Sacred Stories of the Sweet Grass Cree

by Leonard Bloomfield

Sacred Stories of the Sweet Grass Cree , first published in 1930, is once again available, allowing readers to enjoy these wonderful Native stories that have been passed down from generation to generation. These stories concern the time when the earth was not in its present, definitive state, and tell of the origins of the world, its people, and the creatures that eventually took the shape of present-day animals. The collection includes stories such as The Birth of Wisahketchahk and the Origin of Mankind, The Origins of Horses, Why the Dead are Buried, Thunderbird and Winter , and many others. In 1925, Leonard Bloomfield, a linguistics professor at Yale University, spent five weeks on the Sweet Grass Reservation near Battleford, Saskatchewan, recording stories told to him by members of the tribe. The storytellers -- none of whom spoke English -- included Coming-Day, an extemely articulate blind old man who was said to know more traditional stories than any other member of the band; Adam Sakewew, a gifted storyteller; Maggie Achenam, a middle-aged woman full of interesting lore; and others. The stories, dictated to Bloomfield in Cree, are presented in the book in the original Cree and in English translations. A valuable treasury of traditional stories from the Sweet Grass Cree, this collection provides insights into the language, culture, and sacred teachings of some of North America's First Nations.

346 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Biiwide · Rating 4 out of 5]

The orthography Bloomfield used for Cree was a bit strange, and he invariably skips the translation of the "entertaining" parts. The stories he recorded are very enjoyable, although you can see apparent christian influences in many of them.

[Biiwide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloomfield's orthography is inconsistent, and he left out translations of the really fun parts of many stories (such things would have been too improper in 1930). However, the stories are quite good and it's fun to compare them with variations from other locales.