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Native American Pourquoi Stories
Here is our collection of Native American pourquoi stories.
How Daylight Came To Be:
Salishan legend about how Ant Woman won daytime from the Creator.
Gluskabe Changes Maple Syrup:
Abenaki myth about the origins of maple syrup.
Abenaki pourquoi story about the origin of Indian summer.
Rabbit and the Moon Man:
Micmac legend about why the moon has dark marks on its face.
How The Crow Came To Be Black:
Pourquoi story about a nosy crow punished for his interference with the people's hunting.
Chipmunk and Bear:
An Iroquois legend about how Chipmunk became striped.
How The Deer Got His Horns:
Cherokee legend explaining how Deer and Rabbit became as they are today.
Why Opossum's Tail is Bare:
Cherokee legend about the origin of Opossum's scaly tail.
Why The Porcupine Has Quills:
Chippewa Indian pourquoi legend about how Porcupine learned to defend himself.
How the Turkey Buzzard Became As He Is:
Lenape pourquoi story about the origins of buzzards, opossums, and foxes.
Why Buffalo Has A Hump:
Chippewa story about Buffalo being punished for his recklessness.
How the Beaver Got His Tail:
Ojibwe legend about Beaver's flat tail.
The Crane and the Otter:
Assiniboine legend telling how otters got their thick fur.
Mole and the Sun:
Achumawi myth telling how Mole got his bent arms.
Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends
Keepers of the Night:
Excellent collection of Native pourquoi legends about the night sky, with teaching activities for classroom use.
The Way to Make Perfect Mountains:
Collection of Native American legends from many tribes about the origins of mountains.
How The Stars Fell Into The Sky:
A lovely picture book illustrating the Navajo myth about the creation of the stars.
How Chipmunk Got His Stripes:
Charming picture book illustrating a Woodlands Indian legend about Chipmunk.
Raccoon's Last Race:
Another good children's book by a Native author about how Raccoon got his unusual shape.
Day and Night:
Bilingual children's book illustrating a Navajo legend about how night and day began.
How Thunder and Lightning Came to Be:
Picture book based on a Choctaw legend about the origin of thunder and lightning.
How Spirit Dog Made The Milky Way The Story of the Milky Way:
Picture books based on a Cherokee legend about a dog that spilled the stars.
Picture book illustrating a Lenape legend about how Crow became black and began to caw.
The Opossum's Tale:
Children's book telling a Cherokee legend about how the possum got his tail.
Children's book illustrating a Southwest Indian legend about how the rattlesnake got its fangs.
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