prayer Sticks.
The story would continue, with many of the elements
contained in Gunn’s version but organized along the axis of
directions, movement of the participants, their maternal
relationships to each other (daughter, mother, mother chief, etc.),
and events sketched in only as they pertained to directions and
the division of the year into its ritual/ ceremonial segments, one
belonging to the Kurena (summer super-naturals or powers who
are connected to the summer people or clans) and the other
belonging to the Kashare, perhaps in conjunction with the
Kopishtaya, the Spirits.
Summer, Miochin, is the Shiwana who lives on the south
mountain, and Sh-ah-cock is the Shiwana who lives on the north
mountain. 4 It is interesting to note that the Kurena wear three
eagle feathers and ctc’otika’ feathers (white striped) on their
heads, bells, and woman’s dress and carry a reed flute, which
perhaps is connected with Iyatiku’s sister, Istoakoa, Reed
Woman.