Native Languages of the Americas: Lumbee Indian Legends
This is our collection of links to Lumbee folktales and traditional stories that can be read online.
We have indexed our Native American 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 Cheraw and Croatan tribes of North Carolina,
the traditional stories of related tribes like the Catawba and
Powhatan tribes are very similar.
Enjoy the stories! If you would like to recommend a Lumbee legend for this page or think one of the ones on here
should be removed, please contact us and let us know.
˜Little People (Yehasuri, Boogers).
Traditional Lumbee folktales often involve the antics of troublemaking gnomelike creatures called Little People, who steal children's footprints and shadows,
make messes and undo people's work if they are not properly appeased and avoided. (Yehasuri is the Catawba word for such
creatures, which is used by some Lumbee storytellers today; Booger is a general Southeastern Native American name for a monster
or supernatural creature. The Lumbee languages, Carolina Siouan and Carolina Algonquian,
are no longer spoken today and few records remain of them, though the stories are still told.)
Eagle Feather:
Lumbee story about the symbolism of eagle feathers.
Lumbee Storytelling:
Interview with a contemporary Lumbee storyteller, Barbara Braveboy-Locklear.
The Lumbee River Spirit:
Lumbee legend about a warrior and a Tuscarora girl.
Native American cultures
Eagle Feather:
Contacts and FAQ page
