The northeastern area of the US stretches from the
Great Lakes (W) to the Atlantic Ocean (E) and from the southern woodlands of
eastern Canada (N) to the northern Appalachian Mountains (S). Within this area
there are two major cultural groups of Native American: the Iroquoian people,
including the Huron, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca; and the
Algonquin people, including Wampanoag and Lenape. This story comes from the Seneca
people, who teach the importance of listening. And listening also means to
listen to the earth.
A long time ago, when there were no stories, life
was hard for people. They had nothing to talk about during the long winter
nights. They sat around fire feeling bored.
But all this had changed with a little boy known as
Gaqka, meaning Crow. He was called so, because he was covered in black from
head to toes, including face and his clothes. He didn’t have a mother or father
to take care of him. Some people laughed at him because of his appearance. It
made the boy feel sadder and more isolated.
One day as he was returning home from hunting, he
came across a great cliff, which looked like man’s face. He felt tired and the
rock forming man’s face for some reason was comforting to him. So he decided to
rest there for a bit, leaning against the rock.
“If only I knew how to make people listen to me
instead of laughing at me,” sighed the boy.
“Would you like me to tell you a story,” a deep
voice echoed.
“Who is it?” Gaqka looked around searching for the
person who just spoke, but as he looked around he only saw the rock face and
realized that it was the rock who had spoken to him.
The boy got scared a bit, but his curiosity got the
better of him. “I don’t know what a story is, but whatever it is I will listen.”
“Well, you must give me something first and in
return I will tell you a story,” said the rock.
“Very well, here is a fish,” he handed his day’s
catch from the river.
“Very well,” responded the rock. “Now I shall tell
you a story.” And so he did. He told a story of how the earth was made. Gaqka
listened intently, remembering each word carefully. Once home, he would retell
the story to his people.
After the stone spoke the last words, the boy
thanked him and hurried back to his longhouse.
The same night, as people sat around the fire with
only occasional sighing to be heard, Gaqka spoke, “Shall I tell a story?” Only
laughing and snorting echoed as the response to his question.
“Very well,” spoke the boy. “I shall tell you a story
of how the earth came to be.” And so he did. People listened keenly as they had
never heard a story before.
“That was wonderful,” a different response echoed
this time. “Tell us another story.”
“I will,” replied the boy. “But it shall wait until
tomorrow’s night.”
The next day, Gaqka went back to the rock face and
asked for more stories. And so it continued for quite some time. Gaqka would
listen to the rock face for more tales to share with his people each night. And
just as he gave gifts to the great stone, so the people gave gifts to him to
show their appreciation for his stories. He was given new clothing, moccasins,
and jewelry. He was no longer a small boy in dirty clothes, but a tall
well-dressed man. He was no longer called Gaqka. Now his name was Hage-ota, the
storyteller.
Some tried to find out where he learned his stories
by following him. To their surprise they found the young man sitting by the face
rock and closely listening to something. But the only thing they heard was the
wind blowing and rustling the leaves on the trees.
One day, when Hage-ota came to the face rock to
listen to another story, he heard instead, “I have shared with you all the
stories, which once belonged to the stones and now they belong to the people.
Anyone who truly listens to the people may hear a story.”
And so it is that you should listen.
Source: The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native
American Folktales by James Bruchac and Joseph Bruchac
great story
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