NATIVE AMERICAN

Native American
Mythology

99 Copyright 2010 American Classical League

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 NATIVE AMERICAN

“The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog”

Match the person/thing described with each description. You may use the words more than once.

Good Running Long Arrow’s Sister The Spirit Child

Great Mystery Lake The Old Spirit Chief The Spirit of the Pond
The Kingfisher Pono-Kamita, the Elk-Dog The Tall Spirit of the Lake
Long Arrow

1. I am powerful, holy and great.

Meeting me was Long Arrow’s fate. __________________________________________

2. South, I said, is where to walk

To meet my uncle and to talk. __________________________________________

3. This kindly chief took in the boy.

His wife showed very little joy. __________________________________________

4. This place was his final destination,

The end of his investigation. __________________________________________

5. A crack! A snap! And out it came.

I could finally hear my name. __________________________________________

6. I hid my feet quite well, of course,

Since they look like hooves of a horse. __________________________________________

7. The village moved. They were not kind

Because they left this boy behind. __________________________________________

8. I smiled a friendly, hideous grin

And sent the boy to find my kin. __________________________________________

9. I wore a buckskin robe of white,

But then became a bird in flight. __________________________________________

10. I carry burdens. I’m swift and strong.

To the spirit people I belong. __________________________________________

11. I was deaf. I could not hear.

No one seemed to want me near. __________________________________________

12. I lived with folks I hardly knew.

The “foolish boy” could not come, too. __________________________________________

13. Through the water this bird flew.

Long Arrow followed sure and true. __________________________________________

100 Copyright 2010 American Classical League

May be reproduced for classroom use
 NATIVE AMERICAN

Reading for Content in “The Jicarilla Genesis”

1. Who won the button and thimble game four out of four times? ________________________________

2. What birds influenced the outcome of the button and thimble game?

___________________________________ __________________________________

3. What four animals hid in the darkness after the button and thimble games?

__________________________________ __________________________________

__________________________________ __________________________________

4. Who told the people about “the earth?” _________________________________

5. What did the people build in order to reach the upper world? _________________________________

6. What color were the plants on the East Mound? __________________________________

7. What color were the plants on the South Mound? __________________________________

8. What color were the plants on the West Mound? __________________________________

9. What color were the plants on the North Mound? __________________________________

10. Who caused the mountains to cease growing? __________________________________

11. What material finally worked for the building of the ladder? ________________________________

12. Why are buffalo horns curved? _____________________________________________________

13. Who rolled the waters away? __________________________________

14. Why did the Beaver build a dam? ____________________________________________________

15. Where did the Jicarillas tell the Ruler they wished to stop? ____________________________________

101 Copyright 2010 American Classical League

May be reproduced for classroom use
 NATIVE AMERICAN

TEACHER’S KEY
“The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog”

1. The Old Spirit Chief

2. The Spirit of the Pond
3. Good Running
4. Great Mystery Lake
5. Long Arrow
6. The Old Spirit Chief
7. Long Arrow
8. The Tall Spirit of the Lake
9. The Spirit Child
10. Pono-Kamita, the Elk Dog
11. Long Arrow
12. Long Arrow’s sister
13. The Kingfisher

TEACHER’S KEY
Reading for Content in “The Jicarilla Genesis”
1. the people
2. magpie and quail
3. black bear, brown bear, mountain lion, owl
4. the sun
5. four mounds
6. black
7. blue
8. yellow
9. variegated
10. the two girls
11. buffalo horns
12. weight of people
13. the four storms
14. to save water for people
15. in the middle of the earth

102 Copyright 2010 American Classical League

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 NATIVE AMERICAN

“The Jicarilla Genesis” - Who? What? Where?

Crossword
Fill in the crossword below with answers to the clues found on the next page.

2 3

7 8

10

11

12

13

14 15

103 Copyright 2010 American Classical League

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 NATIVE AMERICAN

“The Jicarilla Genesis” Crossword (continued)

CLUES
ACROSS
7. What did the People use for torches? (two words)
9. In the beginning, with what was earth covered?
10. In the beginning, what could people, animals, trees and rocks do?
12. What did the people in the North, South, East and West each build?
13. What did the crow eat that caused his color to change?
14. What did the beaver make for People?

DOWN
1. On what did people stand to reach the surface of the earth? (two words)
2. In the beginning, where were all living things?
3. By what are the sun and moon fastened so they won’t float away? (two words)
4. Where did the Jicarillas decide to stop?
5. Who lost the button and thimble game? (two words)
6. Out of what did the people try to make ladders?
8. Which animal slunk away after the third round of the button and thimble game? (two words)
11. Who discovered why the mountains stopped growing?
15. What made the badger’s and the polecat’s legs black?

104 Copyright 2010 American Classical League

May be reproduced for classroom use
 NATIVE AMERICAN

TEACHER’S KEY
“The Jicarilla Genesis” Crossword

U S U

N P F T

D I N F A

E D I F A O

R E A G L E P L U M E S

W A T E R H A O O

O T T T H U

R H A H O N

L R N E R T A L K

D E I R N A

A M S S I T

M O U N D A N O

S L L R

S C A R R I O N

O A

N D A M

O U

105 Copyright 2010 American Classical League

May be reproduced for classroom use
 NATIVE AMERICAN

Recognizing Similarities
In the Native American myths “The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog” and “The Jicarilla Genesis,” there are
ideas present that are similar to ideas in other familiar stories. See if you can think of a story from another
culture that contains the elements listed below.

1. In the myth “The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog,” there were spirits living at the bottom of a lake who
emerged when the hero of the story appeared.

Similar Story: _____________________________________________________

2. In the myth “The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog,” Long Arrow met three spirit men, and each one he met
was more powerful than the previous one.

Similar Story: _____________________________________________________

3. In the myth “The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog,” a human being turned into a kingfisher.

Similar Story: _____________________________________________________

4. In the myth “The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog,” the main character in the story was allowed to ask the
Spirit Chief for three things.

Similar Story: _____________________________________________________

5. In the myth “The Orphan Boy and the Elk Dog,” the people in Long Arrow’s village thought they saw a
creature who was half man and half horse.

Similar Story: _____________________________________________________

6. The myth “The Jicarilla Genesis” explains why Polecat and Badger have black legs, why buffalo horns are
curved, and why the crow is black.

Similar Story: _____________________________________________________

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TEACHER’S KEY
Recognizing Similarities

1. King Arthur Legends – “Lady of the Lake”

2. Fairy Tale -- “Three Billy Goats Gruff”

3. Greek Mythology – “Ceyx and Halcyon”

4. Fairy Tale – “The Three Wishes”

5. Greek Mythology – Centaurs

6. Rudyard Kipling – Just So Stories

Greek Mythology – “Why the Peacock Has Eyes on Its Tail”

107 Copyright 2010 American Classical League

May be reproduced for classroom use