Stoney Discoveries : Stoney Stories : Gift of Thunder Horse

Our summary of "Gift of Thunder Horse" told by;
Jessica, Tanner & Teagan

Iktomni is asking Waka Taga for an animal to carry the Stonies and their belongings. four animals step forward to volunteer. The first three, moose, buffalo and mountain goat walk into the great circle and offer to serve Waka Taga and the Stonies. Iktomni explained that they live in different places and the Stoney people can not live where they live. Horse was chosen by Iktomni and the animal people agree that horse will serve the Stoney people. Iktomni told horse that the Stoney people would make songs after him. They would love him and care for him

What did we hear in this story that we have heard in other stories?

• The number four keeps coming up in this story and in others that we have read. We think that the number four was lucky to the Stoney people?
• Wakataga the Great Mystery is respected because he is a spirit that gives them hope and looks out for them. He sends Buffalo Spirit.
• Iktomni is sometimes a trickster and sometimes a helper. In this story Iktomni is a helper. He has a great personality but is not the kind of a person we would want to live with because we could not trust him.
• We have seen the animals buffalo, mountain goat in this story and others.
• The moon and sun are also mentioned in this story and other stories.
• Horse was chosen because he could carry things for them, he could go on the prairie or the mountain, he had the ability to go anywhere, he could transport them very fast from place to place, very important to hunting.

Why was this story told? We think...

• The elders told this story because they had time to tell the story and the children always respected them and believed what they told. The elders had the gift of storytelling and used it to explain things to the children.
• They wanted to let everyone know the importance of understanding why the importance of the horse to the Stoney.