lions vrs native americans

[akbruce66]

I live just south of the SD Pine Ridge Res. in the phone book there are plenty of names about Bull's, Bears, horse's even Bluebirds. Why would there not be names relating to lion encounters, colors etc?
In the Copper River Basin in AK the natives told an old story about"Long tailed Monkeys" that used to live in holes in the clay river banks and apparently ate people. Finally the people got together and started fires at the mouth of the holes and speared them as the came out. Lions would be one of few animals that would fit that discription.
How about the Lewis and Clark Journal does anyone remember lion stories in that narative?

[Mike Leonard]

Interesting subject. Although I am not aware of the northern Plains Indian Tribes take one lions I would guess that they are very similar to the Native American beleifs in my area. I have a great deal of interaction with some of the Southern rockies tribes and have hunted lion on several reservations and been accompanied by them.
The lion is considered a power symbol and he is revered in certain ceremonies. He is however a powerful predator and can take on the symbol of some negative things at times. All life is to be revered and nothing should be hated or exterminated sometimes one must just leave it alone. I certainly don't have all the answers but here is a very interesting book that might give you some general insight.


http://www.amazon.com/Spirits-Earth-Ame ... 0452276500

[akbruce66]

Thanks Mike, Just what I was looking for, my thoughts were that anyone sneaking around for the cougers main prey with a bow and arrow was bound to run into cat's on the same mission.

[Liz ODell]

uhhh, I haven't actually picked up that book and looked at it but it looks like new age stuff to me...I find that new age generic 'native american' crap to be extremely offensive and ignorant; really it amounts to racism when you really look into it (a racism where native people are viewed as some sort of mythological beast and not as actual humans with the same wants/needs/fears etc. as any other human).
Anyway if you want to know what 'native americans' felt about lions you won't get a real answer, there are thousands of tribes and every one of them believes something slightly different...if you want to know then you need to go tribe by tribe to get the answer for how THEY felt about lions.
In general just like any other creature found on this continent some tribes foubnd lions very powerful, some didn't give them much thought, some hunted, killed and ate them (and many with dogs), some hunted, killed and did not eat them but used the hides ceremoniously and some did not hunt lions period.
But all tribes did suffer conflict with all predators in the area they lived in, not continually but there was a give and take of killing and eating among us and the other apex predators on the land.

[Liz ODell]

These guys crack me up!
Sort of on topic for what we were just talking about - hope it gives someone a laugh seems like sometimes non-indians don't get some of their humor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuzPoidV ... zFhlf542Hg