Native Languages of the Americas: Beaver Legends and Traditional Stories
This is our collection of links to Beaver folktales and traditional stories that can be read online.
We have indexed our Native American tales section
by tribe to make them easier to locate; however, variants on the same
legend are often told by American Indians from different tribes, especially if those tribes are kinfolk or neighbors to
each other. In particular, though these legends come from the Beaver tribe, the traditional stories of
related tribes like the
Sekani and
Chipewyan are very similar.
Enjoy the stories! If you would like to recommend a Beaver legend for this page or think one of the ones on here
should be removed, please contact us and let us know.
˜Saya (also spelled Tsaya or Tsaayaa.) This is
the benevolent culture hero of the Beaver tribe (sometimes referred to as a "transformer" by folklorists.) He is generally portrayed as a
heroic monster-slayer and friend to mankind, though there are some stories about him that are humorous in nature.
˜Wechuge. This is a kind of cannibal monster
common to Northern Athabaskan mythology. In some legends it is portrayed as an ancient ice being that comes from the wilderness to
prey upon humans, but in Beaver traditions it is more often said to be a person who has been possessed or overwhelmed by the power of
one of the ancient spirit animals.
Indian culture
Flood Tale of the Beaver Indians:
Contacts and FAQ page
