Native Languages of the Americas: Ioway Indian Legends
This is our collection of links to Ioway folktales and traditional stories that can be read online.
We have indexed our Native American stories 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 Ioways, the traditional stories of
related tribes like the Kanza and
Otoe tribes are very similar.
Enjoy the stories! If you would like to recommend a Ioway legend for this page or think one of the ones on here
should be removed, please contact us and let us know.
˜Ictinike (also spelled Ishjinki, Ishtinike, and other ways.
Sometimes he is referred to as Old Man Ishjinki.)
Ictinike is the Trickster figure of the Ioway, Otoe, and Missouri tribes. Ictinike was the son of the Sun God, but due to his bad behavior
was exiled to earth, where he had many adventures and got in every imaginable kind of trouble.
˜Dore and Wahre'dua (also spelled
Doré and Wahrédwa.)
These mythical twins whose mother was killed by a monster are common to the folklore of many Midwestern and Eastern tribes.
They are generally portrayed as heroic monster-slayers in Ioway legends.
˜Sharp-Elbows (Ioway name Itopa'hi;
also known as Two-Face or Double-Face.) A man-eating ogre with spikes on his elbows and faces on both sides of his head.
American Indian tribes
Dore and Wahredua:
Contacts and FAQ page
