By KEVIN KAUMANS
Many native tribes have existed before the settlers came to name their land as their own. Even today, despite all the hardships these people have been through over the years, there still remains over 500 tribes that are federally recognized by the US. Since it is the first week of November, I figured I would talk about some of their mythology this week.
Now, it is important to keep in mind that not every tribe follows the same beliefs and ideas. Just like any other group of people, Native Americans are not bound to the exact same god or philosophical system. To be fully transparent, I do not feel like I can explain it in a way that would not be an oversimplification. Even today, historians do not know how many of these “religions” have existed throughout history.
Growing up in rural Kansas, despite the majority population being White, I was surrounded by bits and pieces of Native American Culture; a few of the people that lived around me were part-Native American, the movie theater had the symbol of a chieftain on it, even the local high school had a chieftain as its mascot. Whether this is a respectful way of paying tribute to the Kiowa tribe or an offensive mockery of them I will leave up for you to decide, I am just explaining to you what my life was like.
I went to school in a small, Oklahoman town that was even smaller than mine. A few of my classmates and over people in the town also came from Native American descent, though I do not think any of them were full-blooded. A boy I knew growing, for example, had a White dad and a Native American mom. He loved to hunt, and was probably the best sharpshooter in the whole class.
Last week, I emailed a peer of mine, Richard. Richard is in his 40s, and has a long ancestry of Native American blood. I told him I was doing research for this article, and asked him if he could volunteer any insight. He was kind enough to email me later that night and offered me some of what he knows.
Even if you yourself, fellow reader, grew up in an urban area or a state not surrounded by many if at all any tribal territories, odds are you have still heard of Bigfoot, or as his name is to the Native Americans: Sasquatch. This creature has become so popular in modern media that almost everyone in the country knows its name.
We also cannot forget about the Thunderbird, a mythical beast that is said to be so powerful that it can create thunder just by flapping its wings. Lightning shoots out of its eyes, and it is often depicted as a towering bird of prey. There are many myths of the Thunderbird, its depictions dating back thousands of years.
A more mysterious creature is the Baykok. It is unknown what his ethics are, though it is said he was an undead warrior who lived an evil life only to be brought back to hunt transgressors of the old ways. It is unclear if this is referring to some dead code a tribe used to live by, or a more natural law. Either way, his arsenal of weapons make short work of anyone he targets.