Native Americans
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Native Americans
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This is our collection of links to Gwich'in folktales and traditional stories that can be read online. We have indexed our American Indian legends 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 Gwich'in, the traditional stories of other Athabaskan tribes like the Ahtna and Koyukon tribes are very similar.
Raven (Dotson'Sa, in the Gwich'in language):
Raven is the creator god of Gwich'in mythology.
He is a revered and benevolent figure who helps the people and shapes their world for them,
but at the same time, he is also a trickster character and many Gwichin stories about Raven have to do with
his frivolous or poorly thought out behavior getting him into trouble.
Navigator:
Also known as the Transformer or Wanderer, Navigator is a heroic monster-slayer in Gwich'in folklore.
Frequently he uses his cleverness rather than his strength to defeat his enemies,
at which point he either kills them or transforms them into something harmless.
Gwitchin Stories:Raven, the Spirit Helper:Raven's Athabaskan Tales:Our Voices: Native Stories of Alaska and the Yukon:
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