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Haudenosaunee - Bear Legends
There are two ways you can see the three stars that form the handle of the Big Dipper. Some stories say the Great Bear has a long tail. Others say the bear is being pursued by three hunters.
The Bear and the Hunters
One autumn day, three hunters went out to gather food for the coming winter. The first hunter carried a bow and arrows. The second hunter carried a pot to cook their game in and the third carried a pile of firewood to build the fire. While hunting they noticed a huge bear, one that could keep their village fed for a long time. The first hunter drew his bow and fired, hitting the bear in the side. Frightened, the bear ran. The three hunters knew they needed the food, so they chased the bear. But the bear kept running until he ended up into the sky. The three hunters ended up there with him. However, when the bear gets close to the horizon during autumn, the wound in his side opens and spills blood on the trees, changing the color of the leaves. The People knew that when the bear was low in the sky, it was time to gather food for the winter, even if the weather was still warm.
The Bear and the Mighty Chief
Long ago there lived a chief who was bigger and stronger than any man in his tribe. His favorite pastime was hunting bear. However, there was one wise old bear that always eluded him. So the chief vowed that when he finally caught that wise old bear, he'd make sure all knew about it. One day as he was hunting he saw that wise old bear. But instead of shooting the bear with his bow, be grabbed it by the tail and begain to swing the bear around over his head. When he had enough momentum built up, he threw the bear into the sky. As the chief was spinning the bear around, the bear's tail grew longer and longer. The bear hit the sky so hard, he's been going around ever since.
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