The Forgotten Tribes, Oral Tales of the Teninos and Adjacent Mid-Columbia River Indian Nations: Oral Tales of the Teninos and Adjacent Mid-Columbia River Indian Nations [Paperback]

Donald M. Hines (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1991

From along the Oregon shore of the Columbia River -- Umatillas, Tenino, and Cascades Indians' myths, legends and tales. These told narratives take us into tribal imaginations where animals walk upright, speak, do marvelous deeds, where magic power and the supernatural are employed in frightening ways. Also recounted are versions of the Oedipus folktale set now along the banks of the Columbia River. Included is a description of Tenino Indian culture by anthropologist G.P. Murdoch, written during the 1930's.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The forgotten tribes of folklorist Hines ( Tales of the Nez Perce ) are from the Columbia River Valley in the Pacific Northwest: the Teninos, the Umatillas and the Cascades. The handful of traditional stories that remain from those cultures are published for the first time in this important volume, presented by Hines as originally told by Native informants to an amateur ethnologist in the early part of the century. Many of the tales are etiological in nature, explaining the origin of river rapids, of a rock formation, of the horse. The longest and best piece, concerning a war between the wolves and the salmon, explains not only the origin of the seasons but also of the victory cry given by winners of the Cascades tribe at the end of the contests. Each of the 14 stories testifies to the belief that the tribal home was a numinous landscape populated by dwarfs, spirits and demons, where every lake and rock had meaning. Hines provides the reader with what little social and historical data is known about the tribes and supplies references to similar myths in other traditions. Illustrated.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This book by folklorist Hines ( Tales of the Okanogans , Ye Galleon Pr., 1977, o.p. and Tales of the Nez Perce ,Ye Galleon Pr., 1984) collects the oral tales of the Pacific Northwest's lesser-known Indian tribes: the Teninos, the Umatillas, and Watalas (Cascades) of the Columbia River basin. Stories describing magic, animal powers, and the origin of the horse have been carefully culled from an extensive collection of narratives transcribed by rancher Lucullus V. Whorter near the Yakima Reservation between 1903 and 1935. Organized by tribe, each group of selections is introduced by a description of the tribe's cultural features. The book also includes comparisons of two versions of several tales, an index of motifs, comparative notes to other Plateau Indian tales, biographical notes on the informants (the tellers of the tales), and photographs of geographic sites, people, and lodgings. This is a highly specialized book, but it provides important resource material for the student of Native American life and for the generally interested reader. Recommended for folktale and Native American collections.
- Margaret W. Norton, Fenwick H.S., Oak Park, Ill.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 143 pages
• Publisher: Great Eagle Pub (January 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962953903
• ISBN-13: 978-0962953903
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,688,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.