Legendary Native American Figures: Wisaka (Wizaka)
Name: Wisaka Tribal affiliation:Kickapoo, Sac and Fox, Potawatomi Alternate spellings: Wisake, Wiza'ka'a, Wiske, Wieska, Wizaka, Wizakaa, Wisakaa, Wisahkeha, Wisakeha, Wizakeha, Wisaaka, Wi'saka,
Wisakatchekwa, Wiskatchekwa, Wisakachakwa, Wesokochauqua Pronunciation: Varies by dialect: usually wee-zah-kah, wee-zah-keh-hah, or wee-skeh Type:Culture hero,
Transformer, trickster Related figures in other tribes:Wesakechak (Cree), Nanabojo (Anishinabe), Glooscap (Wabanaki),
Napi (Blackfoot)
Wisaka is the benevolent culture hero of the prairie Algonquian tribes (sometimes referred to as a "transformer" by folklorists.)
His name is spelled so many different ways partially because these tribes speak several different languages, and partially
because they were originally unwritten (so English speakers just spelled it however it sounded to them at the time).
Wisaka is a trickster character whose adventures are often humorous. Unlike Plains Indian tricksters,
Wisaka is portrayed as a good friend of humankind, not a dangerous or destructive being.
Kickapoo Tales:
Classic collection of Kickapoo Indian legends, including several Wiza'ka'a stories. In Kickapoo with English translation.
Algonquian Spirit:
Excellent anthology of stories, songs, and oral history from the Algonquian tribes.
American Indian cultures
Wiza'ka'a and the Buzzard:
Contacts and FAQ page
