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Knisteneaux Flood Myth

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Knisteneaux flood myth

NOTE: This story was also reported by Catlin.

Many centuries ago a great flood covered the earth, destroying all the nations. At that time, all of the tribes of the Coteau des Prairies climbed up the Coteau, a ridge emerging out of the prairie, in order to escape the rising waters. After the tribes had gathered, the water rose to cover them all, turning their bodies into a mass of red pipestone rock. From that day on, the Coteau has been considered neutral ground to all the tribes, and there they could meet in safety to smoke the peace pipe.

While the people were all drowning, a young virgin named K-wap-tah-w grabbed the foot of a very large bird who was flying over the Coteau. The bird carried her up to a high cliff, safely above the flood waters. Here the girl had twins fathered by the war-eagle. From those twins the world was repopulated.

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Knisteneaux Flood Myth

Knisteneaux flood myth

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