Native American languages * Native American cultures * What's new on our site today!

Native American Dwarf Characters of Myth and Legend

People with dwarfism or hunchbacks were considered sacred or magically powerful in the folk traditions of many American Indian tribes. In some tribes dwarves were associated with American Indian little people, races of magical wilderness spirits like goblins or fairies. But there are also many Native American folktales about individual dwarf heroes, most of whom simply appeared or were born that way and were probably based on real incidence of dwarfism and similar conditions.

Sponsored Links


Native American Dwarves from Various Tribes

Fastachee (Seminole Indian dwarf)
*Greasy Breast (Crow Indian dwarf hero)
Mikumwesu (Maliseet Indian dwarf)
Squant (Wampanoag Indian dwarf)
Tshakapesh (Innu Indian dwarf)
World Man (Ioway dwarf god)

Native American Dwarf Stories

*Koluskap: Stories from Wolastoqiyik:
    Maliseet epic about the dwarf hero Mikumwesu.
*When Tcikabis Trapped The Sun:
    An Atikamekw legend about the dwarf trickster Tshakapesh getting into trouble.

Recommended Books Including Stories About Native American Dwarves
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links

The Deetkatoo:
    Great collection of traditional American Indian dwarf folklore from 14 different tribes.



Back to Native American Indian mythology
Back to the Native god index
Back to Native Indian heroes



American Indian names * Algonquian peoples * Ojibwe translation * Nentego * Indian headdresses

Would you like to help support our organization's work with endangered American Indian languages?

Native Languages of the Americas website © 1998-2020 * Contacts and FAQ page