Week 10: Storytelling: Peace Pipe

Eagle Tournament 

One day high up above where the sky touched the earth was a mass convocation of the eagle. Today would the day that one eagle would be chosen to sacrifice a feather. This feather would be used in the making of the an all sacred piece pipe. This sacred peace pipe would be used by the Indians on earth to create peace with one another.

The judges of this competition would-would be the wise old owl and the cunning woodpecker. They would sit on earth with the Indians and help decide what feather would be chosen.

Up above all different eagles gather from across the great horizon. They had been preparing for this for years. They sharpened their beaks and talons, but most of all made sure their feathers on point.

The competition would begin by a showing of every owl's feather. After the select few were chosen the next set would begin. The eagles would be judged on sturdiness, appearance, color, softness and weight. After a long and hard thought out decision, the top eagles were the spotted eagle, bald eagle, golden eagle, and imperial eagle. For all of their feathers stood out among the others.

The next challenge was dropped a single feather in the middle of the sacred circle on the earth and have it stand straight up. In the sacred circle, the owl and woodpecker were watching, along with the Indians.

The first eagle to try was the golden one. He picked out the longest feather and began to fly over the circle. The wind was strong and blowing hard to the east. When the golden eagle dropped his feather it did not land straight up. It fell flat on it side and the golden eagle was out of the challenge.

Next up was the spotted eagle. The spotted eagle chooses to pick his most spotted feather. The spotted owl watched how the wind affected the other father, and accounted for that. Yet, as soon as the spotted eagle dropped the feather a butterfly interrupted its path. With the gentle touch of the butterfly and the feather the path to winning was corrupted. Now the spotted eagle was out of the challenge.

After that, the bald eagle was up. The bold eagle chooses his strongest most sturdy feather. The bald eagle watched the wind, watched for incoming bugs and determined a path to drop the feather. Before the bald eagle could even drop the feather he was struck down by a nearby tree. The spirits of the earth interfered and did not want the bald eagle to win the challenge.

Now in the competition only the imperial eagle remained. If the imperial eagle could not win the challenge the peace pipe would never be made. The imperial eagle chooses the feather closest to his heart. He did not check for the wind, he did not check for bugs and he did not check his surroundings. The imperial eagle knew that he could the challenge. He flew above the circle with a courageous heart and dropped the feather.

Down on earth the owl and the woodpecker along with the Indians watched at the feather fluttered down. The feather of the imperil eagle landed straight up in the center of the sacred circle. The imperial eagle had won the challenge. His feathers would be used to make the sacred piece pipe for now an years to come.

Imperial Eagle on Flickr by Frankie Chu

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Author's note: In the original story it tells how the Indians gathered as a council. They cleared a circle and sat down. They heard the owl and woodpecker near bye. The chief said they would offer us aid, so he had them join the circle. This is why I choose the owl and woodpecker to be the judges in the circle. Then as the Indians sat in the circle the chief sent for someone to get wood and ash sapling. Every time a feather fell into the circle the chief sent him back for a different one. Then one feather landed staring up and the chief said this was the right wood and sapling and this is the feather we will use. From then on the peace pipes have been made from the imperial eagle's feathers. In my story, I choose to tell it from the eagles side of the story. I turned it into a competition. Oppose to the eagle feathers telling the Indians what wood and sapling were correct.

Story Source: From the Great Plains unit, story The Legend of the Peace Pipes by Katharine Berry Judson (1913).

Week 10: Reading Diary Continued: The Spirit Land

Story from the Great Plains unit, The Spirit Land. By Katharine Berry Judson (1913).

When I first read the title I was anticipating a story about a spirit world/land. That the story would bring the reader to this place. That's what I get for guessing about an Indian tale.

The spirit world is toward the Darkening Land that was located higher up. The story is told that when the spirits come back from this world the Crow is the leader. This is because the Crow is black in color like the Darkening Land.

As for the people they were in the living world, the Sunrise Land. The Crow decided that he would bring different worlds together. Crow had taken a pebble with his beak and dropped in into the water. The pebble became a mountain! This allowed the Indians to come down the mountain side to the edge of the water.

Crow flying above water: Wikimedia.com

Crow's next step was to take dust and drop it into the water. The dust became solid land! This land had stretched from the spirit land to the living world.

The next step Crow made was taking blades of grass. When he Crow dropped the grass new land was made!

The last step, Crow took twigs in his beak. When Crow dropped them it covered the new earth with a forest of trees.

Thanks to Crow the Indians have a new world to live on!



When I read this story it made me think of the story of the beaver and the Coyote. They had an epic battle that they fought so hard they created the great lakes. Kind of like hoe Crow created this new earth. It also reminded me of other creation stories from different tribes.

I tend to really enjoy the creation stories from all different units. I like how it wasn't the people who created the world. It is usually animals that do. One of the reasons I like to believe the Indians have such a strong connection with the animals. As well as with the plants and rest of nature around them. They all work together and live in harmony.

Week 10 Reading Diary:

When reading the story of The Legend of the Peace Pipes, I found myself asking many questions! For myself as a reader, this is a good thing. What would the fun in reading a story be if you always knew the mystery?

The story of the Peace Pipes would never be one I would guess. I was wrong with every guess I made but one. When the different eagles started flying above the cleared circle. I had made a guess that we would land upright, pointed out of the ground. Surely enough, one had, from the eagle with the fantail. That part was a bit unexpected. I though it would have been the bald eagle.

Wikipedia: Peace Pipe Circle

In the end, it also tells of how that eagle and feathers from the owl and woodpecker are used to make the piece pipes. The peace pipes were then used to form relations with other tribes.

I had many other questions when reading the story. One was why did only the owl and woodpecker call out to the Indians? In the story, it says the owl called out to offer then his aid. What aid did he bring, though? I still wonder this.

Overall my favorite part of the story is how the animals helped find the right sapling and bark. Mainly the eagles that flew from above and dropped their feathers in the middle of the circle clearing.

Story Source: The Legend of the Peace Pipes. Unit Great Plains. By Katharine Berry Judson. 

Tech Tip: Quote maker

Personal Photo made on Canva.com

I am really glad I found this tech tip and went through with it. I really enjoy taking pictures. I also enjoy finding an inspirational quote. I am a huge fan of traveling and nature. So most of my quotes are nature or travel related. I have the struggle in the past with finding a place and knowing where I am going. Lately, though I know that things will work out and fall into place. You do not always need a reason sometimes you just need to take off. "Wonder without purpose or reason" I took this photo just a few weeks ago at the Wichita Mountains and Wildlife refuge. I was out hiking with my sisters and we wanted to see how close we could get to the buffalo. We got about 15 feet away then decided we should accept that and let them be. From now on when I take picture I will be thinking of where I will be placing the quote!