Birdy Burdick tells a traditional Oneida story at the Shako:wi Cultural Center. Legends and Oneida Life
Storytelling is an important component of the Oneida’s oral tradition.
As Haudenosaunee legends were passed down from generation to generation, the stories took on many variations. The Oneidas enjoyed stories about Little People, Flying Heads, and the Thunders. A majority of stories took on the familiar setting of woods and featured woodland creatures. It is these stories that taught Oneidas how to live, how to act, what to expect during the changeable seasons, and how to properly care for each other.Some stories are intended to teach a lesson, and they continue to be told from generation to generation. The legend of How Bear Lost his Tail is no different. In the version we share here, just as in other legends, fox is one trick ahead of good-natured bear. In the beginning, bear had a long, bushy tail of which he was quite proud. Bear loved to show off his tail to all the other animals, including fox. Now fox loved to play tricks, and one day decided to have some fun at bear’s expense. It was winter, and the lake had frozen. Fox knew the path bear took by the lake and decided to lure bear with some fish. Fox cut a hole in the ice and stacked many fish next to it. Fox knew bear loved to eat fish, but so did fox. Fox didn’t want bear to fish in this spot, fearing bear would eat all the fish up. ... See MORE here. Most PopularInformation, photos, video or graphics from www.OneidaIndianNation.com may not be republished, uploaded, posted or distributed in any way without the prior approval of Oneida Indian Nation Communications. Permission is for one time use only. Any use of this material must be credited to: Oneida Indian Nation.
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