On the Trail of Elder Brother Glous'gap Stories of the Mimac Indians

by RunningWolf, Michael B.; Smith, Patricia Clark; RunningWolf, Michael B.

• ISBN13: 9780892552887
• ISBN10: 0892552883
• Edition: 00
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-06-17
• Publisher: PERSEA

Summary

Stories of Glous'gap, the embodiment of the Great Spirit, are told by the many Algonquin tribes of North America--from the Dakotas through New England, and south to Delaware. Among them is the Micmac of Maine, Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces. Since the seventeenth century, anthropologists have listened to Micmac storytellers and recorded their tales. Finally, here is a book devoted entirely to Glous'gap's adventures, told to us firsthand in the traditional Micmac versions by two Micmac authors. On the Trail of Elder Brother follows Glous'gap during the time he lived among the Micmac. When he arrives, the earth is barely formed. Glous'gap helps to shape it and populate it with creatures and plants. He teaches his people the right way to live, and how to live together harmoniously in the natural world. He battles the monsters who threaten them--a water-hoarding monster, a fearsome lake serpent, a giant bird of prey, and an evil sorceress, among them. By the time he leaves, the world has become a more settled place. With their pipe-smoking whales, irascible porcupines, witches, and the like, these stories are wondrous and magical. But they are also wise, immersed in what it means to be fully human in a fragile world. The sixteen accompanying pen-and-ink drawings enhance their appeal. Every reader, from the uninitiated to the specialist, will fall under the spell of this powerful, joy-filled volume.

Author Biography

Michael B. RunningWolf grew up in Maine and in New Brunswick, Canada, a direct descendant of Beminuit, the Grand Chief of the Micmac Nation. A master storyteller and craftsman, he lives in Los Lunas, New Mexico Patricia Clark Smith is of Irish, French-Canadian, and Micmac descent. She teaches Native American literature and creative writing at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. IX
The Coming of Glous'gap	p. 3
Glous'gap and Young Wolf	p. 11
Why the Beavers Are at War with Glous'gap	p. 17
Porcupine and Fisher	p. 21
How Glous'gap Saved Pine Marten and Mrs. Bear	p. 25
Glous'gap and Grandfather Turtle	p. 43
Glous'gap and the Water Monster	p. 57
How the Sacred Pipe Was Brought to the Micmac	p. 65
Glous'gap and Painted Turtle	p. 73
The Boy in the Birchbark Box	p. 81
Glous'gap and Wotjou'san, the Wind Bird	p. 93
Glous'gap and the Little Summer Woman	p. 99
Glous'gap and the Gulls	p. 107
Glous'gap and Wa'sis	p. 117
Glous'gap and the Three Wishes	p. 121
Glous'gap's Farewell	p. 127
Map: Land of the Micmac	p. 132
Micmac Glossary and Pronunciation Guide	p. 133
Further Reading and Viewing	p. 141
About the Authors	p. 144
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