Myths and Legends of the Sioux

The timid rabbit who outwits the tyrannical bear, the wonderful turtle who marries the Indian chief’s daughter, the pet crane who saves a family–these and many other legendary figures appear in Myths and Legends of the Sioux. Marie L. McLaughlin, born to a white father and a mixed-blood Sioux mother, heard these stories while growing up among the eastern Sioux of Minnesota. When she recorded them for posterity in 1916 she had long been the wife of James McLaughlin, whom she served as interpreter during the years he was head of the Devils Lake and Standing Rock agencies and an inspector for the Indian Bureau. The thirty-eight pieces in this collection are rich in humor, animal lore, otherworldly encounters, and famous legends such as those featuring Unktomi (Spider) and the Stone Boy.